A
Hot Topic Of Late, And Rightly So For It's Compelling Benefits
Cloud computing is a hot topic of late, with many
IT professionals certainly all ears when learning the benefits that are
inviting for all types of operations and business.
And utilizing the cloud is not just a trend – it's
very much a business practice that has helped organizations to both develop and
grow.
“Cloud computing has radically simplified business
computing over the last 3-5 years, and it's just the tip of the iceberg,” said
Stuart Nottingham, Director of Technical Services for Management Applications
Inc., of Raleigh, N.C., which has been providing companies in all industries
with accounting software, ERP solutions and other consultative network and
business services for more than 20 years.
“Our customers are always quite pleased at the ease of use when
implementing any application, including accounting software.”
In short, cloud computing can:
·
Drastically increase flexibility.
·
Provide more deployment options.
·
Significantly reduce costs.
And that's just for starters.
A closer look at some of the many improvements
over the past 3-5 years that Nottingham mentions above are:
- It's
A Hot Topic – Nottingham notes that many organizations
were looking to move systems for accounting, HR, sales and otherwise to a
third party provider in attempt to reduce equipment, storage and cost
issues, so were in a sense moving to the cloud already “before it was
called the cloud,” according to Nottingham. So as this is occurring more, it's more
top of mind for IT professionals, which obviously spurs interest in
further improvement the cloud.
- More
Options – Before cloud options, in-house storage
included hardware with applications on top, which comes with it the usual
maintenance and upkeep issues, not to mention costs. Now with the cloud, “more options are
available on both how applications are deployed, but also how they're
consumed,” noted Nottingham.
- Flexibility
– The cloud adds another deployment option for companies. Many companies opt for a combination of
local vs. cloud, but a trend toward more cloud is obviously happening.
- Speed
– “Everything's brought to market quicker with the cloud,” said Nottingham. With a couple clicks of the mouse, an
application can be deployed on the cloud.
And with the cloud, “everything also feels faster, because it is,”
added Nottingham.
- Cost
Reduction – Nottingham notes a recent study which
tracked IT spending of companies who went to the cloud four years
ago. Operating costs were reduced
in every case.
And perhaps above all, the cloud has simply eased
the IT operating burden and it's associated headaches with automating functions
even more. Nottingham points to one
client whose IT team was able to focus on key internal issues, such as improved
security, once it deployed the majority of its applications to the cloud.
But there's more!
Running low on storage on the cloud?
Simply add availability from another consumption model.
Expanding globally? Previously this involved travel to those
locations, physical setup, and hoping it worked. Now with the cloud, in-house data centers are
eliminated (or streamlined) in virtually any corner of the world.
So that's a thumbnail look at the power of the
cloud. If you're not utilizing this yet,
look into it today. “There's really no
downside,” recommended Nottingham.
