Cloud computing is a technology that the vast majority of businesses have embraced in recent years, with the shift to the cloud only accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the sudden climb in the number of people working from home.
However, despite cloud computing technology being widely used, there are often some common misunderstandings about how to get the best out of it and what is appropriate for different businesses.
Lancashire Business Review recently highlighted the findings from a study, which predicted that almost three-quarters of respondents believe that 95 per cent of workloads will be moved to the cloud by the middle of this decade.
If you’re only just exploring the use of the cloud for your company, there are a few factors you need to understand. Firstly, it’s important to have a good grasp of the different cloud environments you can operate in.
There’s the public cloud, where all the hardware and software is owned and operated by a third party. To use these services, you’ll create a user account, or may purchase licenses for those within your company. At the other end of the scale is the private cloud, which means you’ll have a private network exclusively for your company’s use.
This can either be hosted on your own site, or elsewhere and run by a third party. Finally, there is the hybrid cloud, which is a blend of public and private cloud services.
Knowing which is most appropriate for your business is an essential first step before you start the process of procurement.
An article for Channel Futures earlier this month pointed to research which showed that, despite cloud computing being one of the most sought-after IT investments at the moment, it is also one of the least understood in terms of costs and economics.
The news provider highlighted a few of the blind spots businesses can have when it comes to spending on cloud computing.
Among them are minimising or overlooking the cost of moving from one platform to another, as well as underestimating the length of time it will take to make the switch. Businesses can also undervalue the risk of changing providers by failing to fully consider the optionality of the new solution, as well as whether they’ll be locked into it.
However, when you plan your cloud migration carefully and consider all the important elements of any new IT infrastructure, you can realise significant benefits for your business. As the Lancashire Business Review pointed out, cloud services are fully scalable, while also saving your company the cost of investing in the new hardware or software yourself.
This means you can better react to demand for your products or services, while saving money on the often expensive costs associated with setting up an entirely new IT infrastructure.
If you choose the right cloud solution, you can also see improvements in the performance of your infrastructure, thereby enabling your employees to be more productive.
For assistance in assessing your cloud computing needs and making the migration to a new service, get in touch with our IT experts in Doncaster for advice that’s tailored to your business needs.