Computech Data: July 2012

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

First to Thrive in the Cloud: SMBs

Many SMBs have their heads in the clouds and the rationale is becoming definitive. Cloud computing is changing how computer business apps and related services are fulfilled. With the onset of the cloud, essential aspects of every business like data management, content, and collaboration tools are delivered from the Internet rather than supported by locally installed software and servers.

For SMBs there are many compelling reasons to migrate to cloud-based applications, like the following:

Scaling up or down on demand
Outsourcing the expensive burden of maintaining your own servers and software
Accessing data from anywhere and from any device
Replacing heavy IT expenditures with predictable operational expenditures
Focused strategies and execution managed from a centralized environment

Many businesses are already using the cloud and don’t even know it. Several services we take for granted such as WordPress, Gmail, Skype and GoToMeeing are cloud based. And the skies are just going to get cloudier. Harbingers of the future, VCs are insisting their startups stay lean and mean by using cloud services to test and build out business concepts as well as to scale the business.

Concerns about security aren’t putting much of a damper on the party. Cloud-based startups are predicted to number in the thousands over the next few years. Cloudy with a chance of cost savings. Depending on whether you want to make a wholesale move to the cloud or shift a few operations, there are several hot services designed specifically for SMB productivity.

For the small and medium sized businesses out there these are very exciting times. Although technology has always been a game changer, the stark realities of over-extended budgets and shrinking revenue streams are constant. Remember, you don't have to dive headfirst into total migration or radical paradigm shifts in the infrastructure of your organization. You may want to start off by analyzing the myriad of Cloud software and services out there. Some are even free. The following list should help start the process: