Cloud Cover: 4 Ways That Cloud Computing Could Save Your Business Money
It takes a lot of money to keep a business afloat. Ask the dozens that close down in Australia alone every day of the week. However, sound costs management has become a far more achievable possibility with the advent of cloud computing, giving businesses of all sizes the opportunity to rethink and reshape their models. Invariably, this means slashing costs and increasing efficiency – and that doesn’t sound like a bad strategy. Here are 4 broad ways that cloud computing could save you and your business some precious dollars.
Economy of scale
By its very nature, cloud computing brings with it economies of scale. By using the cloud, you are moving beyond an internally maintained server infrastructure, which means your computing needs are mixed and matched with those of others. Optimisation of data centres’ hardware needs is a function of your cloud computing provider, not you. Basically, you only take the space you actually need, and you only pay for what you use. This flexibility of use also means that your business can adjust to demand, becoming more dynamic and proactive, rather than being rigidly attached to a usage agreement. A definite bonus for the budget, particularly for small business owners.
Redundancy
Data is incredibly important for the successful running of any business – it’s essential to keep all of your information securely stalled and backed up against possible server crashes or cyber attacks. Often, it becomes necessary for a business to invest in twice the amount of hardware it actually needs, simply to ensure that it has enough for a rainy day. This “just in case” factor may be a relief when it comes into play, however the majority of the time the extra hardware sits idle and chews through costs without actually servicing you in any way. When utilising cloud computing, however, your data and applications are automatically stored and mirrored across multiple data centres, protecting you against sudden massive failure on your end, as well as saving you the investment in excessive amounts of backup hardware. Similarly, if your data is secure, it only serves to bolster your reputation with prospective clients – cloud computing is an investment in the future of your business.
Labour-saving
Hiring an entire IT staff is an expense which has ordinarily been unavoidable for businesses. IT service professionals cost money. However, the removal of infrastructure servicing needs allowed for by cloud computing means costs on supporting this staff can be greatly reduced. While making workers redundant is never easy, there is no doubting that the cloud would facilitate extensive cost-cutting on IT salaries. Of course, this does not mean that these servicing jobs are no longer important – they are covered by your cloud computing provider. Those costs are no longer your problem.
Decision-making
One of the most central elements of good business is sound investment. The ability of the cloud to process and collate vast streams of information from multiple sources, and then present this information in an accessible and palatable way, means one of its primary advantages is keeping you adequately informed to make smart decisions. Whether you’re managing a PR firm or looking for what stocks you should invest in, the cloud can gather info crossing multiple factors for any situation, and then gauge a projection of how best you should respond. While this is more of a hypothetical cost-saving feature of cloud computing, it’s undeniable that being well-informed will help you to make the most effective decisions for your business across the board. Ever heard of that saying, “knowledge is power”?
Rob Johnson is a media graduate and freelance writer who is a big online shopper – a business with PCI Hosting is more likely to get his money. The cloud wins another round.
