What Cloud Management Does for Small Businesses
You may have heard of cloud management before, but what is it, and why does your business need it? Here is a short guide to help you understand more.
Cloud Management
Thanks to the internet and the advent of cloud computing, business owners can now operate their businesses in a more efficient and secure way. They can use Dropbox to store important files, use Slack to communicate more effectively with their team members, and use hosted cloud solutions akin to Microsoft Exchange to store and back-up emails.
These are just some of the cloud managed services that companies can provide, although businesses can also make use of third-party cloud managed services for backup of their data too. These offer robust network infrastructures that are more secure than on-site data backups, and they can be customized to fall in line with the data needs of the business owner. There are two main benefits.
Benefit #1: Cloud Management Is Secure
A catastrophic data loss can happen at any time, be that via a power surge in a natural disaster, or a hardware failure. The consequence of data loss is downtime for the business, and this could put the business at a financial and reputational loss if that data is lost forever, or if it can’t be accessed quickly.
Most businesses today have a backup plan in place, with one contingency being the use of a managed cloud service. By storing important data in the cloud, business owners can rest easy knowing that their data is secure.
It can be accessed by any device capable of connecting to the internet, such as a phone, computer, or tablet device, and it can be accessed at any time. This is why business owners consider the benefits of the cloud when it comes to storing and backing up data that is paramount to running their companies.
Benefit #2: Cloud Management Is Cost-Efficient
There is a monthly expense when using a cloud computing provider, but as it’s a cost-efficient expense, many business owners can see the advantages. For one, there will be no need to hire a specialist IT team to manage server equipment on site, as off-site cloud service providers will manage, patch, and update their own equipment.
There are savings on energy usage too, as with fewer servers and pieces of computer equipment on the business premises, there will be less of an impact to the monthly electricity bill. And because there will be fewer chances of downtime due to hardware failure, productivity will increase, more money will be made, and customers and clients won’t be tempted to disregard the business.
Cloud Management: Infrastructure and Storage
Cloud infrastructure consists of the various hardware and software components that are required to deliver cloud services to the business owner. Physical components will include networking equipment, servers, and data storage space.
Cloud services store data and host their services in three different ways. These include:
Public Cloud – Built on an off-site platform run by the provider. They will provide all of the resources needed for the storage needs of their customers.
Private Cloud – Businesses can choose to set up a cloud infrastructure within their own premises and store data through their own hardware and software.
Hybrid Cloud – Businesses can choose to store some data on-site, such as sensitive customer information, and other data offsite, such as anything that can be considered less sensitive.
Which cloud service is right for you? Speak to an IT professional to learn more about each, and choose a service that is closely aligned with the needs of your business.
Conclusion
Cloud management is beneficial to today’s businesses, and we have only touched upon the basics here. Commit to more research, and find out more about the benefits that cloud computing can offer your business.