Is The Cloud Right For Me?

Deciding Whether Or Not The Cloud is Right For You

Studies show small to midsize businesses benefit the most from migrating to the cloud – spending 36% LESS money on technology afterward. Here are the three most important questions and answers about moving to the cloud.

How Do I Know if the Cloud is Right for Me?

Many businesses ask themselves if the cloud is the right “fit” for their company. The promises of adopting cloud computing technology include:

• Increased productivity
• Greater reliability
• Scalability
• Real-time cost savings
• Enhanced security
• Automated compliance

Many businesses are making the leap to the cloud simply because of its proven track record for saving companies time and money.

Does the Cloud Actually Save Money?

Studies show small to midsize businesses spend 36% less on technology after migrating to the cloud. Here’s a few compelling ways these savings happen:

• No cost associated with hardware: Instead of needing to make expensive in-house hardware purchases, your cloud provider handles that aspect while you simply access it via the cloud. This is especially helpful for companies that are growing at a rapid rate. They no longer need to worry about the inconvenience of buying, repairing or replacing equipment.
• Less ongoing maintenance and support: Since the hardware is owned by the cloud provider, you no longer need to worry about costly repairs, upgrades, and overall, maintenance or support. As an added bonus, all of the routine patching, updates, and more are done automatically without needing to worry. In some situations, this could result in a reduced number of employees needed.
• Enjoy a pay-as-you-go approach: You no longer need to worry about paying for software that’s not used. You only pay for what you need – meaning there’s no financial risk if something doesn’t end up being used as often as you anticipated. Plus, there’s no up-front cost to worry about. This gives you much greater flexibility in terms of leveraging innovative technologies.

Is the Cloud Secure Enough for Me?

This is a valid concern. After all, everything is stored in a server off-site. Fortunately, data stored in the cloud, whether at rest or in transit, is safeguarded with encryption to ensure intruders aren’t able to access it. Plus, data centers are typically much more protected than the average office. They have physical and technical security measures in place, including but not limited to two-factor authentication, biometric systems, security guards, and much more. There is no trade-off when it comes to moving workloads into the cloud. In fact, it’s even more secure than it would otherwise be.

What Cloud Solutions Does The Data Center Offer to Small and Mid-Size Companies in the Bay Area?

Partner with The Data Center and gain access to:

• Your total IT infrastructure housed in the cloud – including servers and phones
• Your desktop in the cloud via hosted desktop solutions
• Your telephone systems in the cloud via privately hosted telephony
• Strategic cloud consulting
• IT project management – migrations
• Cloud-based data backup
• Cloud-based business continuity
• Applications hosted in a virtual cloud environment
• Desktops hosted in a virtual cloud environment