How Cloud Computing Business Software Lets You Focus On Your Business

Every business is aware that "the cloud" is the go-to destination for technology as we enter the second decade of the 21st century

. The question is whether this cloud is a viable solution that offers long-term, sustainable business software value or if it is merely the latest iteration of cool ideas that fail to deliver much, if anything, to the bottom line.

Cloud computing today is a different animal than similar technologies were in the past. This is not a return to the "thin client" architecture that was briefly promoted decades ago. Technology, and not just hardware, has evolved since then and so have the users of that technology. The internet, once the domain of geeks and technophiles, has matured enough to become a part of daily life. Making the jump to life in the cloud is not the intimidating leap it once was, and moving to the cloud is no longer the major disruption it would have been in the past.

In fact, a move to cloud computing business management software can eliminate many distractions and allow you to focus more effectively on your business instead of on the technology you are using.

Most businesses are familiar with the endless cycle of software releases and the attendant expense of updating each new version. The cost is felt not only in the price each newly-released box but in the very real costs of training and accommodating users to a new product. Applications in the cloud are, by and large, immune from this troublesome issue. Cloud-based applications tend to be updated in the background and the updates tend to be incremental. Interface changes are gradual, so users do not have to adjust to an entirely new look and feel, and good cloud applications try hard to help the user along, offering plentiful on-line resources.

In a similar vein, cloud computing can make it easier to keep things secure by offering built-in protection against viruses and other malware on an ongoing basis. While this will not completely eliminate the need to pay attention to security issues in-house, it can take some of the burden from staff in a way that is virtually painless.

Backups present a similar and equally critical situation. They are an absolute necessity and, often, a burden. With cloud computing, documents and data can be backed up automatically in almost any amount. The process can be incremental, so that every piece of information is current, and it can include versioning features that provide a look back over many iterations of a given file. In addition, backups in the cloud typically reside in large data centres that provide the kind of protection that few businesses can afford.

Availability of your data is also enhanced in the cloud. Staff does not have to hunt for physical files or get things transferred from one desktop machine to another. No longer do you have to wait for a colleague to send that critical document by attaching it to an email. Instead, data is always available and always in its most current form. Access can be structured so that appropriate credentials are required and those credentials can be fine-tuned to the needs of your business.

There are many more benefits to cloud computing, including enhanced communication, ease of collaboration, better tracking of projects and increased efficiency within teams, and there are many applications in the cloud that address each of these areas. With the right approach, cloud computing can provide your business with technology that really is a tool, not a project unto itself. After all, the technical infrastructure should be part of the background. Instead, it constantly calls for attention when the focus of your business should be, of all things, your business.

by: Ted Brumby

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