The future of IT for smaller organisations is cloud based. In August 2012, Stephen Conroy spoke about the importance of educating small business on the benefits of the cloud. To many business owners, cloud computing is a tech term that scares them. Thankfully most IT services companies are now supporting cloud services.
Definition:
“Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that’s often used to represent the Internet in flowcharts and diagrams. ”
Click for a full definition of cloud computing via TechTarget.com.
The benefits of cloud computing include:
- Reduced capital costs
- Reduced training costs
- Accessing software any time, anywhere
- Scalable – your systems can grow as your business grows
- Platform independent – employees in some organisations are now encouraged to bring their own device (BYOD)
- More flexibility to change
Here are some articles on the benefits of cloud computing.
- Five ways small business benefits from the cloud, from Betanews.com
- Cloud Computing benefits, from Verio.com
- The economic benefit of cloud computing, from Forbes.com
To get started with Cloud computing contact your IT service supplier or visit some of the sites below.
- Google Apps – Google’s email, docs spreadsheets and more
- Microsoft 365 – Microsoft’s Office in the cloud
- Online Accounting Platforms – Xero, Saasu, accountsiq.com.au
- For providers that allow you to host your own applications visit aws.amazon.com/, and www.rackspace.com
Want to recommend a cloud service or cloud provider? Send us your comments via the comments box below and we will add the best suggestions to the list.
