The Cloud's Silver Lining for Small Business
The term “cloud” may not mean a lot to you if you’re a small-business owner and your area of expertise does not include technology, but there’s no need to fret when conversations about the cloud storm in on your business planning process. In fact, the cloud gives you the opportunity to run your business even more efficiently and effectively than ever before.
So what is the cloud?
The “cloud” is simply a fancy name for the Internet or the Web, and most of us use it every day without even thinking about it. For example, when we use e-mail, shop online or pay bills online, we’re using the cloud.
Recently, the cloud has exploded with a robust set of tools and services, many designed with small businesses in mind. All around the world, businesses use programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Now, you can access versions of these applications in the cloud – saving you time and money and providing your business more flexibility.
The same thing goes for other business-oriented applications, like those you might depend on for keeping your customer information, backing up your data and filing your taxes. You now can store all that data online and access it anytime, anywhere. An added bonus is that you’ll likely increase your level of security as well. Cloud applications operate out of a vendor’s data center, not yours, which means your access point will be managed by a company that has expertise in technology and more resources to maintain a secure environment.
And the survey says …
Recently, Microsoft sponsored a study conducted by 7th Sense Research that assessed the opinions and attitudes of SMB IT decision makers toward cloud computing. The survey findings indicate a growing appetite for cloud-based solutions amongst the SMB population. For instance, 12 percent of those surveyed used cloud services to help start a new business and 26 percent of respondents familiar with cloud computing view it as a technology revolution. Moreover, 29 percent agree that the cloud is an opportunity for IT to be more strategic and that companies that embrace the cloud are innovative.
How can you benefit?
Incorporating cloud computing services into your business not only may save you time and money, but it may expand your offerings for employees and customers alike. Here are a few simple ways the cloud can benefit your business:
-
The cloud is reliable: Data is stored securely in the cloud, so the risk of losing precious business information is greatly minimized. Retrieving data to continue work is easy. Your important files are safe and won’t end up missing after a hard-drive failure, a natural disaster, or being misplaced on an employee network. When you rely on the cloud, you and your staff have the ability to work remotely with no additional effort or special accommodations. Since the cloud is a global offering, you can store documents there for anyone in your office to retrieve—or keep them private, if you prefer.
-
The cloud is flexible: With most cloud services, you have the ability to purchase a subscription for a single user or a comprehensive subscription for everyone within your organization. The cloud also enables remote-working, which can help to enhance business productivity and reduce overhead operating costs. For example, Microsoft’s Office Web Apps, the light weight versions of familiar Office programs like Word and Excel, allow ultimate flexibility for users to access and share documents virtually anywhere through any Web browser. Depending on your business model, you may even deliver your company’s products or services through the cloud, especially if you develop software, create graphics, produce video or provide consulting services.
-
The cloud offers options: If you’ve already invested in software that you installed on your company’s computers, the good news is that you can use it along with applications in the cloud. In fact, using both on-premises and cloud computing often can extend the capabilities of software by attaching it to services in the cloud. Having these options is critical to realizing the potential of existing investments while retaining the ability to choose from all the available options of how to deploy technology to grow your business.
To learn more about the benefits in the cloud and find what cloud offerings may work best for your business, check with our Microsoft Online Services team for more information. However you decide to use it, the cloud can enable your business to maximize cost savings, boost productivity and increase flexibility all while making the most of your existing technology investments.
Kim Tubbs-Herron, Microsoft's Regional General Manager for SMB&D
Copyright 2011 Author retains ownership. All Rights Reserved.
