Everyone will have heard about the cloud in one way or another, but what many people are yet to understand is how beneficial it could be for small businesses.
The cloud has several advantages which can increase business productivity and simplify getting things done. This has been proven by Green Fuel who have put in place an IT infrastructure which enables them to access working documents from the other side of the world. This became more and more essential to the company as 90% of their business is in exports.
How could cloud applications benefit your business?
5 key benefits of cloud applications include:
1) Anytime access
Documents, files and emails can be accessed from any platform at any time of the day, all over the globe. The cloud also allows individuals to share and edit documents more easily enabling the opportunity to work collaboratively and get things done faster.
2) Reduced costs
Cloud applications are generally based on a per user, per month pricing structure. Therefore there is no longer a need to pay expensive upfront infrastructure investment.
Also, cloud services require minimal start-up costs and provides each user with the latest software updates, which aids cash flow forecasting and reduces the need for small businesses having to invest large sums to adopt up to date technology.
3) Boost productivity
The cloud offers a wide variety of ways which can help a business to become better connected. This includes instant messaging, video conferencing, Yammer and office tools in the cloud. Together, these will create a more effective working environment for a business enabling them to work remotely wherever, whenever.
4) Cloud storage
Share and store data in the cloud gives small business peace of mind as their data is protected, backup automatically and can easily be recovered. All frees up time to spend on developing business.
5) Service level agreements
Most cloud applications come with a service level agreement for example 99% uptime which means that the cloud service is guaranteed to be available 99% of the time. This ensures that your business doesn’t suffer from service outages and should they occur there is a support team getting it back up and running as quick as possible.
The Cloud Industry Forum predicts that 90% of UK businesses will be using at least one cloud service by the end of 2015 with many preferring to work with Cloud Solution Providers for added guidance and protection. Could it be the right step for your business?
Related Links:
Office 365