Every cloud has … the opportunity to transform your business

They say every cloud has a silver lining but in business, every cloud has an opportunity to transform your operations into something far more efficient and successful.

To bring it back to basics, cloud computing refers to the storage (and access) of data and programmes on the Internet rather than on a computer’s hard drive. This brings with it a number of benefits – the sharing of resources, coherence, converged infrastructure and so on – all of which prove very attractive to businesses.

Of course, any business looking to enter the Cloud will want its own little bit of it, the virtual equivalent of their own office, instead of just rocking up at the library every morning, laptop under their arm. Exactly what constitutes a private bit of the cloud is still a little hazy, and can vary from case to case.

Generally speaking, migrating from the more traditional set-up to the Cloud can be a bit of a nervy process for any CEO or business owner, even if the long-term advantages are obvious – a little bit like the transition from in person to online banking. There are issues to be ironed out, such as how to deal with potentially sensitive information so that it complies with privacy laws, the type of system you employ, and so on.

The answer for many companies is a hybrid cloud, as this Business2Community article articulates.

As the article states, a hybrid cloud offers a business flexibility, meaning that they can migrate certain aspects of their operations to the Cloud whilst keeping some on a private server. If you think that your company may only want to use certain aspects of the Cloud, this could be the ideal solution.

This infographic from Dell will also help give you some idea about your requirements and how best to fulfil them. Whether or not you come to the conclusion that the Cloud is the right place for your business, it still warrants serious consideration.

Nowadays, digital innovation is the name of the game. Your success or failure as a business will not hinge on desks and paper but onhow you utilise the technology available to you.

Cloud computing is one such example of this technology. Making use of it could be the best decision you ever make – so what are you waiting for?