Confused about the recent buzz concerning “cloud computing” applications? They are very simple ways to reduce your on-going expenses and internal business requirements. Here is what you need to know:
1. Cloud computing simply means software and data storage services that are provided over the Internet, rather than stored locally on your office hardware. You may remember back in the 1990s when we called this the “thin client” model; today, with fast Internet connections and the Web 2.0 ability to provide a solid user interface over the Internet, we are rediscovering the value of this model.
2. Storing your information online means that someone else takes on the issue of making sure that your data is available and properly backed up. Who has a larger information technology staff, your company or a vendor? Therefore, who do you think has a more bulletproof method of ensuring that all of your crucial data is backed up properly, so you can forget about the pain caused when a server goes down?
3. Cloud computing services come with solid security mechanisms, ensuring that all of the data you create and store in the cloud is encrypted in both directions. This is as simple as connecting to your provider with Secure Socket Layer https connections as opposed to the hassle of ensuring that all of your mobile and telecommuting staffers are constantly using VPN connections to access your servers.
4. Likewise, cloud computing is inherently friendly to wireless Internet connections, since https is just as secure over a wireless transaction. Internal security models can sometimes break down here, as it is relatively common for even an experienced IT staff to accidentally “leak” some data at some point in the transaction.
5. Cloud computing applications are inherently distributed over the Internet, so your mobile and telecommuting staff can access their information from anywhere they have an Internet connection. You can replicate this with your in-house servers at great expense and with ongoing technical support costs But, why reinvent the wheel?
6. There are many reputable vendors available, which all offer cloud computing services. Some of these vendors offer the latest customer relationship management applications on-demand. These applications take you business management and sales force to a whole new level.
7. Cloud computing, on a whole, can benefit you with much lower start-up investment costs and, most likely, with cheaper on-going support fees. Take customer relationship management (or CRM) software as an example. Services are purchased on-demand, and the number of users is a factor in purchasing price. A company can ultimately save on costs down the road because they are only required to pay for the services they need at the moment. All other applications can be purchased at a later date. In this manner, the company avoids paying for unused software programs. In addition, the company avoids paying IT staff because software applications are upgraded by the provider.
8. It’s not only about the money. Installing high-end client-server software in your business represents a commitment on the part of your information services staff to keep a great deal of computing hardware and software available on a 24/7 basis, properly backed up to on-site and off-site resources. With an implementation like customer relationship management, this is usually not something you can easily add to the work requirements of your existing staff without adding to your human resources department. Cloud computing takes responsibility for this, and the business work flow is off your hands and placed with your provider. Also, cloud computing presents you with more options than you would normally have with standard software. If your company needs quality, customizable applications, cloud computing enables you to achieve this goal. The purpose of cloud computing is to provide users with technological enhancements for their companies.
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