How To Move Your Small Business To The Cloud

07/04/2010

By Kate Craig-Wood, founder of IT hosting company Memset

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing can be regarded as essentially the provision of computing resources as a utility, in the same way that your small business uses familiar utilities, such as electricity, water, gas etc. Cloud computing enables you to pay for computing resources as you need them. These services are provided over the internet, on a consumption-based pay-as-you-use model.

Cloud computing enables documents, emails and other data to be stored online or 'in the cloud', making them accessible from any PC, laptop or mobile device, and importantly, in real-time. It...

...also negates the need to download or install dedicated software on your own computer, freeing up onboard memory and reducing energy costs.


The Benefits

There are two major benefits of cloud computing. The first is the elimination of major IT infrastructure investment. The second is that you and your staff can access your company data, securely, from anywhere in the world. Both of these benefits will result in a major shift in the way that businesses of all sizes use computers. But, initially it will be small to medium businesses (SMEs) that benefit the most.

SMEs that are running traditional IT configurations typically have servers in house and are running high-spec PCs. Their networks also require investment and management.
Moving applications to the cloud, enables them to greatly reduce their upfront capital expenditure and slash maintenance costs.

Many businesses are also now turning to cloud computing as a cheaper alternative to using traditional in-house software packages. Many web-based Cloud software services, hosted in a secure data centre, end up costing a lot less in terms of licensing and save the time and hassle involved in downloads and upgrading.

Cloud computing is also 'green'. Cloud providers are highly motivated to reduce... continued on page two >

 

 

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