Today’s business needs a way to store, access and share data in real-time that’s secure and cost-effective. Until recently, it’s been almost impossible to have all those things together in the same package. Now we help clients get everything they need at a price they can afford through cloud services. It really is a game-changer. Let’s talk about what cloud storage could do for your business.

What are Cloud Services?

It sounds like the stuff of rainbows and unicorns, but it’s actually technology. Whether you understand it or not, you’ve already used it if you use Gmail, banking apps, Instagram, or YouTube.

Some forms of cloud services are specifically for storing email or digital images. On other types, you can store just about any type of digital information. Cloud storage involves using a network of interconnected machines to process, store, and distribute data.

Basically, when you save or upload data, it travels through the internet to a data center. Cloud service providers operate the data center, keep systems cool, and maintain servers around the clock.

With cloud storage, your data lives in a faraway location, able to be retrieved through any computer that has access. Cloud computing allows you to connect through a network to shared software and systems, with the combined processing power of a huge network.

Cloud Services Add Safety

Data security is extremely important to your business longevity, so you’re wise to be concerned about the safety of cloud storage. With all that digital information traveling back and forth, it’s easy to imagine how it might get intercepted, mishandled, misused.

The best cloud storage providers have plans for keeping data secure and redundant systems to prevent failure. Here are just some of the measures they might implement.

• Backups stored in multiple locations
• Sophisticated smoke detectors and fire prevention systems in warehouses
• Heavily reinforced security with system guards around the clock
• Authentication processes and data encryption

With cloud services, you avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Your data doesn’t reside in any one place, it’s split between data centers. That makes it extremely unlikely it will be compromised if there is an emergency or disaster.

Cloud-Based Email Is Better

Email is still one of the most frequently used communication methods for business. You have to have it, but managing traditional email solutions takes manpower and capital. Cloud-based email can save your business both time and money.

When you move your email to the cloud, you no longer need onsite servers. You don’t have to buy them or maintain them. There’s no warranty to renew, no closet full of cords and blinking lights.

Because there’s no physical equipment to maintain at your location, there’s no downtime for maintenance. Most cloud service providers allow you to automate updates and schedule them for when no one is around to notice.

If your industry is subject to regulations, there are cloud-based email solutions that help with compliance. As HIPPA, FISMA, FERPA, and other standards evolve, those solutions update to keep your business in compliance.

Cloud Computing Makes Getting Work Done More Convenient

Before COVID, being able to work from any location was nice. Now it’s often essential. As a nation, we’ve discovered circumstances can change in an instant, and the businesses that survive are the ones that don’t stop working when times get tough.

Cloud computing lets you access data and use your business software from anywhere, by anyone you authorize, on any type of machine. You’re no longer limited to having to work at the office. You can delegate or restrict access in seconds for to collaborate across town or across the globe.

Cut Costs With Cloud Computing

Business technology is expensive, and the cost doesn’t end after the purchase. You still have to pay for maintenance and updates, and the staff to administer them. Often technology doesn’t last as long as you hoped, and warranties don’t always cover what they should.

When you use the cloud, you have less need for local systems. That means you spend less on purchasing and maintaining them, and you have more money to spend on other areas of business expansion.

It’s also easier to scale. When you’re busy, add extra storage and capability without having to buy more equipment. In leaner times, move back to lower cost tiers.

Simplify Backups

Multiple connected resources make up your cloud environment, which makes data more secure. When you work with Progressive I.T. Services, we can remotely back up your information to the cloud and update your antivirus and spyware security software so you’re protected from malicious attacks and there’s an offsite copy of your information.

Simplified backups are easy to access when files get lost. If hardware fails, employees accidentally delete important data or computer failure occurs, there’s a way to retrieve your critical data.

Cloud-Based Office 365 Streamlines Business

If you use Office programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, cloud-based Office 365 lets you access your files from any location, on computer, laptop, or mobile. When you have employees who work in the field, who need home access, or who travel often, this lets them travel light and stay connected.

Cloud-based Office 365 has built-in collaboration features that allow you to see changes in real-time. Work goes more smoothly because you never have to struggle through multiple copies looking for the latest version, but you can always access the change history if you need to.

Updates don’t cost extra, so you always run the latest version and avoid compatibility issues when you buy new equipment. It also comes with built-in security features. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can work.

Are Cloud Services The Right Fit?

There are a lot of benefits to cloud computing and few drawbacks. If you’re wondering whether switching to the cloud might be the best solution for your business, it’s easy to find out more. Schedule a free consultation with our I.T. experts and we’ll be happy to answer your questions and help narrow down the best options for your business needs and budget.