Businesses that are considering a move to the cloud can expect to enjoy substantial benefits. Multiple aspects of cloud computing provide a company with operational efficiencies and advanced technology. These advantages can result in a significant competitive advantage that helps your business flourish.
The Main Benefits of Cloud Computing
The following benefits are available to any company that chooses to migrate some or all of its computing environment to the cloud. These benefits are available from a cloud service provider (CSP) whether a business chooses to go with a private or public cloud deployment model. They are particularly valuable in addressing the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Cost savings
The cost savings associated with cloud computing are often one of the primary reasons companies consider migrating. Moving to the cloud eliminates the capital costs of purchasing hardware to construct an IT infrastructure. The CSP is responsible for providing the hardware used to support its customers’ computing environments.
Companies need to manage their cloud spending efficiently. CSPs have varying pricing plans that should be investigated to find the best value for a specific company. Many businesses turn to a managed service provider (MSP) to assist with effectively managing cloud resources and their costs.
Scalability
The cloud offers companies virtually unlimited scalability to address their fluctuating business requirements. Customers can adopt on-demand pricing plans that enable them to expand or contract the environment as needed. They can add more storage and computing power to handle seasonal usage spikes or organic growth. When the additional resources are no longer needed, they can be returned to the cloud provider to reduce costs.
Flexibility
Along with the previously discussed scalability, migrating to the cloud provides businesses with additional flexibility in addressing changing business requirements and objectives. A company is not bound by the limitations of the hardware or software provisioned for an in-house data center. For instance, a company can make a major decision such as moving from a Windows to a Linux environment to run a specific software solution without considering hardware replacement costs.
Access to cutting-edge technology
Quality cloud providers deploy cutting-edge technology that addresses a wide variety of business objectives. Obtaining the same level of technology can be difficult for companies with an on-premises environment. They may lack the budget or technical knowledge necessary to implement technological solutions that can contribute to business success.
CSPs provide many advanced software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings that a business can quickly implement to add functionality to its IT environment. Customers can access solutions such as machine learning analytics with a simple subscription. A business can take advantage of these solutions to gain a competitive edge over market rivals.
Improved Security
Security is one of the most important aspects of a computing environment. Reliable CSPs typically deploy industry-leading security solutions and techniques to protect your business’s valuable data. Platforms such as advanced intrusion detection and end-to-end encryption can help keep unauthorized users away from enterprise resources.
The CSP is also responsible for installing the hardware and software security patches and updates necessary to maintain a secure environment.
Regulatory compliance
Businesses that handle data subject to regulatory standards need to employ a compliant infrastructure. Most companies have at least some credit card holder data regulated by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). Reputable CSPs offer customers computing environments that meet their regulatory compliance needs.
Employing this approach allows customers to maintain compliance without the expense and technical knowledge necessary to build a compliant on-premises infrastructure. The cloud provides SMBs with a simple method of achieving regulatory compliance.
Addressing a Lack of In-House Skills
Many SMBs are challenged by a lack the of in-house technical skills required to implement and effectively deploy advanced computing solutions. Moving to the cloud eliminates many of those challenges by providing the staff to maintain the environment’s hardware and software. The cloud provider furnishes the personnel with the technical skills to run the environment efficiently.
Enhancing data access and mobility
Data stored and processed by applications in the cloud can be accessed from any location in the world via an Internet connection. Enhanced data access to enterprise information is essential in promoting a mobile workforce. Easily accessing data at any time from any place can also streamline business decision-making and enable a company to take advantage of new opportunities as they become available.
Improved collaboration
Collaboration is extremely important in enabling businesses to meet their objectives. The rise of the mobile and globalized workforce demands that teams collaborate across multiple time zones. The cloud provides a business with a globally accessible infrastructure that facilitates collaborative teamwork. Adding the collaborative capabilities of the cloud opens up new opportunities for businesses that can provide them with a substantial competitive edge.
Enhanced resiliency
The cloud offers businesses multiple methods of enhancing resiliency in the face of threat actors, man-made catastrophes, or natural disasters. Large cloud providers typically have multiple data centers housed in geographically diverse locations. Businesses can maintain multiple versions of critical data to afford them better protection against unforeseen events.
Cloud backups are a streamlined method of protecting enterprise data and improving resiliency. CSPs can also help implement disaster recovery plans to quickly recover systems and applications to alternate locations. The ability to connect to the recovered cloud resources from any Internet-connected machine can be crucial in a disaster.
Let VAST Help Your Business Leverage Cloud Benefits
VAST has your back when it comes to migrating your IT environment to the cloud. VAST has formed strategic partnerships with major CSPs like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, And Google Cloud Platform. They have a wealth of experience working with businesses looking to leverage the benefits of the cloud and can help your company do the same.
VAST provides visibility and management of on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments with VAST View. The cloud experts at VAST assist with assessing your current environment, planning a cloud migration, and optimizing the new infrastructure. Talk to them today and let your business start taking advantage of the cloud.
