The Cloud – What Is It and What Can It Do for You?
Tech has taken over the planet – its capabilities have allowed teams all over the world to achieve levels of collaboration, communication, and productivity that were simply not possible pre tech. We have all made business defining changes to the way we work that have boosted morale and allowed us to continue working in the most nervous of times (the Covid pandemic being the most recent and most prominent).
Remote working rose exponentially in popularity due to the Covid pandemic. There is no doubt that it was always destined to become the new way of working but Covid sped up this process four-fold – business owners had no choice; they had to continue working and working remotely was the only feasible way that stayed to government guidelines around social distancing.
The Cloud is the element that makes remote working possible. It can be an apprehensive time when considering Cloud computing, and this comes as no surprise because an adoption of Cloud computing is regarded as a wholesale change to the tools you are using; the way you work will never be the same again. We will use these two articles to walk you through Cloud computing and the myths that surround its use, we will also simplify some of the technical jargon professionals use when referring to it and enlighten you to the many benefits that come from using it, hopefully in the process guiding you to a simple and prosperous transition.
What is the Cloud?
Cloud computing is the future. It is the process of delivering IT services over the internet from a provider’s data centre, and it allows businesses to outsource their IT services rather than having to purchase and maintain their own locally based ones.
As you know, the traditional way of managing your IT resources was a solo venture, when you would purchase, support, and manage your own IT hardware and software platforms, in the process hoping to get the most from them in the most secure way possible. Blackout and problems in the work process are not acceptable under any circumstances, and this forced business owners to spend (in some cases) extortionate sums of money to power and cool that hardware to ensure that it ran as it should. This was always an expensive venture, and that is before mentioning how challenging this process can be for those that aren’t particularly IT literate.
Cloud myths – Debunked
“Value isn’t guaranteed when using Cloud Computing, so why would I bother?”
This myth can be true, but only if you settle without checking all the options available to you. There are many providers out there that will help you get onboard and be supportive and helpful, only to lose all interest when it comes to ongoing support into the future. For many, once you have signed your name that is where their job ends, but this is not the way things should be done.
When you have no idea how something works or what it is capable of it can be hard to see value. That is why we recommend the Microsoft suite – and the reason is that it is the most popular. We all know the Microsoft suite, we use it for Emails, document creation, and document storage, but the capabilities of Microsoft in the Cloud are far more extensive than that.
Your IT partner should take their time, they should assess your organisation individually, treating it as the unique entity that it is (no two businesses are the same so no two businesses should have exactly the same set up). The building of your digital infrastructure through to implementation, and then all the way to the ongoing management of your technical landscape, should be catered specifically to you, your team, and your business needs.
“Is it important to back-up my data if we work in the Cloud?”
Regardless of where you store your data you cannot guarantee its safety, as it can get lost through human error, be stolen with malicious intent, or corrupted for another reason. No provider should offer a ‘100% safe” guarantee, as this simply isn’t possible.
For as long as you have a human team, backups of data, emails, and the system itself will always be a necessity. Your users could be the cause of your problems inadvertently, when minor mistakes could result in the loss or theft of important – business essential – data.
People get the wrong ideas about the Cloud. It isn’t an extortionately expensive impenetrable fortress, neither is it cheap and easy to break through – it all depends on implementation and management as to how effective the Cloud can be. If the human at the desk using the Cloud doesn’t behave appropriately when using the Cloud, how can you expect it to be secure and effective?
You can backup your Cloud system to a different Cloud service to ease your concerns. Knowing your data is protected and accessible at all times from anywhere on the planet – only to those with the right access permissions – can allow business owners to breathe easy. As a bonus it is considerably cheaper to backup your data from your Cloud environment than from the on-premise one, so why wouldn’t you?
“My data is missing, and I don’t know where it has gone”
You must always know where your data is being stored and, in extension, always have control over that data. If you don’t know where it is stored you could be opening the door to theft and corruption, and this is all before you face the legal ramifications of not looking after your customers’ data as you are obliged to.
When using Cloud computing you can simply ask your provider where they are storing your data, as they are experts at handling data in a way that is both lawful and safe. But, as we said earlier, not all Cloud providers are as they seem. Some aren’t interested in the value they offer you; they want your money and don’t care about your success. Therefore, it is essential that you read your contract carefully, as some have clauses that allow your provider to scan your data and carry out all sorts of other actions, so it is best to be careful rather than sorry.
This can all be a bit much to take on board, so if you want to talk to a capable Cloud provider that is genuinely invested in the success of its clients, please don’t hesitate to get in contact and speak to one of our expert team. Together we can utilise the Cloud and revolutionise your business.
Ensuring modern tools and practices
We want our customers to be happy and productive, and that is why our team of dedicated engineers make it their mission to meet any technical challenge you may come across. We make every effort to get to know you, your employees, your business, and most importantly your goals for the future. We do this to make sure that we find the best technological solution for you to guarantee constant security and business progression. Our years of experience and specialist knowledge of industrial and manufacturing clients, as well as customers in the insurance and design sectors, ensure a top-quality service. Contact our team and let us start our journey together today.
Armco IT: IT Support and Managed Services for Businesses Across York, North and East Yorkshire
There’s nothing we love more than seeing Yorkshire businesses flourish by harnessing the power of IT. Our team of dedicated engineers stands ready to help you overcome any technical challenge and deliver tailored solutions that help your business meet its goals and growth ambitions. From our base in Malton, we deliver proactive IT support and services across York, North and East Yorkshire. We have a strong track record in delivering impactful IT to clients across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, design and insurance, among many others. We focus on maintaining, optimising and securing your digital estate, so you can focus on the growth and success of your business. Contact our team and let us start our journey together today.