Cloud Computing for Small Business

What is Cloud Computing? How can it help my business?
Is it right for my business?

Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet and enables people to work from virtually anywhere, anytime and on any device that has an Internet connection.

This technology is becoming one of the fastest growing in recent years and these questions are increasingly being asked by businesses of all shapes and sizes.

At TSG we understand that there are a number of key decisions to be taken before a business even contemplates whether to adopt a Cloud based solution or not.

Here at TSG we can explain to you the different options you have, you may find that a total Cloud based solution may not fit your business model, but a hybrid model may give your company the extra flexibility it needs, keeping certain data on site and data that needs to be readily available in the Cloud.

Our experts offer impartial advice, and can explain in simple terms the options available to your business.
 

What is the Cloud?

Cloud computing is the delivery of an application or service over the Internet to anywhere, without the need for a large network Infrastructure and is commonly referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS provides a pay per use model which allows customers to scale any application to a number of users quickly, without the traditional investment in additional hardware or software licencing. Cloud computing is a truly scalable solution and will offer your business the flexibility to adjust to market trends, fully enabling ‘IT on demand’ capabilities.

Who would use the Cloud?

Due to its scalable and flexible nature Cloud Computing can benefit business of all sizes and industry sectors. Early adopters have typically been new start-up businesses, expanding companies and businesses who want to benefit from flexible mobile working and those who cannot afford high end business class software solutions such as Dynamics NAV and CRM. Other applications that are now becoming standard in the Cloud are Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SharePoint for communication and document collaboration.

The Cloud allows businesses to benefit from access to feature rich applications that are up to date and are typically released far in advance of On Premise application software.

Budgeting becomes much simpler with Cloud technology as there is the flexibility of a monthly cost which can be controlled and scaled back as necessary, thus allowing a much faster return on investment.

Is there more than one Cloud?

As the Cloud term becomes more commonly used confusion can arise when the term Cloud is used to describe different types of applications that are not truly Cloud networks.

There are two types of Cloud offerings, Public and Private. If these types of Cloud offerings are not properly recognised then issues can arise when trying to link networks together in the future.

The Public Cloud is the most popular, typical examples are Hotmail, Google docs etc. These applications sit in public datacentres on shared servers - it is referred to as multi tenanted. All of your data can be accessed from any device that has access to the Internet.

The Private Cloud is where you have your own dedicated server placed in a datacentre and a secure link back to your own office network. This is very secure but does mean that you do not have the flexibility for remote workers.

Who should be involved in the Cloud decision and why?

Generally decisions on technology solutions are often made by the IT team within a business. With Cloud technology, this will still be the case but as the Cloud offers a business so many benefits such as compliancy and reduced capital expenditure, other key decision makers within the business should be consulted as this may form an IT strategy move for the future when looking at new hardware, software or deployment choices.

Thinking of moving to the Cloud?

If you are thinking about moving your business to the Cloud, but you are unsure of the impact it will have on your staff and your business, please select from the below role based buttons to find out more...