How Cloud Can Transform Your Business

Are you looking for ways to make your business more competitive in a changing market?

If your business hasn’t moved to the cloud, you’re already behind your competitors. Cloud computing was once an option, but now it’s an imperative. It can transform your business in numerous ways that can help your business thrive.

Cloud transformation involves moving your company’s data, apps, and software from local servers to the internet-based servers. It also involves transforming your IT infrastructure. If you’re not completely clear about what cloud computing entails, that’s okay. 

“If someone asks me what cloud computing is, I try not to get bogged down with definitions. I tell them that, simply put, cloud computing is a better way to run your business.” – Mark Benioff, CEO of Salesforce

Cloud services grew over 49% between 2019 and 2022 as Covid-19 forced companies to reevaluate their business practices and marketing strategies. In fact, 70% of organizations who already had cloud-based services realized that they needed to transfer even more of their operations to the cloud to provide access from anywhere. And, you know what? It had other benefits, too. 

Cloud computing offers more than just technology. It can be a way for a CIO to become more innovative. It can also be a catalyst for organizational growth.

A successful transition to cloud computing has proven advantages. Let’s look more closely at seven benefits of moving more of your business to the cloud.

Unless you’re an outlier that still operates 100% on paper, cloud services will cost less than your current data storage systems. Cloud storage is far less expensive to maintain than the equivalent private network infrastructure, cybersecurity, and compliance.

Using a cloud-based model can help you convert your capital expenditures to operational expenditures. How? It saves your business the costs of purchasing, managing, upgrading, and maintaining local IT systems. Instead, you simply pay for your cloud system. 

A Vanson Bourne study shows that adopting a cloud-based business model provides the following measurable monetary benefits:

• 17% average reduction in costs related to IT maintenance
• 16% average reduction in operation costs
• 15% average reduction in IT spending costs

Another study by Forrester Consulting shows that cloud computing helps save money on:

• Servers and facilities: You can retire many physical servers and avoid future server purchases.
• Software, storage, and networking: Consolidation and going virtual help enable these cost savings.
• Downtime: With better security and private cloud access, you can reduce outages and overcome a lack of physical access. 
• Hardware and facilities: You’ll spend less on hardware, updates, power, cooling, and space. Plus, employees using personal devices from home can save on the cost of office space and computers.
• Software licensing: Cloud-based software is often cheaper than purchasing individual software rights for each computer, plus off-site access rights. 
• Resources: You’ll save money on full-time local IT support and vendor support.
• Training: Training time is far shorter and, thus, less costly for a cloud-based system.

Large cloud service providers go through regular audits to maintain compliance with ISO, PCI, and other agencies. Knowing that the system is already compliant takes away the burden of compliance tasks from your local IT team. 

Another way cloud computing can help you with compliance is by streamlining record-keeping. In cloud computing, many compliance-related record-keeping tasks occur automatically, which will save you time and hassle later related to compliance.

In general, cloud services are more secure than keeping all your data on local servers. 

How can cloud computing help take your business model to the next level in terms of security?

• It protects your data from disasters, such as floods or fires
• It provides internet access to all your data during inclement weather or lockdowns.
• It keeps a backup of all your documents without needing to transfer them to backup drives, disks, or other physical storage options.

Having your data in the cloud can provide business continuity and resiliency that wasn’t previously possible in the face of disaster.  

Some people worry that storing data in the cloud may make it at more risk of cyber attack. However, the truth is that cloud storage is at a lower risk of cyber attack than storing data on a server. 

Cloud storage has several security advantages, including:

• Fewer copies of data
• Limited access
• Password protection
• Limited control 
• Data encryption
• Automation
• Device security 
• Notifications of setting changes or security breaches

Security breaches are usually not the fault of the cloud provider. Your business will still have cybersecurity responsibilities to prevent data breaches. For example, you will need to accept updates and security patches and do a few other technical things a good IT team can handle.    

Another advantage of cloud storage that has become extremely helpful during the Covid-19 pandemic is the ability to access documents and software from anywhere that has an internet connection. 

Being able to access data from anywhere allows you and your employees to work from the office, at home, or even on the other side of the globe if necessary. You don’t even need to be near a computer since you can even access data through your phone.

Cloud storage also allows you to transfer files more easily, and shareability options can prevent the need of emailing documents or downloading attachments.

The cloud has virtually unlimited storage, so you don’t have to worry about running out of space for documents, video files, and audio files like you do with physical servers. 

If you’re not operating in the cloud and everyone is storing a copy of the same files on your servers, they take up precious space. The more data you and your employees have, the more hardware you will need to store it on a local network. 

Moving your data to the cloud:

• Eliminates paper file storage once you’ve scanned necessary documents
• Allows everyone to access one current document rather than multiple copies of the same document in different versions
• Saves space without the need for as much onsite physical document storage and data storage systems 

The previously mentioned Forester Consulting and Vanson Bourne studies reveal several statistics related to cloud adoption and increased productivity and efficiency:

• 21% average increase in time to market a new idea or product
• 20% average company growth increase
• 19% average process efficiency increase
• 10% time savings for IT management and support
• 4% productivity boost

Collaboration is faster than ever, no matter where your employees are geographically located. Documents, resources, and projects in the cloud allow access regardless of time or place, which can increase productivity.

Ripley-Grier Studios’ IT department was constantly having their programs crash and experiencing network connectivity issues between their business’ 100+ offices. 

When their head of IT started thinking about retirement, they employed Amoeba to help move their systems to the cloud. The resulting system increased productivity and efficiency. 

Every office now has an uninterrupted internet experience, they stay operational during worst-case events and disasters, there’s more continuity within the business, and a PCI-compliant payment system for customers has made collecting money easier.

Working in the cloud allows you to scale user access up or down as needed when you expand to new locations, have a change in team members, or provide increased services. 

Being scalable means that you can immediately respond to demand and start new projects without needing to wait to update IT infrastructure. 

Being scalable also means that you don’t have to purchase new software or hardware to accommodate sudden or gradual company growth. 

The sky is the limit in the cloud. It doesn't matter if you’re a small or large company, a new company or a company that’s been around for years. You can’t afford to not shift business to the cloud. 

Transitioning to a cloud-based business model reduces business costs, makes compliance easier, is more secure, provides access from anywhere, has unlimited space, increases productivity and efficiency, and is scalable. However, there are other benefits, too.

So, what are you waiting for? Amoeba Networks has a variety of cloud services that can help you transition your data to the cloud to reap all the benefits as soon as possible. The transition process is seamless and as painless as possible. We can help you move your software and apps to the cloud, and our backup services have you covered. 

Contact us today to talk about what we can do for you and which cloud architecture will best fit your needs.