Reduced setup costs, savings in IT maintenance and staff expenses. Productivity boosts, more agile and mobile employees. Better collaboration between employees and clients. These are some of the benefits experienced by most organisations following their move to “the cloud”.
Let’s break this down. This article will outline the difference utilising cloud services for hardware and infrastructure, data storage and access, software and tools will make to your business. We’ll look at the freedom and benefits for employees.
Finally, we’ll reveal what you should do to prepare and begin the move to cloud services, so your organisation doesn’t miss out on the benefits!
Infrastructure/Network
If your company has servers on site then you will most likely have infrastructure in place, too. Other hardware, like cables, hard disk storage for data, routers, printers, etc.
Having all this equipment on-premise means you have complete control over it. No doubt you have a team (or, often, a single person!) responsible for infrastructure maintenance and system security.
Some of the benefits you may see following a move to cloud services, or Infrastructure as a service (IaaS):
Space
- The room where you have your server, disks, cables, routers will be empty. You will have space for employees or storage. A great employee may install a coffee machine in this area, to boost morale!
Capital outlay/Maintenance
- There will be no need for any more capital expenditure. You won’t have to replace old, worn-out or redundant hardware. When your Infrastructure has been migrated to the cloud you will simply use it, and carry on running your business. You will make regular, predictable payments to the system provider and they will ensure the hardware is up to date and well maintained.
Onsite support
- There won’t be anything on-site to support! You will probably still need a printer, plus some boxes of A4 paper, in a corner. Your IT support team will be able to concentrate on project work.
Expansion/future growth
- Cloud services will be able to seamlessly handle future organisational growth. When your company needs more processing power or additional data storage space, it is simply part of the cloud provision service.
Data
Your company’s valuable data will be located in ‘the cloud’. This includes ALL of your information on employees, including personal data, addresses, salaries. Details of customers and suppliers, including financial data. Any software your company has developed. Some things you need to consider:
Data Security
- You now have the benefit of a secure, expertly managed cloud-based data centre. Only you are able to authorise access to your data. You should continue with standard cyber security measures, including secure IDs, strong passwords, employee training. Devices used by your employees to access the cloud may have separate security measures.
Backup and restore
- Your data is stored securely but your company should have disaster recovery measures in place as a precaution against the risk of malicious activity (hacking!), for example. This includes backing up data on a regular basis and having a robust, and tested, plan to get your backed up data restored and available as quickly as possible.
This Is Important!
Data is vital to the continued existence of your business. Companies that suffer significant downtime after the loss of IT services often fail!
If you have any concerns regarding data security or your company’s disaster recovery strategy, you should contact a professional, reputable cloud services supplier. Get in touch with Starboard IT for a chat about any concerns today. Tomorrow may be too late!
Agility, mobility
Cloud-based IT systems provide the company, employees and customers with big agility and mobility benefits:
Use any device, anywhere, at any time
- Your employees will be able to view and reply to, emails using their ‘phone on the train on their daily commute to work. They’ll be able to open a laptop and check project progress while their dinner is in the oven. Your customers may browse your website on a tablet from the comfort of an armchair in front of the TV in the evening.
Not just a ‘benefit’!
- The Coronavirus pandemic, and subsequent lockdowns, has taught us all mobile working is a “must-have”. Imagine the businesses that would have folded and the crisis we would be facing now if those of us who have worked from home for periods over the last 18 months hadn’t been able to do so? Mobile working is now essential for business continuity and is here to stay!
Don’t miss out. You need to utilise cloud services!
Having considered the benefits, it would be a smart business decision to move your IT systems to the cloud. It’s important you work with professional, experienced IT and ‘cloud’ experts.
Starboard IT are an experienced and successful IT services provider with many delighted customers. Our friendly IT experts are your best choice to partner with you through the three stages of cloud service utilisation:
Cloud Readiness review
Starboard IT will assess the current IT infrastructure and hardware setup. Our team will review data and software needs. We will understand how the company functions.
Our consultants will present a detailed set of written recommendations to help you decide which cloud platform is best for your business needs. We’ll suggest technology changes if necessary and help to develop a strategy for the move, including a schedule and budget.
We are proud of our reputation as professional, reliable, expert and successful providers of IT solutions. If ‘the cloud’ isn’t right for your business, we’ll say so!
Deployment
Your essential IT systems, data and software are moved to the cloud platform provider. With Starboard IT, what this means is your customers and employees will notice no difference!
Your in-house hardware will be gone and you will be working as normal. There will be no downtime and no loss of productivity.
Ongoing maintenance and support
Starboard IT’s managed services team provide you with stress-free IT support. We take care of security, network management, software upgrades, regular backups and a disaster recovery strategy. All you need to do is manage the business.
If you’re looking for consultancy services on your company’s security policy, contact Starboard IT to find out what we can do for you.
