Cloud Computing for Business. Is It Right For You?

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1 A Cloud Computing for Business Is It Right For You?

2 1 Cloud Computing services with i.t.now is limitless in potential and opportunity. Migrating your business to the cloud can make your business more mobile, productive and cost efficient, but it can also hurt your business if not carefully planned out. While that sounds great, because what business wouldn t want those things, but how do you even know if your business is ready for the cloud? Are you completely confortable with how the cloud impacts your business? In a nutshell, cloud computing offers delivery of data storage and computing as a service, instead of as a product. The cloud also provides remote access to these things and can be accessed from anywhere in the world at any time. As for the benefits of Cloud Computing for business; the cloud model has the potential to catapult your business ahead of the competition. Key Benefits Savings Depending on the specific computing and network needs of your business, you may discover the cloud model provides significant cost savings over a more traditional hardware/ software model. These savings could be had particularly in the areas of Web hosting, and virus protection and hardware/software upgrades and maintenance.

3 2 Natural Remote Backup A cloud-based service is capable of providing redundant backup capabilities as part of the service itself. This could prove to be beneficial in preventing loss of data through physical storage devices and servers you have on-site. Simplicity With the cloud you can make your business more employee friendly because of the inherent flexibility it Migrating your business to the cloud can make your business more mobile, productive and cost efficient... brings to the table. Employees could easily and quickly access files while on the go or remote through their smartphones, tablets, or home computers (if provided that access). Files and projects could also easily be uploaded to the cloud and shared with relevant teams or departments in real-time. Maintenance and Security Some businesses find it easier to deal with applications over the cloud compared to the need to install software

4 3 on physical equipment, or upgrade it on each device as necessary. This method of dealing with applications and installing or updating certain software also makes things a bit more secure because no one is gaining physical access to your server room, network, or physical equipment. Drawbacks to Migrating Without a Plan As with anything in business, your success is going to be determined in part by how prepared you are and the kind of plan you have in place beforehand. Moving to the cloud too quickly could actually cost your business more money than what you could potentially save, while also causing you downtime and that means lost productivity and revenue for your company. Possible Downtime While cloud computing makes your business more mobile capable and can certainly help things run more efficiently, you are also completely reliant on your internet connection at that point. If the cloud goes down, your business goes down. If your Internet service suffers from frequent slow speeds or outages than cloud computing may not be practical for your business. Security Concerns There are security concerns inherent with any business model and technology infrastructure, but specific to cloud computing is the fact that you are now storing sensitive data on the Internet. Yes, safeguards exist to protect your

5 4 company and critical information but how reliable can they truly be in the wake of NSA snooping scandals and other major security breaches with major corporations? Think of it this way perhaps you won t store everything on the cloud and keep things you re not comfortable having stored on the Internet on-site or on another storage device. Is Your Business Ready For The Cloud? Cloud Computing for Business is certainly a great opportunity for your company to improve certain processes, streamline certain business applications, and maybe even save a little money in the process. However, doing so hastily could be more trouble than it s actually worth and set your business back. You need to speak with qualified cloud solutions specialists about how much of the cloud is useful for your business and specific business needs. Contacting i.t.now s team of cloud solutions experts can help you make that decision i.t.now 8763 Sandy Parkway Sandy, UT Phone: (801) Fax: (801)