Benefits of Cloud Computing: Despite the statistics pointing to the business efficiency, cost benefits, and competitive advantages that cloud computing offers, a huge section of the corporate community continues to function without it. According to research conducted by the International Data Group, 69 per cent of firms are now employing cloud technology in some capacity, and 18 per cent expect to do so at some time in the future.
Meanwhile, Dell claims that companies that invest in big data, cloud, mobility, and security generate 53% more revenue than competitors. As seen by these statistics, a growing number of tech-savvy firms and industry leaders are seeing the numerous benefits of the cloud computing movement. But they’re also employing technology to operate their businesses more effectively, provide better service to their clients, and boost their total profit margins. Given the clear direction of the business, it appears that there has never been a better time to get your head in the clouds.
12 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Your Business
Following are the 12 business benefits of cloud computing.
1. Cost Savings
You’re not alone if you’re concerned about the financial implications of switching to cloud computing. For 20% of businesses, the initial expense of adopting a cloud-based server is a problem. However, individuals seeking to assess the benefits and advantages of adopting the cloud must consider more than just the initial cost; they must also consider the return on investment.
Easy access to your company’s data once you’re on the cloud will save time and money when it comes to project start-up. Most cloud-computing services are pay-as-you-go, which is good news for consumers anxious about overpaying for things they don’t need or desire. This implies that even if you don’t take advantage of what the cloud has to offer, you won’t have to spend money on it.
The pay-as-you-go concept also applies to the data storage space required to serve your stakeholders and clients, ensuring that you only pay for what you need and are not charged for what you don’t. When these characteristics are combined, they result in lower costs and greater returns. Using cloud-based apps resulted in cost reductions for half of the CIOs and IT leaders polled by Bitglass in 2015. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing.
2. Security
When it comes to implementing a cloud-computing solution, many businesses are concerned about security. After all, how can you be sure that your files, applications, and other data are secure if they aren’t stored onsite? What’s to stop a cybercriminal from doing the same thing if you can access your data remotely? Well, quite a bit, to be honest.
For starters, a cloud host’s full-time duty is to closely monitor security, which is far more efficient than a traditional in-house system, in which an organisation must split its resources among a variety of IT problems, security being only one of them. While most organisations prefer not to discuss the prospect of internal data theft, the fact is that an alarmingly high percentage of data theft occurs within the company and is committed by employees. When this is the case, keeping critical information offshore might actually be safer. Of course, all of this is extremely abstract, so let’s look at some concrete numbers.
According to RapidScale, 94 per cent of firms improved their security after moving to the cloud, and 91 per cent said the cloud made meeting regulatory compliance needs easier. The encryption of data being transported over networks and kept in databases is the key to this increased security. By encrypting data, hackers and those who aren’t authorised to see it have a harder time accessing it. Different security settings may be established depending on the user with most cloud-based services as an extra security feature. Only 9% of cloud customers could claim catastrophe recovery in four hours or less, compared to 20% of cloud users who could. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
3. Flexibility
Your company has a limited amount of time to devote to all of its tasks. If your existing IT solutions force you to devote too much time and energy to computer and data-storage difficulties, you won’t be able to focus on meeting business objectives and delighting customers. You’ll have more time to dedicate to the areas of your business that directly affect your bottom line if you rely on an outside organisation to handle all IT hosting and infrastructure.
In comparison to hosting on a local server, the cloud provides enterprises with greater freedom. Furthermore, if you want additional bandwidth, a cloud-based service may provide it immediately rather than requiring a complex (and costly) upgrade to your IT infrastructure. This increased independence and flexibility can have a substantial impact on your company’s overall efficiency. One of the most important reasons for a company to migrate to the cloud, according to a 65 per cent majority of respondents in an InformationWeek poll, is “the flexibility to quickly satisfy business demands. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
4. Mobility
Cloud computing enables mobile access to company data via smartphones and gadgets, which, given the fact that there are already over 2.6 billion cellphones in use worldwide, is a terrific method to ensure that no one is ever left out of the loop. This function allows employees with hectic schedules or who live a considerable distance from the corporate office to stay in touch with clients and coworkers at any time.
For improved work-life balance, you may use the cloud to provide easily accessible information to sales personnel who travel, freelance employees, or remote employees. As a result, it’s not surprising that companies that prioritise employee happiness are up to 24 per cent more inclined to grow their cloud usage. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
5. Insight
As we progress deeper into the digital era, it becomes increasingly evident that the ancient cliché “knowledge is power” has been replaced by the more current and accurate “data is money.” There are nuggets of useful, actionable information hidden within the millions of bits of data that surround your customer transactions and business processes, just waiting to be discovered and acted upon. However, unless you have access to the correct cloud computing solution, digging through that data to locate these kernels can be challenging.
For a birds-eye perspective of your data, several cloud-based storage options provide integrated cloud analytics. With your data in the cloud, you can quickly deploy tracking systems and create personalised reports to analyse data across your whole organisation. Based on these findings, you may improve efficiency and create action plans to fulfil organisational goals. Sunny Delight, for example, was able to raise earnings by around $2 million per year while reducing personnel expenses by $195,000 thanks to cloud-based business analytics. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
6. Increased Collaboration
If you have two or more employees in your company, teamwork should be a major concern. After all, it’s pointless to have a team if they can’t work together effectively. Collaboration is made easier using cloud computing. On a cloud-based platform, team members can simply and securely see and share information. Some cloud-based platforms even offer collaborative social areas to link employees throughout your company, boosting interest and engagement. Without a cloud computing solution, collaboration may be feasible, but it will never be as easy or as effective. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
7. Quality Control
Few things are as damaging to a company’s growth as poor quality and inconsistent reporting. All papers are saved in one location and in the same format in a cloud-based system. If everyone had access to the same information, you could preserve data consistency, eliminate human error, and have a clear record of any edits or updates. Managing information in silos, on the other hand, might result in employees storing various versions of documents by accident, resulting in confusion and diluted data. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
8. Disaster Recovery
Control is one of the characteristics that add to a company’s success. Unfortunately, no matter how in control your company is when it comes to its internal procedures, there will always be things outside of your control, and in today’s market, even a tiny bit of useless downtime may have a huge impact. Lost productivity, income, and brand reputation are all affected by downtime in your services.
While there is no way to prevent or even predict calamities that might hurt your company, there is something you can do to help speed up the recovery process. Cloud-based services provide rapid data recovery in a variety of catastrophe situations, including natural disasters and power outages. Although 20% of cloud users claim catastrophe recovery in four hours or less, just 9% of non-cloud users can make the same claim. According to a recent poll, 43% of IT executives aim to invest in or upgrade cloud-based disaster recovery solutions.It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
9. Loss Prevention
If your company does not invest in a cloud-computing solution, all of your valuable data is inextricably linked to office computers. This may not appear to be a concern, but the fact is that if your local hardware fails, you might lose your data forever. This is a more prevalent issue than you may think. Computers can fail for a variety of reasons, including virus infections, age-related hardware degeneration, and simple human mistakes. Alternatively, they might be misplaced or stolen despite the best of intentions (over 10,000 laptops are reported lost every week at major airports).
If you don’t back up your data to the cloud, you risk losing everything you’ve stored locally. With a cloud-based server, however, all of the data you’ve uploaded to the cloud is safe and accessible from any computer with an internet connection, even if your primary computer isn’t operating. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
10. Automatic Software Updates
There is nothing more inconvenient than having to wait for system upgrades to be installed when you have a lot on your plate. Instead of forcing an IT department to do a manual, organisation-wide upgrade, cloud-based apps automatically refresh and update themselves. This saves time and money for IT workers that would otherwise be spent on outside IT consultancy. According to PCWorld, 50% of cloud adopters cite the need for fewer internal IT resources as a cloud benefit. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
11. Competitive Edge
While cloud computing is becoming more popular, some people still want to store their data on their own computers. That’s their option, but it puts them at a significant disadvantage when competing with others who have access to the cloud’s benefits. You’ll be further along the learning curve by the time your competitors catch up if you implement a cloud-based solution before they do. According to a recent Verizon survey, 77 per cent of businesses believe cloud technology provides them with a competitive advantage, with 16 per cent believing it is substantial. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
12. Sustainability
Given the current situation of the environment, it is no longer sufficient for businesses to install a recycling bin in the breakroom and claim that they are helping the environment. True sustainability necessitates solutions that address waste at all levels of a company. Cloud hosting is more ecologically friendly and leaves a smaller carbon footprint.
Cloud infrastructures assist environmental proactivity by powering virtual services rather than real items and hardware, decreasing paper waste, increasing energy efficiency, and lowering computer-related emissions (given that employees may use them from anywhere with an internet connection). Based on the expansion of cloud computing and other virtual data alternatives, a Pike Research analysis anticipates that data centre energy usage will decline by 31% from 2010 to 2020. It’s can count as useful in the list of the finest benefits of cloud computing
Conclusion
Every year, the number of people using cloud computing grows, and it’s easy to understand. Enterprises understand the benefits of cloud computing and how they affect production collaboration security and income. An organisation may avoid many of the issues that affect enterprises that rely on on-premises technology by employing a cloud-based solution