TechTalk
Our knowledge to you.
TechTalk
Our knowledge to you.
Cloud Computing is something that many of us have been doing for quite a few years. PC Mag’s Encyclopedia defines Cloud Computing as “Hardware and software services from a provider on the Internet (the “cloud”).”
Do you use Gmail? Microsoft 365? Or even further back – AOL? You’ve likely been personally using cloud computing for a decade or two now. Now think about the business applications you use regularly. Services and platforms such as Dropbox, ZenDesk, Slack, Salesforce, Hubspot, Adobe Creative Cloud, or MailChimp, among many others – all well-known examples of Cloud Computing. Cloud computing has become ubiquitous in our business infrastructure.
The use of cloud storage solutions will only increase over the next several years. Consider these statistics:
There are significant reasons for the growth of cloud computing; much of the increase attributes to the rise of big data; with giant chunks of information and myriad ways to analyze that data, on-site storage can be prohibitive. Additionally, there are many reasons businesses are moving to Cloud Computing, and it’s due to the multitude of benefits the solution can provide. Let’s look at a few.
Nowadays, nearly every aspect of IT systems are vulnerable to exploitation and security threats. While Cloud Computing may not be able to prevent every type of attack, Cloud Computing is often more secure than on-premises computing. Cloud providers are skilled and experienced at managing massive amounts of sensitive data; they dedicate more resources to keeping your data safe, generally, more than an individual company could afford. Some security measures cloud providers utilize include data encryption, identity and access management (IAM) products, and cloud firewalls providing more protection than those hosted on-site.
While many variables may affect Cloud Computing costs (i.e. public/private/hybrid clouds, amount of data to be stored), according to Webtribunal, the average savings from adopting Cloud Computing solutions is about 15% of all IT spending. Small and medium businesses benefit the most, spending 36% less.
Cloud solutions are also cost-effective as they reduce the amount of hardware companies need to invest in, maintain, and update, not to mention the energy costs and the physical real estate that equipment consumes. Notably, most solutions offer a pay-as-you-go manner, reducing your initial capital investment. They also require significantly less labor and maintenance as these tasks transition to the service provider.
The need for flexible storage solutions is a primary driver for many companies to adopt Cloud Computing. Thinking back to that shift to employees working from home, Cloud Computing easily enables access to data, documents, and more.
Another example of the need for scalability is when a company is in growth mode, it can be difficult to predict bandwidth needs. Cloud Computing allows for quick scaling, up or down, to meet changing conditions.
InformationWeek surveyed Cloud Computing users and found that 65% indicated that the “ability to quickly meet business demands” was the most important reason a business should choose Cloud Computing.
With many companies focusing on sustainability efforts, Cloud Computing offers attractive advantages. MissionCloud reports, “customers consume 77% fewer servers, 84% less power and reduce carbon emissions by 88% by using the cloud.”
Many Cloud Computing providers are located closer to facilities that provide power to prevent losses. Cloud computing data centers also use less wattage to provide backup power and cooling due to superior hardware setup.
MissionCloud shared that private data centers experience low utilization rates due to purchased equipment in anticipation of usage spikes. Because Cloud Computing consolidates use, there is a higher overall utilization rate – 2 to 4 times higher – which increases efficiency.
Maintaining operations during a disaster or cyberattack is critical for all businesses. A study by the Diffusion Group found that 60% of companies that suffer a nonrecoverable data loss tend to fold in less than six months.
Cloud Computing allows businesses to quickly recover data, reducing and frequently eliminating downtime experienced from data losses. In addition to data storage, Cloud Computing is an obvious choice for continued business operations from multiple locations, including working from home.
When companies have significant regulatory compliance requirements, the Cloud can make high standards achievable.
Cloud Computing offers greater control over what is installed, run, and accessed on your devices. It improves the updating and standardization of software. Additionally, many providers offer monitoring services that provide alerts if settings are changed, or the system is breached. It can also simplify the record-keeping process through automation.
Additionally, Cloud Computing providers tend to be innovative industry experts and understand technology shifts and changes in regulatory requirements. Frequently, Cloud providers are ahead of the curve in addressing and mitigating threats.
High-speed fiber-optic network performance is crucial to delivering the optimum experience that Cloud Computing promises. Fiber-optic networks provide the speed and reliability that allow transmitting massive amounts of data to the Cloud, at the speed of light possible.
DQE can be an integral partner in successfully utilizing Cloud Computing solutions. We provide dedicated, private networking connectivity between your office location(s) and data centers to your Cloud Service Provider.
Additionally, DQE’s backbone network is continuously monitored, with local service restoration crews that can be mobilized quickly in the rare event of a fiber impairment.
If you are interested in learning more about how our fiber-optic network can help you migrate to Cloud Computing or improve your business’s existing Cloud Computing connectivity, connect with us now.