Dummies Guide To The Cloud

Have you ever found yourself involved in a conversation about the Cloud and all you can do is sit there and think to yourself, “I haven’t the foggiest”?

Suffice to say, plenty of tech jargon abounds nowadays, so it can be difficult to gauge which modern innovations have the potential to help you or your business.

Ultimately, this can lead businesses to avoid making improvements that could allow them move ahead of their competitors. Which is a pity, because cloud computing isn’t complicated – it can prove to be very beneficial, allowing you to become more productive, improving your service and strengthening your security.

So how does the cloud work?

The cloud is a term used for things that are stored online, rather than offline. It means that, rather than accessing your files and programs from your computer’s own hard drive – these are now stored in a data centre that you can access directly from any device that is connected to the internet.

So this means that you can sign up for one cloud subscription per person in order to work from anywhere – rather than buying multiple copies of software programs to install on every computer you use, often at a quite substantial cost. This move takes very little adjustment – you don’t have to adapt to an new system.

What does all this mean?

Moving to the cloud can minimise stress, cut down on your costs and make everything run more efficiently. If it’s managed well, a move to the cloud involves minimal effort from your end, but you’ll feel the impact almost immediately.

Let’s take an example.

Moving your file storage online removes the need to constantly email attachments to colleagues to work on changes. It allows you to make edits or continue working on documents from home. Now, you can simply share access, where you can add comments or make changes into the document, or share files via secure document exchange, which speeds up communication while keeping sensitive data protected from hacks.

You can even make use of a spare half-hour waiting for that train to securely check emails or work via your smartphone or tablet as you would from your local desktop. You can achieve these benefits while reducing the need for expensive infrastructure, thus reducing maintenance costs.

This can prove to be great for your cash flow, great for your client relationships – and potentially great for your work-life balance, giving you the freedom to move away from your desk and cutting wasted time from your day.

The cloud is far from a modern fad. It’s a chance to shift towards a leaner and faster, way of working.

Thinking of moving?

The first step in switching to the Cloud is to find a reputable service provider who can answer all your questions. They can make sure that you get a cloud service that works for your business.

 Enter CloudStrong – Microsoft Ireland Hosting Partner of the Year 2015. CloudStrong are proven cloud specialists in Ireland, that have successfully moved over 450 Irish businesses to the cloud.

To learn more about possibly moving to the Cloud, feel free to call one of our team of Cloud experts on 01-9022783 to have a friendly chat and see if moving to the cloud might help your business.