What are the 6 Most Useful Benefits of Moving to the Cloud?

Posted on September 9th 2019

Last year, Forbes found that 77% of businesses have at least one part of their IT infrastructure on the cloud. That figure is expected to be even higher by the end of 2020. It’s clear which way the trend is heading but there are still hesitations to overcome in many businesses.

If you’re trying to persuade the rest of your colleagues or you still have your own doubts, then consider these useful benefits of moving to the cloud for your business. Cloud technology lets you:

Allow Staff to Work Anywhere
Ensure the Business is Scalable to Meet Demand
Increase the Number of Approved Projects
Share Security Expertise
Use New Systems With New Capabilities
Depend on Fast and Straightforward Disaster Recovery

1. Allow Staff to Work Anywhere

The Office of National Statistics believes that half of the UK workforce will be working remotely by 2020. Your staff don’t want to feel trapped by the traditional 9-5, they want to work when it suits them best so they can be as productive as possible. This can be early in the morning, over the weekend or just at home while looking after the kids.

Move to the cloud and staff can access all of the same files, applications and software as if they were sitting in the office. They’re more productive and collaborative, with the cloud ensuring projects are completed no matter where staff are.

2. Ensure the Business Is Scalable to Meet Demand

Traditional solutions and on-premise infrastructure can hinder scalability at your business. They make it harder to adapt to shifting demands and can leave you with increased costs once the IT infrastructure you invested in is no longer needed.

Switch to the cloud and you’ll only ever need to invest in exactly what you need. Cloud solutions give you the flexibility to add or remove users, servers or services as necessary, for example. Switch-off licenses when a project is finished or add users to meet an increased workload.

With the cloud, you’ll have greater control over your infrastructure and it’s easier to make the right business decision because of this.

3. Increase the Number of Approved Projects

Because the cloud allows you to be more scalable and adaptable to changing demands from the business, you can start and run more successful IT projects. In the past, predicted costs would mean that many of the projects you tried to run were rejected, reworked or downgraded.

Cloud computing removes the need for high capital expenditure at the beginning of projects. There’s no redundant investment in the future because you don’t need to source new machines or servers to cope with an expanding team. This means that your future projects look a lot more appealing to senior management who are more likely to give you the green light.

The more successful projects you can get budget for, the more business growth you’ll drive.

4. Share Security Expertise

Security concerns probably take up a lot of your day. You’re likely responsible for keeping systems updated, adhering to GDPR regulations, training others on the dangers of phishing and even simple tasks like resetting passwords.

This doesn’t give you much time for anything else and there’s always the danger that something will slip through your defences.

Move to the cloud and you’re not the only expert responsible for your business’ security. You’ll be utilising features created by security specialists at the cloud provider and your data will be better protected as a result.

For total peace of mind, consider out of hours IT support from an MSP. Their experts monitor and manage your infrastructure while everyone else is out of the office. Issues can be identified and resolved without any need to disturb you.

5. Use New Systems With New Capabilities

Previously, the most innovative systems were reserved for those that could afford them. Smaller businesses didn’t have access to the same functionality and struggled to close the gap on those above them as a result.

With the cloud, those barriers are gone and everyone has access to the same cutting-edge systems. You’re able to use the exact same software as the biggest names in the industry and be more competitive as a result.

The various cloud solutions available to you level the playing field and give your business the tools to expand and conquer new markets.

6. Depend on Fast and Straightforward Disaster Recovery

Research has found that 54% of businesses have experienced a downtime event that lasted more than one full working day in the last five years. To think it won’t happen to your business is naive at best or a case of bad planning if the many warning signs are ignored.

What would the impact be to your business if it couldn’t operate for a day, three days or a week?

Moving to the cloud makes the disaster recovery process a whole lot easier. For example, it’s easier to recover systems to the cloud because the data is already there rather than having to recover to new hardware.

Working with an MSP is the most effective way of preparing for a period of downtime. They can implement certain processes to ensure that your business is able to cope with anything from a network outage to a burst water pipe. They’re the hidden safety net that ensure you’re always in control.

Can You Afford to Not Work With an MSP?

We’ve put together a free guide that outlines all of the key benefits you’ll enjoy once your business has partnered with an MSP. It covers some of the challenges you face each day and details how an MSP can help you to overcome them. Get your copy of our guide now by clicking on the link below.