I imagine that most people reading this article will have heard of Cloud computing. It is a concept that has grown significantly over the last 5 years and is now referred to on a daily basis. All this hype brings preconceived ideas. Some associate it with enhanced flexibility, others with security concerns. In this article, we go back to basics in defining Cloud computing and what it means for your business.

What is Cloud computing?

In a nutshell, Cloud computing refers to any services delivered over the internet. If you use Gmail for email or Dropbox for file sharing, you've used Cloud services. From a commercial perspective, the Cloud has changed how businesses operate. Whereas good email hosting, offsite backup and online file sharing would previously have required significant investment, they are now readily available, often for less than the price of your daily latte! This means small businesses can now access the same leading technologies as large multinationals, opening up new opportunities.

Why consider Cloud services?

Regardless of your business size or type, Cloud services afford the following benefits:

1.     Increased Productivity: The ultimate enabler of flexible working, Cloud services allow you to access documents and continue working from any device, in any location.

2.     Improved Service Levels: Increased responsiveness leads to happier clients. The high service levels guaranteed by Cloud providers also reduce your risk of downtime.

3.     Reduced Costs: Monthly or annual payment subscriptions remove large upfront capital investments. Software updates are also managed by Cloud providers, reducing your maintenance costs and saving you time.

4.     Increased Competitiveness:  Improved efficiency and reduced costs drive competitive advantage. 58% of small businesses agree that Cloud technology helped them punch above their weight and compete against larger businesses.

5.     Enhanced Scalability: Cloud services are ideal for fast growing businesses as they scale in line with your business, rather than you having to make over-allowances for future growth.

At this point, I would like to touch upon security and data privacy. Recent high profile cases have raised concerns around Cloud security. In reality, these security ‘breaches' often have little to do with the insecurity of the Cloud. More often these ‘hacks' are nothing more than people guessing a password or tricking a person into disclosing their password (a.k.a phishing).

Phishing and poor passwords are the weak points of all systems, regardless of whether they are hosted in the Cloud or in your office. In fact, moving to the Cloud can often improve your data security through access to encryption and security tools which would otherwise be financially unviable for SMEs.

What to look for in a Cloud provider?

1.     Service Levels: carefully review contracts and check that SLAs meet your business needs.

2.     Data Residency: ensure data will be stored, processed and accessed within the EEA for compliance with the Data Protection Act.

3.     Security: check security provisions (e.g. 2 form factor authentication) and compliance with ISO27001 2005 as minimum.

4.     Regulatory compliance: ensure compliance with regulatory bodies where required. 

5.     Track Record: seek references from other companies.

Cloud computing is here to stay and is rapidly growing in popularity. Finding a reputable provider will not only increase your productivity, reduce costs and improve competitiveness, it will improve the security, reliability and performance of your systems. 

Contact: www.foration.com | 020 7099 9384