10 Benefits of Cloud Computing
Is your company considering moving some of your infrastructure to the cloud? If so, you’re not alone. According to Gartner Inc., cloud infrastructure spending increased in 2018 by 31.3% over 2017.
But why are so many companies making the shift from traditional in-house computing? Below we explore 10 benefits of cloud computing.
10 Benefits of Cloud Computing
Not only does cloud computing help to save time and money in infrastructure building and management, but it also typically yields improved platforms and service.
1. Reduces IT Costs
One of the main advantages of choosing cloud computing over internally-hosted infrastructure solutions is the reduction in IT costs. This comes from being able to pay for only what your company needs in infrastructure at any given time. In addition, internal computing can be costly when you consider the hard costs of purchasing equipment as well as housing the equipment and investing IT time to manage and maintain the equipment.
2. Managed by Experts
With the trend toward cloud computing, fewer and fewer IT experts are experienced in maintaining modern servers or other integral infrastructure. In addition, the fast-developing technology means best practices and protocols are constantly changing. When you choose cloud computing, you’re putting day-to-day management in the hands of experts whose primary position necessitates staying on top of the latest technology.
In addition, you’re likely benefiting from a team of experts who manage and maintain your systems giving you the benefit of collective knowledge.
3. Secure Environment
Cloud computing also typically results in more secure computing. While on the surface in-house computing can mean less room for network breach, it also means increased opportunity for error. With in-house computing, your data is stored in a single location instead of multiple locations. This means in case of natural disaster or theft data and systems are more likely to be permanently lost. It also means decreased monitoring, updating, and management.
In cloud computing, not only are your data, infrastructure, and services more likely to be spread over multiple servers in different locations, but they also undergo rigorous updates, compliance modifications, and security protocols. Also, a company specializing in cloud computing typically offers round-the-clock monitoring to prevent and rectify issues more diligently than is available from an on-site team.
4. 24/7 Monitoring
Another benefit of cloud computing is that in most cases this means your systems are being monitored 24/7. This is usually difficult to replicate on-site at a company since traditional employees typically require days off, vacation time, sick days, and aren’t available 24 hours a day. Cloud computing companies often have round-the-clock teams and management to oversee infrastructure and systems.
5. Less Downtime
Many systems take updating or maintenance to maintain proper operation. In traditional infrastructure and system management, this often means temporary downtime. However, with cloud computing, a benefit is that the system is typically managed on multiple systems meaning the need for full-system downtime is decreased or eliminated.
6. Improved Speed & Bandwidth
While the on-site location of a server can often mean faster processing, this is only true as long as you have the storage and bandwidth necessary to complete the tasks without overloading the network. With cloud computing, you experience the most up-to-date technology and have access to as much—or as little—bandwidth as you need to support your business.
7. Improved Time to Market
If you are a technology-based company, you understand the importance of having the proper infrastructure and platforms to build, manage, and deploy your services. Using cloud computing means you’re piggy-backing off existing platforms, helping decrease the time to market by an average of 20.66% according to Vanson Bourne.
8. Better In-House IT Management
In addition, transferring your computing to a cloud-based platform means your in-house IT team has less day-to-day management and maintenance of systems and infrastructure. This means your team has more time to make improvements and advancements, help facilitate company growth, help with in-house technology challenges, and more.
9. Scalable/Elastic Services
Another large reason businesses switch to cloud computing is that the services are incredibly scalable and elastic. This means you can upgrade or downgrade your services, storage, bandwidth, etc. quickly and seamlessly. This is especially true for fast-growing companies, seasonal companies, or companies otherwise experiencing fluctuating computing needs.
10. Accessible from Anywhere
Finally, the last important benefit of cloud computing is that it is accessible from nearly anywhere. More and more employees are working virtually, taking data with them on sales appointments or other offsite needs, and more. While leaving the office used to mean having limited or outdated access to data or systems, cloud computing opens up access anywhere with internet access. Since these networks are secure, you can manage access at the discretion of your company.
Learn More
Would you like to learn more about cloud computing services offered by Network Coverage? Send us a message or give us a call.