Look Before You Leap: Is Cloud Computing Right For Your Business?

Many businesses are currently considering migrating to the Cloud, rightly so as businesses should always be on the lookout for new, innovative technologies which can save them time and money. Although considering Cloud computing has become very popular, it is a relatively a new concept which might not be right for everybody. Here, we consider some of the pros and cons of the Cloud Network to help you make up your own mind.

Advantages

• Time Efficient – The Cloud eliminates the hassle of buying new hardware whilst software is updated remotely. It comes with an element of hardware support, thus reducing the need for an in-house IT department; therefore staff can be allocated to work in other areas.
• Flexibility – Some Cloud solutions can operate on a pay-as-you-use basis, meaning if you’re a small business starting off and don’t have that much data, you may be able to get a more economical package. As your business grows and expands, you can easily upgrade your Cloud service, allowing for simple scalability.
• Environmentally Friendly – When not in use certain Servers can be scaled down, therefore using less power and less energy, so it could be more environmentally friendly than traditional hardware.
• Remote Access – If your business has the requirement for staff to work from home or other remote locations such as business trips, the Cloud can prove extremely useful as it can be accessed from anywhere, and you can ensure that your employees are working on the most up-to-date files.

Disadvantages

• Security – When you migrate to the Cloud, you are transferring all your business’s most important and confidential data to a third party provider. With the Cloud still a relatively new concept, businesses are concerned where their data resides & who else may have access within Data Centres. There are also concerns as to should a Cloud provider ever cease trading then how accessible is the company data & what is involved in the retrieval & transfer to another provider.
• Bandwidth Costs – Many people assume that the Cloud is the most cost-effective option for all businesses, but they sometimes fail to take into account the bandwidth costs. The Cloud relies heavily on a constant internet connection, which can add up; particularly on top of the monthly costs you will already be paying for your Cloud solution.
• Incompatibility – As a business, you probably use multiple systems, programs and databases on a day to day basis to manage your company’s information. Before migrating, stringent checks are required to determine that programs are compatible with the chosen Cloud solution to avoid the possibility of considerable disruption & down time.
• Technical Issues – The Cloud industry is still evolving, and as such it still suffers some technical glitches from time to time. If your Cloud service, or your internet connection, goes down during your working day it could lose your company valuable hours of work. We therefore recommend having redundancy & failover plans in place such as mirroring & replicating data which can also attract further costs.

Here at Premier Computer Support, we not only offer “Private Cloud”& “Public Cloud” solutions, but also “In House” & “Hybrid” alternatives. Prior to advocating the best solution for your unique requirements we carry out intense research into each individual software package being used, so you can rest assured that our advice is the best you can get. Additionally to Cloud migration plans we also provide other IT support services across London and Essex which include IT Network infrastructure installations & upgrades, Comprehensive or Supplementary IT Support, Online/Offsite Backup & Disaster Recovery amongst many others.

If you’re unsure what the right option is for your business, our team are happy to help. Call 020 7345 5139 or contact us online today.