We have seen a dramatic rise in the number of businesses implementing cloud computing strategies in the past few years and for good reasons. Companies have begun to see different advantages of using the same application over the internet, from using software on local computers to storing it now on a remote cloud location. Here in this article, we are going to discuss the many aspects of cloud services that you can take advantage of to advance your business and increase your profitability.
What are cloud services?
The cloud refers to a centralised place on the internet that stores data, making it available from any connected computer at any time, anywhere. The term “cloud services” applies to a broad range of services like networks, websites, or applications provided by third-party over the internet to businesses and consumers on-demand. Without the need for internal infrastructure or hardware, these platforms are built to provide simple, inexpensive access to applications and resources. The flow of cloud platforms starts at the computer of a front-end consumer (e.g. user servers, phones, desktops, computers, any user-end hardware), which then reaches the networks of the providers via the internet, and then the front-end user gets the service from the provider back the same way. Anyone can access a cloud service with just a computer with an operating system and a viable internet connection.
Any infrastructure, platform, software, or technology that you access through the internet without requiring additional software downloads can be considered cloud services. You practically use cloud resources almost every day, knowingly or unknowingly, from checking emails to working on documents. Cloud services are operated entirely by suppliers and service providers in cloud computing. They are made available from the servers of the companies to users, so there is no need for a business to host the apps on its own on-site servers.
The best way of Use Cloud Services for Your Business
Taking the most economic path:
Using cloud services for all your business operations save you money in a number of ways, and you should utilise all of them.
Reduced cost for equipment:
Cloud services in Australia use the utility price model – you pay for as much as you use, with the option to increase/decrease your server capacity. This charge is a meagre amount when you compare it with the cost of owning an in-house IT computing device, where you have to buy all the hardware, software, and applications. So you save a lot if you replace all IT equipment in your office with one (or even more than one) cloud subscription(s).
Reduced cost for server capacity:
When you work with conventional servers, your buying options are very limited – so you have to buy keeping in mind the capacity required for peak hours. However, in this model, you’re paying the same amount even if your servers stay idle, and reach the peak only rarely.
Cloud storage providers in Australia give you the flexibility of setting up the capacity of your cloud infrastructure to increase during peak periods and then drop down during periods of lower traffic. This way, you can avoid paying for any unused server time.
Reduced cost for server management:
Being connected with only external cloud service providers, along with server capacity, you also save on all the recurring costs for server management. You’re saving on hiring engineers for maintenance and monitoring, purchasing server management software, as well as physical security, power, and HVAC.
Reduced cost for high-end technology usage:
Usually, it becomes difficult for a small business owner to afford expensive high-end technology for its services, trouble which cloud services take away. When using a cloud utility service, you can get all the advanced technology that comes with a custom-built and private IT infrastructure at just a fraction of the price.
Taking advantage of the advantage of scalability:
When you just start out in the business, it is impossible to accurately estimate the number of users or consumers that you’d have to accommodate. When you buy servers and data centres yourself, at best, you’re making a very calculated guess. If the number of consumers is more than your estimation, you’ll either be working with less capacity which runs the risk of the server getting slow or crashing, or you will have to arrange for more servers on short notice, a delay in which may run the risk of your clients moving to a competitor. On the other hand, if the number of consumers is less than your estimation, a lot of servers that you paid for will sit idle, which means you’ll be running at a loss from the beginning.
Outsourcing the whole hassle to a cloud service provider not only means less stress for you, but you’ll only be paying for the computing resources required at each point, which essentially lowers your upfront cost by a great extent. Now, as your business grows, you can simply expand your server capacity to handle the additional clients quickly. You can even distribute the load among more than one server of the same capacity, instead of upgrading to a stronger and more expensive one, or you can use both types, according to your need. Once you calculate the requirement and the cost correctly, this flexibility saves you a lot of money. On the contrary, if the reverse scenario occurs, you can scale down as easily. Either way, you cut cost, time, and hassle; all the while keeping the full capacity of your customers happy.
Automatic updates:
When your IT services are taken over by one or more cloud storage providers in Australia, you need not worry about software and firmware upgrades. The servers are off-premise and all the most recent software upgrades that need to be completed are taken care of by the service providers. As a matter of fact, most applications that use the cloud automatically update themselves.
Using the cloud for storage and data backup:
Storage and data backup are two crucial areas of running a business. When it comes to electronics, there are always a number of risks, including, them crashing at the most inopportune moment losing all data on a particular computer, employees mistakenly losing data, or even data theft. Especially when you want to upgrade your IT infrastructure, it is a lot of time-consuming and tedious work to transfer files between computers – and in order to run your business smoothly, it is important that you upgrade your IT systems once every few years. Similar trouble may occur at the time of any kind of company merger or acquisitions.
This entire process is simplified by the cloud. Not only does your data get automatically updated even when you switch between devices, but it also generates off-site backups for your data where it would be safe from any local natural disaster, theft, or failure.
Enhanced mobility of work:
A huge advantage of using cloud services is the mobility of work, which along with you being able to access the best employees from all over the world, actually increases the productivity of your employees. This will come even handier when the world starts off with the new normal of majorly working from home. Developers can now easily access all of their software development tools via a web browser. This facilitates increased collaboration and makes the software development process much easier and faster. Many of today’s cloud storage providers in Australia now include mobile applications that can be used without being reliant on a single computer to access data from the phone.
Easy information sharing:
Before the era of cloud storage services, everyone in the business loop would have to transfer files back and forth several times before the final document was created. This method would give rise to many mistakes and would considerably decrease the document’s accuracy. With cloud computing, multiple users can view the same document from different locations, using any kind of computing device, greatly decreasing the error rate. This way you can easily share files and information among your employees as well as external stakeholders and others, whenever you need.
Multiple management facilities:
Like Big Data, every relevant person within an organisation can also store and access “Big Inventory” in a logical and methodical manner. There are many cloud services in Australia that help businesses with multiple aspects like accessibility for multiple locations, accessibility for multiple devices, cooperation in inventory management, reduced facilities for overhead & IT and related costs, real-time organizational visibility, data safety, and security, and supply chain automation. You can always leverage multiple facilities in one if you search hard enough.
Conclusion
Cloud services in Australia can make running the business really easy for you if you do your research well and find the best cloud service providers to suit your particular need. Once you get into the sector and get a hold over how to harness the most out of them, you’re most likely to never go back to the old ways.
