6 Reasons Your Business Should Consider Moving to the Cloud

According to some estimates, up to 75% of SMEs are currently utilizing online storage of data, known as cloud storage, and utilization of web-based programs and services in some form.

Are you? If not, you could be missing out on some big cost savings, not to mention reducing IT-related headaches.

6 reasons your business should consider moving to the cloud:

1. Cost savings. Reducing costs is often cited as the #1 reason many businesses start using the cloud. Getting in the cloud allows you to tap into your cloud provider’s existing hardware and technical expertise, meaning you pay a fraction of what you otherwise might to maintain these IT resources yourself.
2. Easier access, anywhere. Cloud storage and software platforms can usually be accessed from anywhere in the world, as long as the user has an Internet connection. This means you’ll never realize you left an important document on your other computer back home or in another office and be without the ability to access it. Applications hosted on the cloud can also be run from any compatible device, so if you need to upgrade systems, you won’t need to worry about also upgrading software (more on this later).
3. Better security. It may sound counter-intuitive, but independent studies consistently show that solutions hosted in the cloud provide better data security than if these processes are kept in-house. Any cloud provider worth your time has several dedicated security experts, who are constantly assessing potential threats to their (i.e., your) data and systems, and can keep up against threats much more efficiently and effectively than you or your smaller team of IT staff.
4. Scalability and flexibility. If you’re like most businesses, you experience a defined sales or activity cycle, where your IT systems are used more heavily than at other times of the year. Instead of buying computing resources to cover you for a busy season that could only be 1 week every year, many cloud providers allow you to upgrade your share of their resources for a short time, so you’re only paying for high capacity solutions when you need them.
5. Assistance when disaster strikes. In the unlikely event your cloud provider does have a security breach or a serious downtime event, you can be assured (if you’ve partnered with a reputable provider) that you won’t lose any data, and your systems will be restored quickly. Instead of waiting hours or days for your internal IT team to diagnose and repair the problem, your provider’s team of dozens of experts will work around the clock to get things back up and running smoothly, ASAP. This advantage is greater if you’ve partnered with a provider that services both your hardware and software, meaning they can troubleshoot getting systems back online from a physical standpoint as well as restoring full functionality to needed applications—together.
6. More time to focus on key business objectives. Ultimately, cloud allows you as a leader in your business to focus on more important tasks than wondering if your IT systems are up to date. Besides saving your business money, the cloud also delivers you increased peace of mind, so you can focus on serving your customers and growing your business.

As a cloud service provider with expertise in both systems and hosting environments, Socius can deploy your business applications in a secure, flexible and efficient cloud environment. Our variety of cloud services means that no matter your business goal, we can provide a service to get you there. Click here to learn about the different types of cloud deployments, and how they can help you improve your business processes.