When starting a business, servers and networking equipment can be a significant expense. To reduce this burden, many businesses are turning to cloud computing. Cloud computing provides a number of benefits including scalability, low cost support, and automated backups. As a result, you have more time and energy to spend on other business needs. Here is an overview of what cloud computing has to offer.
In cloud computing, a program or application runs on a network of remote servers. Unlike applications on personal computers, these programs and applications can run from anywhere in the world. Cloud computing relies on dynamically scaled resources which makes it both efficient and affordable for smaller businesses.
One of the biggest advantages of cloud computing is the flexibility it offers in terms of scaling server resources. A major concern when purchasing computing equipment is whether or not the purchase will scale as your business grows. If you buy equipment that only covers current needs, you’ll likely need to buy additional equipment in the future. Most network engineers advice you to buy extra capacity up front to ensure you have space to grow into. However, this capacity can be expensive.
With cloud computing, you generally pay only for resources you use, and as you grow you can scale up the available resources as you need them. Cloud computing lets you scale resources up or down, so costs can scale with your business revenue. Most businesses have seasonal spikes, so you pay more only when necessary and reduce costs during slow periods.
Good cloud computing hosting service offers full support, regardless of the time of day. This support is paid for out of your monthly bill. Hiring personnel to handle problems using in-house equipment is generally much more expensive.
Finally, cloud computing usually offers automated backups. Backups are a saving grace in the event of a server crash or catastrophic incident, but managing them is difficult. You not only need to remember to make backups regularly, but you must store them in a safe place. Most cloud computing hosting services avoid these types of issues entirely. First, almost all cloud computing platforms offer some type of built in backup automation solution. Second, the host has plenty of space where you can store your backups, also making it easy to rely on these backups when disaster strikes.
Many small businesses have a volatile first few years, especially on the technology front. Fortunately, cloud computing can reduce costs and keep your startup running smoothly around-the-clock. There are several cloud computing hosts to choose from, so do your homework before signing any long-term contract.
PC Corp offers cloud backup as part of our Managed Services offering. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about cloud computing.
Email: info@pccorp.com Phone: (780) 428-3000, ext. 3