Whether your business is just getting off the ground, or has been around for years, it’s no longer enough to offer a good product at a competitive price, perhaps coupled with exemplary customer service. There are many, many companies out there providing these things. In order to set your company apart, you need to embrace the latest advances in computing and Internet business practices. Advancing technology has the potential to move your business forward at the speed of light, and you will need to stay ahead of the trends to remain thoroughly modern.
The newest trend is cloud computing, but it would be a mistake to think of cloud computing as a fad that will come and go, and therefore be obsolete in just a few years’ time. Instead, cloud computing is poised to revolutionize the enterprise world, much as the Internet itself did not all that long ago. Depending on the level of service you need, there is a cloud-computing model that will appeal to you.
At its most basic, cloud computing uses a network of servers, located globally, to store and process information for both consumers and businesses. It’s an alternative to maintaining cumbersome and expensive servers or mainframes on-premises, and can therefore be accessed from any location using only a Web browser. Enterprise cloud computing can offer customer relationship management and sales force automation applications, which automate and streamline processes.
There are three types of cloud-based architectures: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
Software-as-a-Service is when a business pays to use software that is provided and managed at an alternate location. The vendor can offer many services, none or few of which are actually kept at the physical location of the business. E-mails, inventory lists, and customer relations management programs can be kept online, with access via an Internet browser. This enables each user to access SaaS cloud from mobile phones and smart devices as easily as from a desktop PC.
Platform-as-a-Service offers a more technical service. The vendor provides a copy of the required application that is installed on your computer, but takes up little room, and includes any programs that are required for functioning. This platform is completely tied together with little room for customer error. A physical location with computers and access to the PaaS cloud is needed, as well as the PaaS software installed on each computer. Data may be kept remotely, but the cloud would not work unless the PaaS was available on every computer. Depending on the level of memory that is required by the PaaS, mobile phones could possibly be used to access the PaaS cloud. This is a prime location for expansive CRM software.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service offers the most services to the client. Your business has the ability to login and use the vendor’s software, hardware, memory and anything else the vendor provides. This is the most extensive cloud. Your business may keep very minimal computer software and only use the services purchased from your vendor. The computers at your physical location would only need minimal software to access the IaaS cloud. This can save you money because all your computers need is the ability to act as a window to the IaaS cloud, so your computers do not need the expensive software that is traditionally associated with server-based computing.
Since the possibility exists for viruses to come cloaked in E-mail clothing, a modern business must stay abreast of security issues in order to protect its bottom line. When you have a cloud, you can set up your data to be saved and/or backed up in the remote location of the cloud. Security for traditional server software programs – not to mention the hardware that they run on – can be expensive and time-consuming. Clouds can help you keep your information intact with a minimum of security technology and personnel.
Cloud computing architectures can streamline your business processes and make your employees’ administrative tasks easier, thereby freeing them up for more labor-intensive tasks. They can also provide you a complete perspective on the customers’ buying habits and practices, as well as on sales figures and sales projections. In short, cloud computing makes it easy to grow your business, increase productivity, and generate more revenue.
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