Is cloud computing right for your business? That’s the question top decision-makers at companies of all sizes and across all verticals are asking themselves these days. But “right” doesn’t always mean the same thing to everyone:
It’s true that the cloud offers a nearly endless selection of options for small businesses through vast corporate enterprises, but no, it’s not right for every company. The benefits of using cloud options over the outdated in-house IT model are clear: flexibility, affordability, scalability, and reliability. But here are some questions you need to ask to determine whether cloud computing is right for your business.
1. Is Your Business Growing?
The cloud model of computing was built to provide deployment on demand. If your business is in a period of growth and needs to add resources quickly, there is no way better than the cloud. This rings especially true if you are growing rapidly, because planning, implementing, and deploying new resources in your office or data center can take months. If you aren’t growing, and your current setup is sufficient, the cloud might not be necessary for you.
2. Are You Looking to Save Money?
IT budgets can be a huge part of your overall operating costs. Between equipment, software, and staffing qualified individuals, IT budgets hit six figures in no time. Cloud solutions mitigate a lot of these extraneous costs since the cloud provider assumes responsibility for these things. Cloud service costs can be significantly lower than your current operating costs, and that’s without taking in the added value of convenience and reliability. However, if you find your operating costs aren’t an issue, you can weigh whether switching to cloud computing is worth it for your business.
3. Do You Have Special Compliance or Regulatory Requirements?
If you are in a highly regulated industry such as banking, you probably have very specific standards to follow regarding sensitive data and security. Private cloud and hybrid cloud infrastructures may meet the majority of these requirements, but it’s important to scrutinize any cloud migration plans to ensure your security needs will be met.
Cloud computing has proven itself to be the most affordable and versatile computing model available today. There are few exceptions to the benefits that it can offer, but, no, it’s not right for everyone. However, a hybrid cloud model is a viable option for those businesses who want or need to maintain some in-house data storage. Cloud services are continually evolving. So if you find yourself one of the few who cannot benefit today, keep your eye on this growing trend. Your cloud solution may be just right around the corner.
