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Cloud computing gives modern businesses flexibility, security and scalability with increased collaboration capabilities and reduced costs.
Adoption has grown due to the COVID-19 pandemic but should continue until 2023 - especially among hybrid workplaces. Cloud computing is an exciting topic worth understanding whether you currently use it or plan to in the near future.
Cloud computing can range from servers in third-party data centers up to serverless workloads with geographical redundancy and infinite scaling potential.
Cloud servers and services can quickly adapt as demand changes; elastic scaling features make this possible. Thanks to broadband Internet and mobile device usage, cloud computing offers small businesses an ideal option.
Cloud computing refers to delivering services over the Internet, making them readily available for small businesses to utilize web-based services like data processing and storage.
Cloud services fall under three categories - Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service.
Cloud computing for small businesses offers many benefits, including easy data backups, automated synchronization and remote working capabilities.
Cloud storage also simplifies collaboration, while processing can occur effortlessly across devices and locations.
Cloud computing allows users to access information and applications online rather than on physical storage media such as hard drives.
Companies who rely on Google Docs for document editing and collaboration, Dropbox, Google Drive or Slack team communication, or CRM solutions online have found success using cloud computing technologies to access data or applications more quickly than they could before.
Cloud computing brings many advantages to small businesses, including increased collaboration, easy accessibility and quick turnaround.
Cloud services may present some security threats or limit customization needs; therefore, how cloud services work and their pros and cons for small business use cases will be discussed.
What is Cloud Computing
Cloud computing refers to the on-demand delivery of computing services over the Internet, such as applications, storage and processing services.
Cloud services typically charge per use, so you only pay for what you consume; this approach helps your company reduce operational expenses while giving more freedom and flexibility with scaling processes.
Small business owners need access to their data and apps from virtually any location - the office or on the road.
Cloud computing makes this possible by providing 24-hour internet accessibility.
Cloud Computing is Used in What Ways?
Cloud computing is something you use, even though you may not realize it. Cloud computing is behind-the-scenes, so you can use online services like Gmail and Outlook 365 for sending emails, collaborating on documents, storing files, or streaming videos.
Cloud computing is used in many different ways.
- Cloud storage a cloud service ensures that your data will be stored offsite in a cloud storage system, which can then be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. Cloud storage lets you share files safely and sync them across multiple devices. Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Google Drive are popular cloud storage services.
- Cloud backup solutions are failsafe if you experience a data loss, cyberattack, or server crash. Cloud backup services that are the best combine data restoration and synchronization, live backups and archiving with high security. Cloud backup is also available from many cloud storage providers.
- Cloud Hosting Cloud-hosted services allow for multiple forms of sharing information, such as email, applications, phone systems, and storage. Cloud hosting services can manage databases, host domains and host websites. Cloud hosting is offsite and can quickly scale to handle peak load.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based solution for application delivery. SaaS can be used in many areas of business. You can use SaaS software such as Salesforce to manage sales, QuickBooks Online accounting software for financial management and email marketing for marketing.
What's the Difference Between Cloud Hosting and Traditional Web Hosting?
Web hosts house your website, making it available on the Internet. Choose between a traditional web hosting provider or one that uses cloud computing.
Learn more about the differences between conventional and cloud hosting.
Hosting Web Pages
Traditional web hosts use physical servers to host their clients. In the conventional space for hosting, there are two options: dedicated services or shared.
Both options have their own merits:
- Hosting dedicated a client can pay for a server. The server has a certain amount of memory, processing power, and bandwidth. Hosting dedicated can be costly.
- Hosting shared companies share a server with this hosting model. Shared hosting: Each company pays a certain amount for storage on the server and then shares bandwidth. Hosting shared is cheaper than hosting dedicated. Your website might load slower because of the traffic on the shared server. You'll pay more if your website exceeds the shared server's limits.
Cloud Web Hosting
Cloud-based web hosting is a virtualized version of traditional hosting that relies on physical servers. Cloud web hosting has several key features:
- Pay only for the services that you use. Pay-per-use is the most common model for cloud hosting.
- Cloud hosting is a method of distributing the workload across multiple servers. Cloud hosting is a hosting service that distributes the bandwidth across several servers.
- You get excellent uptime. Downtime is sporadic unless there's a significant power failure. Suppose one site has an issue or is experiencing many visitors. In that case, the other sites that use the service will not be affected.
- It's scalable. Cloud hosting providers use virtual spaces that are scalable at any time.
What Are Some of the Most Popular Cloud Services?
Cloud computing services include everything from data storage to functional programs, such as accounting software, tools for customer service and remote desktop hosting.
The benefits are divided into three categories: platform, infrastructure and software-as-a-service.
- IaaS infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) allows users to rent cloud-based IT infrastructure such as servers, virtual machines, storage, and networks. This is usually done on a "pay-per-use" basis. IaaS allows small businesses to use different setups for handling other workload requirements. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are two of the key players.
- PaaS this cloud-based service gives developers of software access to tools such as APIs, gateways and web portals. Popular solutions include Salesforce Lightning, Google App Engine, and AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
- SaaS offers users software via the Internet. SaaS apps are accessible through a desktop client, web browser or API integrated with the user's operating system. SaaS apps allow workers to collaborate, download files of importance and use specialized programs. SaaS applications require users to pay either a monthly subscription or an annual fee. SaaS services include Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace and others.
What Are the Security Measures for Cloud Storage?
Public, hybrid and private clouds are the primary cloud services that store and host data. Selecting a cloud service provider that doesn't match your company's needs and size could pose a security risk:
- Cloud service is built by the external platform of a provider. This offsite service allows users to have their private cloud in a shared environment. Cloud providers offer everything, from security to system resources. A public cloud is an excellent option for companies that want elasticity, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.
- Private cloud. Using your software and hardware, a cloud platform is built inside your walls. This model, which your internal IT department manages, works well for companies needing exclusive access to their private cloud. It also offers greater flexibility and control. This is an expensive option.
- Cloud hybrid hybrid clouds mix public and private cloud computing. A hybrid cloud system allows an organization to manage part of its cloud internally and the remainder offsite. The hybrid cloud is ideal for organizations that want to keep sensitive information (such as customer files) on-site but also manage data in-house.
What Are the Benefits of Cloud Computing for Small and Mid-market Businesses?
Cloud computing allows businesses to be more productive and work anywhere.
Cost Savings
Are You Worried about Switching to Cloud Computing? Not alone: the initial cost of setting up cloud computing is an issue for 20% of businesses.
When considering all aspects of switching, consider more than simply cost. Having easy access to data when starting new projects will save both time and money in terms of both time savings and money savings compared to not using it at all! Cloud computing allows only paying for features used.
You could save more by forgoing it all together than by switching.
Your clients and stakeholders deserve data storage space at reasonable costs that give them maximum returns, so why should prices rise when you need nothing extra? Pay only what is necessary and no extra.
Combined, this approach leads to both lower costs and increased returns.
The Security of Your Own Home
Cloud computing can be an issue of concern for organizations of all kinds. You cannot ensure the safety of files, applications and data if they're stored remotely - access that allows cybercriminals access.
But organizations can take steps to secure their cloud data if this becomes an issue for them.
Cloud providers take full responsibility for monitoring security. Their systems are much more effective than an internal one where IT resources must be divided among multiple concerns, monitoring security being just one.
While most businesses would rather avoid thinking about internal data being stolen by employees, stealing it from one place to the other is a common practice and keeping sensitive files offsite is safer in general - don't take my word for it, though: let's take a look at some numbers!
Businesses that embraced cloud computing reported enhanced security. Furthermore, 90% said better regulation compliance thanks to encryption of their data transmitted across networks and databases - this makes hackers or anyone not authorized viewing your information less accessible; you can customize security options based on who uses your applications; cloud-based users are only 9 per cent more likely than non-cloud based users to claim recovery within four hours from disasters.
Flexible Payments
Your business only has so much time and attention available. Your IT solutions should allow you to concentrate on business goals or customer relationships rather than worrying about data storage needs and computer maintenance; by outsourcing this responsibility, you can focus on those parts that directly contribute to its bottom-line performance.
Cloud computing gives businesses greater flexibility than hosting their servers, offering instantaneous bandwidth expansion without needing to upgrade your IT system and providing greater freedom and flexibility that can increase company efficiency.
According to 65% of respondents surveyed for an Oracle Cloud environment survey, "being able to quickly meet business requirements" was among their primary motivations for choosing this approach.
Cloud computing gives mobile users access to company data via smartphones and other devices. This is a great way to ensure that nobody gets left behind.
There are over 2.6 million smartphone users in the world. Staff who are busy or far from corporate offices can use this feature to keep in contact with co-workers.
Cloud-based information can be provided to freelancers and traveling salespeople. You can better integrate work and life.
Cloud usage can increase by as much as 24 per cent for organizations prioritizing employee satisfaction.
The Insight
"Data as money" has long been recognized, representing modern-day versions of "knowledge = power". Your customers' transactions or business processes generate thousands of bits of data that contain actionable, valuable intelligence waiting to be discovered and implemented - cloud computing offers solutions for unearthing this helpful info in all that noise.
Cloud storage services often offer cloud analytics. You can get an overview of your entire data set instantly; plus, it makes creating reports tailored for every user easy so they can monitor progress over time and track it more closely than before.
Such insights lead to increased productivity as well as creating action plans explicitly tailored towards meeting organizational goals.
Collaboration Increases
Collaborate: Collaboration should be your top priority if your staff has more than two employees. Nothing gets accomplished without it, and cloud platforms simplify collaboration - enabling group members to view and securely share data among themselves easily.
Cloud computing offers social networking spaces to engage employees across your company and boost engagement. Cloud computing makes collaboration more efficient but may be harder for some.
Quality Control
Poor and inconsistent reporting can have an enormous effect on any company. Cloud storage enables all documents to be kept together in one centralized repository with consistent formats to eliminate human mistakes while keeping track of revision history and maintaining consistency across documents.
Managing information in silos often leads to employees saving multiple versions of documents, leading to confusion and potentially diluting data sets.
Disaster Recovery
Control is at the core of every successful business. No matter how organized your operation may be, some things beyond your reach cannot be controlled; even short downtime has significant repercussions in today's fiercely competitive marketplace.
Even small amounts of unproductive downtime have an adverse impact.
Disasters that threaten your business cannot always be predicted with absolute accuracy; however, cloud-based services for data recovery offer ways to speed up healing in emergencies like natural disasters or power outages.
Cloud users have shown the ability to recover in as little as 4 hours, while only 9 percent of non-users could make that claim; according to one recent IT executive survey, 43% indicated their intention to invest or improve cloud disaster recovery solutions in 2017.
Loss Prevention
Your data remains tied to computers without an online backup solution, leaving it vulnerable if something happens to the hardware in the office.
You experience permanent data loss, which occurs more frequently than you may realize, given all the reasons computers could potentially break.
Good intentions may go astray; more than 10,000 laptops are lost each week at airports! Without cloud computing, all your data could be irretrievable; with it being available anytime from any computer with internet connectivity, you have peace of mind that all information will not disappear into thin air.
Automatic Software Upgrades
Cloud-based software updates itself automatically rather than forcing IT departments to manage them manually - saving time and money while decreasing external IT consultants' costs.
Competitive Advantage
There are still people who prefer local computing over cloud-based systems. However, their decision ultimately rests with them; this puts them at a competitive disadvantage compared to businesses that have adopted cloud systems early.
A recent survey demonstrated this finding, with 77% of companies believing cloud provides a competitive advantage, while 16% view this advantage as significant.
The Sustainability of the Economy
Current environmental challenges make it impossible for organizations to claim they contribute just by placing recycling bins in office break rooms.
Sustainability demands solutions for waste elimination at every level; cloud hosting offers reduced carbon emissions while being green-friendly.
Cloud infrastructures that are environmentally friendly provide virtual services instead of actual products or machines, thus significantly cutting paper waste while simultaneously decreasing emissions as employees can access them anywhere at any time.
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What Are Some of the Disadvantages of Cloud Computing?
There are several downsides to moving business operations into the cloud.
1. Cloud Computing Requires an Internet Connection
Cloud computing, by definition, relies on Internet connections; otherwise, your team could face difficulty accessing cloud data and applications if their Internet connectivity becomes unstable, potentially leading to downtimes or errors for applications and data stored online.
A patchy connection could even result in downtimes or errors for services running over this connection.
Cloud computing's disadvantages can quickly be addressed by providing your team with high-speed, quality connections.
2. There Could Be Security Issues
Although 52% of businesses report superior security with cloud computing environments versus their physical ones, some business owners continue to express anxiety over its perceived lack of protection.
Finding a trustworthy cloud provider is critical to increasing security. Understand its contingency plan should there be any breaches and take appropriate actions to enhance it.
For improved cybersecurity, ensure there is enough data encryption, additional authentication measures are implemented as necessary, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and clear communication among management, IT, and cloud service providers to reduce security incidents.
Before you sign up for their service, ask these ten questions about security:
- Who has access to my personal information?
- Is my data stored in multiple data centers located in different places to protect them from local attacks?
- How do you protect data from being compromised?
- How do you encrypt data, and what specific steps will you take?
- What is the best way to manage your encryption keys?
- How will my data be restored if a cyberattack or crash occurs?
- Which information security certificates do you hold?
- Do you comply with current security standards?
- What could go wrong with implementation?
- Are you a reseller? Who is in charge of service and support if you are a reseller?
- Cloud Computing Presents Challenges to Compliance
Any business using cloud services and backups must consider compliance issues; according to Statista's survey, 44% of those businesses found compliance to be their biggest challenge when using cloud storage solutions.
Anytime you migrate data from internal storage into the cloud, it must abide by industry regulations and laws. Healthcare organizations, for instance, must abide by HIPAA requirements, while retail companies should follow SOX/PCI DSS compliance rules; companies dealing with European markets must also abide by GDPR laws.
Although many cloud service providers align themselves with accreditation programs that cater to your business requirements, ultimately, it falls on you as a company owner or manager to ensure all processes and workloads comply.
3. This Reduces the Visibility and Control
Cloud computing offers your business many time and cost-saving benefits by alleviating complex infrastructure such as servers.
But cloud computing means giving up control of software assets, computing assets and systems - or do you want less power than you once did?
With less control and oversight available to us, evaluating security systems' efficiency becomes harder; responding quickly to incidents, providing an overview of user and data activity patterns, and detecting abnormal trends or breaches can all become challenging tasks.
Assess your visibility levels across each cloud provider and decide how to protect data. An API or monitoring program is helpful in providing greater understanding for increased insight.
4. Training is Required for Implementation
Training personnel is crucial to the successful introduction of any new technology. A troubleshooting plan must be in place both during and post-launch; you may encounter resistance from staff unfamiliar with cloud-based solutions.
As soon as your business has implemented and adopted cloud services, identified those responsibly, and discussed their benefits, your company will be on its way forward.
Cloud Computing Security: Additional Considerations
Although security concerns have already been highlighted as one of the downsides to cloud computing, it's still essential that you fully comprehend all that could go wrong in terms of other potential complications.
Check Point's 2023 Cloud Security Report highlights incorrect cloud infrastructure, unauthorized access and insecure APIs as major cloud security concerns.
Consider these cybersecurity risks before moving operations to the cloud.
Cloud Computing Security Misconfiguration
Cloud computing offers many business owners attractive benefits; however, its security threats should be addressed.
Employees in many organizations have different levels of cloud access that make it easy to miss an unauthorized entry point when there are more users and access levels are varied.
As cloud infrastructures rely heavily on security controls provided by their providers, companies often rely on complicated rules provided by these providers, which increases the chances for errors to happen.
Follow all access levels your team members have for cloud services to mitigate security risks and simplify access management.
If kept up-to-date, Google Sheets can be essential tracking documents; cybersecurity audits with full details on all providers' protocols will further minimize risk.
Secure APIs
APIs provide better visibility and control over your cloud applications and systems. External APIs can be insecure and are a potential entry point for cyberattacks.
They could compromise data or manipulate services.`
This security risk can be significantly reduced by building APIs in-house. Not all companies have the expertise and resources necessary to implement this.
Implement authentication and authorization, secure traffic with TLS/SSL, and log API activities. Use API firewalls and perform regular penetration tests to find and fix outdated APIs.
Data Loss
Data loss and leakage were the top cloud computing concerns for two-thirds of Bitglass' 2020 Cloud Security Report.
Cloud data may be lost due to malware. Still, if the provider deletes them accidentally, there is a natural disaster like an earthquake or fire that damages servers, or they lose their encryption keys.
Backup all data in the cloud to reduce your risk of losing data. You should follow the 3-2-1 rule for secure backups:
- At least three copies of all your data are required.
- It is possible to store it on two different media.
- Back up your data offsite.
Implement a DLP cloud solution to protect your data against unauthorized access. It will also automatically block access when any suspicious activities are detected.
What is the Cost of Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing costs vary widely depending on what cloud services you require. The following is a rough idea of the typical cost:
- Dropbox offers a free account with some advanced features. Paid plans start at $20 per person per month.
- Carbonite, a cloud backup service that offers recovery and restores data from the cloud, can be as low as $50 a month.
- Amazon Web Services provides a variety of cloud-based services. Some tiers are free (storage limits and limited time), while other decks require payment.
Pricing for cloud-based software also depends on the industry.
Pricing is also affected by the number of employees, the distribution method, priority support, and the launch date.
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Final Lines
Corporate culture often portrays cloud computing as complex and disruptive to operations. Still, an experienced cloud solution provider can easily set up and manage your cloud environment for maximum productivity and convenience for any size or type of business.
For maximum benefit and productivity, cloud technology should be part of every organization's technology portfolio.
