Every company wants to expand, and the most forward-thinking companies are eager to remain abreast of new technological platforms. However, upgrading the company’s IT infrastructure can be quite costly, and unless there’s an extraordinary ROI to be gained, most companies are seeking to shed expenses rather than incur more. Cloud computing is a simple way to allow companies to expand their existing data center capacity, remove the need for servers completely, or to rent extra server capacity for peak volumes.
Cloud computing allows businesses to eliminate on-premises software and applications that are stored on in-house servers. Instead, point-and-click, customizable applications will reside on a vendor’s “cloud” or internet platform—and can be accessed by any authorized employee. They are also very easy to access remotely, instead of being located on the desktop computers in an office. Employees who travel, those with flexible schedules, sales reps who are often out of the office, or call center agents who live halfway across the world from headquarters can all access the applications remotely.
Cloud computing is also flexible and scalable, allowing companies operating on a tight budget to increase their server capacity without the initial associated startup capital. A company that needs to increase its server capacity temporarily—say, during a peak retail period—can use exactly what they need when they need it. A business can scale from several hundred computers to several hundred thousand with little or no business downtime—or from one computer to a hundred.
Small businesses or start-ups also need the flexibility that cloud computing offers, including the ability to scale company growth in the most efficient way possible. Cloud computing will allow your company to expand exponentially at a fraction of the cost.
Servers are expensive. Companies who choose to invest in servers for each expansion will incur some enormous fees. Furthermore, associated energy bills will increase the capital expense. Not to mention all of the other costs that will be required to support the servers: physical storage space, cooling, maintenance, the salaries of IT professionals who will help run the servers, multiple copies of licensed software that must be purchased and installed for each user, and the training necessary to support those users in learning new software. Cloud-based apps tend to be very intuitive and user-friendly, just like many of the Web sites that employees already use in their personal lives, such as email clients, online retail venues, or social networking sites. They have point-and-click customization, too, so each end user can tailor their experience to their own specifications.
A company may also decide to keep some servers to host the organization’s vital applications and outsource the remainder through cloud computing. Companies need to introduce new applications, while minimizing the company’s downtime due to installation and other events. Cloud computing reduces installation times and minimizes downtime if an application suffers an error. One call and the vendor will repair the error for thousands of users, from one location.
If your company is seeking a low-cost expansion solution that is easy on the environment, as well as customizable on the individual level and user-friendly, cloud computing may prove to be a viable solution to help your business grow.
