Build a Better Business In The Cloud

It’s taken a while to get there but it’s safe to say that the cloud has finally arrived as a mainstream technology. Whilst many think that the cloud is a new innovation, this isn’t the case. It’s actually been around for quite some time – think Gmail, which is a cloud-based email service, and you’ll get an idea of just how long.

A couple of things initially held back mainstream adoption. Concerns surrounding security were rife just a couple of years ago and this stopped it gaining traction to some extent. The other was really just a lack of understanding and the idea that it was nothing more than a techy buzzword. Whilst it’s true that the tech industry does love its jargon, when it comes to the cloud it’s not just a flash in the pan, it’s a technology that has and continues to transform business.

Levelling The Playing Field For SME's

This is especially true of small business. Whilst once it was the arena of the big boys when it came to having a complete IT infrastructure, the cloud has levelled the playing field. It’s now possible to have an entire IT set up hosted in the cloud for very little outlay.

In the past, a small business network would be made up of workstations, a server or two, a mail server and possible a web server. This kind of setup required a large capital investment, whilst choosing to have a business infrastructure hosted in the cloud at a data centre doesn’t. This is because all that’s really needed at the business premises is low-power workstations or terminals and the means to connect to the net.

Cloud services are offered on a pay monthly basis, they are highly scalable and flexible, so it’s easy for IT equipment to be deployed as the business grows to accommodate more users. Likewise, if a business is struggling financially and has to make cuts, it’s a simple matter to remove users and services with the cloud.

Types of Cloud Service

For the most part, cloud can be categorised into three main services:

• IaaS – Infrastructure-as-a-Service – this, as the name suggests, means that an entire IT infrastructure such as servers, web servers and hosted exchange can be hosted at the data centre with the business’ office just accessing workstations or other devices onsite.
• SaaS – Software-as-a-Service – this describes applications that are hosted for the most part, such as office apps, security software, hosted desktop and so on.
• PaaS – Platform-as-a-Service – this can be used to host a development platform on which devs build applications and services that can be accessed by users via a browser.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are the most common terms that you’re likely to come across. In the past five years, SaaS has been the most popular, but in the last couple businesses have started using IaaS more and more.

How The Cloud Works

Many people when asked how they envisage the internet will have no clear idea of how it works, and the cloud is much the same. Basically, cloud providers have one or more data centres from which they deliver their services. These house high-end, powerful computer equipment in clusters, which store customer data. If a piece of hardware fails at a data centre, then it’s a simple matter to route data to another part of the network.

So in essence, data centres are secure buildings which are filled with IT equipment and connected to the internet in order for the customer to be able to access virtual machines, stored data and apps etc.

Is The Cloud Secure?

Yes. Whilst there still remains some questions around data centre security, for the most part they are much more secure than business premises. Data centres not only tend to have high-end hardware firewalls and security software in place, they also tend to be manned with physical security. Add to this the disaster recovery plans which are usually in place and the frequent backups that take place and it’s easy to see how much more secure they are than the average business network.

Whilst businesses cite security as one of their top concerns when it comes to the cloud, paradoxically, many networks are incredibly insecure. Recent research from the NTT Group confirms this as it found that not only do many businesses not carry out standard security practices such as vulnerability scanning and patching, but many don’t even have any antivirus protection in place. Further to this, 77% of the businesses surveyed in the report didn’t have an emergency incident response plan in place should the worst happen and the business come under attack.

These are worrying statistics, especially when you consider that 93% of small businesses that suffer a data breach will go out of business within six months of losing their data. Small businesses are notoriously poor when it comes to backup too and again, this can have serious ramifications if data is lost, especially if they deal with sensitive customer data such as credit card information.

Best For Small Business

There are many cloud offerings which are perfect for small business and these can be purchased by the business owner or through a Managed Service Provider (MSP). In years gone by it used to be that your local IT support guy just showed up when things broke. This was known as the break/fix model and was problematic as the IT companies and business’ goals didn’t really align. The IT support company only made money when things went wrong, so it was a reactive solution instead of a proactive one.

An MSP on the other hand offers remote management and a range of cloud services, such as managed security, to monitor small business networks for issues before they occur. Again, this tends to be a fixed price model so it’s easier for the business owner to budget for his IT requirements.

However, business owners can choose to ‘go it alone’ and choose the services that are best suited for them from one or more cloud service providers.

Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used amongst SMBs.

Cloud Collaboration

Collaboration aids productivity and for the small business that works with offices in different locations, there are plenty of services that offer simple ways to share workspaces.

Such as:

• Dropbox – you can sign up for a personal or business account and save files to the cloud in a shared folder. This enables colleagues the ability to access any files from anywhere with an internet connection. Whilst it could be more accurately described as a cloud storage service, the ability to share files means it can be used for collaboration too.
• Basecamp – this project management tool is ideal for teams situated in various locations. You can upload files, create to-do lists and organise a project easily whilst sharing everything and always being aware what others are doing. And like Dropbox, it can be used on any device from a desktop to mobile.
• Google Apps for Business – a hugely popular choice, Google Apps includes word processing, calendar, spreadsheets, presentations and email as well as cloud storage. You can work on docs in real time, sync your calendar across devices and even set up videoconferencing through the Hangouts feature.

There are of course many more choices available, including the ever popular Office 365 which is now available for iPad as well as other devices.

Hosted Desktop

Also known as virtual desktop, this allows you to access your entire desktop, as it would appear on any PC, from any device. This means that you can access all of your work applications and files from anywhere with an internet connection and it’s ideal for frequent travellers or field staff.

Cloud Telephony

Cloud based phone systems use VoIP, rather than the traditional PSTN (public switched telephone network) copper wire system. It’s possible to have all of your telecoms hosted in the cloud or you can choose a hybrid system, which as the name suggests, is a mixture of traditional and VoIP solutions.

Storage & Backup

As mentioned earlier, small businesses are notoriously bad at backing up so the ability to have all documents and files stored safely in the cloud is invaluable. When choosing a cloud provider, those businesses that must comply with PCI DSS standards (companies that accept credit card payments) should check that the cloud provider has the necessary protection and compliance. Remember it’s your responsibility to ensure that you comply with regulations and not the cloud provider’s.

There are many more services that small businesses can benefit from and the beauty of the cloud is that the majority of them are accessible, price wise. When choosing a provider, ensure that you choose one that boasts an excellent uptime, 99.98-99.99% is desirable, and choose one in the same country as you. This is because data regulations vary from region to region more than anything else.

The cloud is ideal for small and large businesses alike. You pay as you go so there’s never any need to layout for expensive hardware upgrades as these are all done for you. Likewise, it’s not necessary to pay for software licensing as these are included in the monthly fee. The cloud is highly flexible and scalable, so can grow with your business and you only ever pay for what you need.

What are you waiting for? The cloud awaits and is there to help your small business succeed in a highly competitive marketplace.