By now you’ve probably heard of the cloud. And while it has become one of the most tossed-around buzzwords of the past couple of years, you are not alone if you’re unsure of its meaning. Simply put, the cloud is a virtualized platform that runs across a massive underlying hardware environment, delivering an almost limitless reservoir of raw computing power.
Businesses can use virtual servers instead of physical servers to host their website or data, giving them greater control over their hosting costs, availability and scalability. Gartner Research estimates that the cloud computing market will be worth US$150 billion by 2013.
However, despite the ease of use and cost efficiency that comes with outsourcing one or more aspects of your IT infrastructure to the cloud, many small to medium-sized businesses have not taken advantage of this new technology.
SMBs often assume that cloud computing is complex, taxing on financial and human resources or designed only for the enterprise. This is simply not the case. In fact, there are any number of reasons why SMBs should be looking toward the cloud – to support their business and to grow their business.
Organizations of all sizes need to focus on the business, mission and revenue critical aspects of their operations. This is especially true for SMBs that can’t afford to waste resources. By outsourcing to the cloud, you can free up crucial resources to focus on what’s most important to your business: improving your products and services.
There’s no need to be a tech genius to get started with the cloud. Ready to make the switch? Here are three tips for SMBs to get their head into the clouds:
Start with one aspect of your business. There’s no need to jump in all at once. Start by outsourcing just one aspect of your information technology to the cloud. If it fits you can expand piece by piece.
Don’t assume every cloud is the same.
There are as many different cloud solutions as there are SMBs. Talk to your cloud-hosting provider to find the solution that’s right for you.
Take advantage of free trials.
Many hosting providers offer a free trial of their services. Test-drive outsourcing to the cloud by taking advantage of these offers. They are easy to get up and running and often come without any risk. •
