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:

• Mozy.com  Data Storage
• Salesforce.com CRM
• DropBox.com File Storage
• SoSonlinebackup.com Data Backup
• Schedulicity.com Scheduling
• Outright.com Accounting
• Google Apps Full Suite of Business Tools

For questions about your business and successful integration into the cloud, please call Computech Data for a no cost analysis today. 760-469-9118

Cloud Services: Why does my business need it anyway?

Cloud computing services allow you to use software and computer resources online as a utility. This allows you to pay for those resources when you need them, provided via the web, usually on pay as you go style models.

This means moving away from the, "software as a product", is replacing that paradigm  by online services.

To truly be considered “cloud computing” the actual work of any applications is performed in the cloud, rather than on the user’s machine. Users are using an interface where they can access the data that is being processed online.

This allows for more complex tasks that would traditionally have been seen as beyond the scope for traditional budget computers to be performed online, Computech clients gaining the results they need at more affordable prices.

So, where historically you may have installed Microsoft’s office suite when you purchase a new computer, many users are opting for cloud based alternatives, such as Zoho and Google Docs. In fairness to Microsoft, they have been making moves to the cloud offering a host of collaboration options with Office 365.

Convince me why my business should be hosted in the "Cloud"

The number 1 consideration for most SMB's is cost. Should it be though?

It is mission critical of course to stay within budget. Buried with the initial capital outlay is a layer of underlying justifications that may ultimately reduce TCO by as much as 65% over your present figures. Take the physical equipment you have presently for instance. When functionality is taken off site, through needing less powerful machines, you can reduce your physical technology costs by a huge margin.

Disaster recovery is equally important. If you have all your local servers at the physical location of your office, running your email and information storage, what would you do if there was a fire or other natural disaster? Do you have off site backups?

Accessibility of the data is also vital. Business is rarely conducted just in the office these days, and being able to access everything you need remotely wherever you are working is important. And with mobile technology becoming a prominent player with an ever increasing number of businesses, ask yourself how you will handle this technologically complex issue with your present network infrastructure.

If you are using the cloud, you can avoid the technology purchase required to hold all that data. Equally, emails and information storage can be reached seamlessly from multiple locations, allowing things to be more accessible as well as cost less!

Scalability is also an important factor for choosing the cloud – resources are supplied and paid for on-demand, rather than having excess redundant capacity. Many larger companies have shown substantially reduced total cost of ownership and increased productivity by migrating all or part of business processes to VM cloud technology.

Of course, security is a concern when considering this migration. This is something that is constantly being addressed by providers of cloud hosting services, and while not completely infallible, the vast majority of the services are secure. There have been some headline grabbing gaffes from providers like Google and SalesForce over the years, but these have been small isolated issues.

By not getting your business ready to use the cloud, you run the risk of being left behind by more agile competitors, who will be improving efficiency, ensuring the security of their data, and reducing their costs.

If you are waiting for results from your competitor's move to the cloud, then you might as well keep things status quo. By the time you are able to fully realize the cost saving features and robust application technologies of the cloud, your neighbor could be light years ahead of you.

Reluctant SMB Market Left Behind?

A certain famous Beatle is letting go. According to CNET, Paul McCartney and MPL Communications, his own media company, has partnered with HP to archive his personal media library hosted by HP. McCartney’s library is supported by HP’s Converged Infrastructure solution, a system of storage, servers and networking, resting on a private cloud in HP’s datacenters. Though MPL Communications and McCartney may be a ringing celebrity endorsement for HP, other SMBs are not quick to jump on board with the public cloud. In a recent survey, the research firm In-Stat reported that 70% of the SMBs who are using cloud storage are coupling it with an on-site storage unit. Hence, they are not truly leveraging the cloud.

The innovator/laggards dichotomy is applicable here. Since cloud is still a relatively new concept, most firms are wary of the “bugs” – performance, security, control, etc. Thus, they want to wait until the technology is more mature. Reluctant SMBs are removing themselves from the innovators and early adopter category and placing themselves squarely in the position of being late majority or laggards.

One way to mitigate these worries (and to not get left behind) is to engage in a private cloud or a hybrid – a combination of a public and private cloud – to meet SMBs’ infrastructure needs. Nonetheless, the costs of a private cloud deployment can be outside an SMB’s budget. While public cloud has security and performance implications, private and hybrid clouds are equipped with financial barriers.

When will SMBs be ready to let go and migrate to a public cloud? Despite the reports, adoption may be sooner than expected. Cloud security providers are working around the clock to develop best in class solutions for prospects. Additionally, Intel’s unveiling of AppUp, a hybrid cloud solution aimed at SMBs, is an example of how major players are actively engaged in pushing SMBs to the cloud.

It’s just a matter of time before most firms will be ready to let go – like Paul did, of over one million personal photos, videos and music clips.

This article originated from http://wiredre.com which I recommend to any IT professional interested in the latest industry trends.

Chris Borowski