3 Main Benefits of Cloud Services for Small Business
Cloud services are ideal for small businesses because they provide a tremendous range of business solutions without a huge capital expenditure. The Cloud allows small businesses the ability to move faster, be more agile, and stay competitive in today’s digital world.
Businesses of all shapes and sizes are quickly shifting to the Cloud. Cloud services kept organizations afloat during the pandemic, providing capabilities for remote working, secure file sharing, video conferencing, secure file backups, and many other services. This shift to cloud computing has completely transformed how businesses work, communicate, and collaborate.
Even if your business is brick & mortar, with all employees working in-house, cloud services are still more practical and affordable than the alternatives.
Below, we’ll go through the business services that are available in the Cloud, which may leave you wondering how and where to choose and implement such solutions.
What Is Cloud Services?
Cloud services, or cloud computing, is the delivery of on-demand computing resources – hardware, storage, databases, networking, and software – to businesses and individuals via a network (usually the internet). Cloud services enables organizations to access and store information without managing their own physical devices or IT infrastructure. According to a study, 69% of businesses are already using some form of cloud technology, such as email and file sharing. Those companies who are investing in big data, cloud, mobility, and security are reported to experience up to 53% faster revenue growth than their competitors.
A cloud hosting provider typically manages and maintains your systems keeping them updated and secure. Your data is actually safer in the Cloud than it is in your office. With cloud hosting services, all your systems and data live in a highly secured datacenter that is climate controlled, continuously monitored, and provides backups several times a day. If an employee were to accidentally delete important files, you’d have a backup copy.
That’s the basic premise of cloud services. Below you’ll see what business solutions are offered in the Cloud and how they benefit you.
Cloud Business Solutions
The services listed below are standard technologies, such as your phone system, email, and software – things no businesses can do without. Every one of these technologies requires set-up, updates, maintenance and management. If they were all in the Cloud, managed by one provider, you’d simply be using the latest and greatest versions of each, without dealing with any of that.
Email Hosting Services
Ideally, your business uses its own domain name (name@businessname.com) rather than an @yahoo or @gmail address. A premium email hosting service will fully manage your email account in the Cloud, keeping it secure with encryption and authentication. Considering that Business Email Compromise is one of the biggest cybersecurity threats to small business, it’s important to ensure you email account has top level cybersecurity.
Cloud-based phone system (VOIP)
Traditional business phone systems are expensive to buy and costly to upgrade. With a VOIP cloud-based phone system, all the services are in the cloud. There is no start-up cost or system to buy. You don’t even have to manage it or deal with repairs. It comes with all the features you’d ever want – and more – for one low monthly fee.
A VOIP system includes services like:
- Auto Attendants
- Call Analytics
- Call Queues
- Call Recording
- Desktop Integration
- Conference Bridge
- Custom Greetings
- Fax to Email
- Find Me/Follow Me
- Music on Hold
- Online PBX Controls
- Ring Groups
- Softphone
- Time-Based Routing
- Unlimited Extensions
- Virtual Fax
- Visual Dial Plan Editor
- Voicemail to Email
Desktop-as-a-Service
Instead of the huge capital expense of purchasing computers for your entire staff, and all the software to use them, you simply pay monthly for desktop-as-a-service (DaaS). All your workstations are connected in the Cloud. When you have a software update, you do it once and it applies to all users. mPowered IT’s Virtual Desktop Infrastructure lets you run virtually any software in the Cloud for excellent performance, easy collaboration and high level data security. Our system backs up your data in multiple locations for better cloud disaster recovery that protects your files safely in a secure datacenter.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Your business likely already uses some forms of SaaS, such as your word processing systems. But most, if not all, of your business systems could be licensed for use rather than purchasing – even software that’s very specific to your industry. A cloud managed services provider can guide you on what SaaS is available. When you use SaaS, you never again have to manage updates, troubleshoot issues, or install the latest upgrades. That all happens seamlessly in the Cloud.
Software, Server, and Desktop Virtualization
Virtualization means your software, servers, and desktops can all live in the Cloud and be accessible to your employees or clients from any laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile device. Your employees can use their own devices for work and have the exact same operating system, software, storage – everything as they would in the office.
File Sharing
You may already be using some form of cloud-based file sharing system. This became a necessity to continue business operations during the pandemic, but is growing in usefulness and popularity. Having files in the Cloud, and the ability to share access with team members, allows for better collaboration and productivity.
Microsoft and Azure
Microsoft has over 200 products and cloud services that are widely used in all kinds of businesses. Everyone is familiar with some Microsoft products, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can also take advantage of Azure, which is Microsoft’s cloud services and data security. These solutions have made it easier than ever for businesses to collaborate between employees, teams and clients, manage documents, share files, manage projects, video conference and more.
Because Microsoft is always growing and innovating, managing their programs for your entire staff can be a drain on resources. mPowered IT provides setup, implementation, training, and support for all things Microsoft.
Hosted Websites
Your company’s website lives on a server, and to stay relevant, needs reliable hosting and updates. mPowered IT provides secure website hosting, as well as development, content updates, and support. Having your cloud services provider host your website makes it easier to manage.
Cloud-Based Security
When cloud services were new, businesses were understandably hesitant to entrust their data to a third party. In reality, your data is far safer in the Cloud than in your office. And your cloud managed services provider is not just the keeper of a storage facility – they provide technology and proactive services to secure your data from loss, theft, disasters, error and cybercrime.
Anti-spam services
If you’re using cloud email hosting, that service includes blocking out spam emails. Small businesses get flooded with spam and spoof emails, so many that it can affect employee productivity.
Email encryption
Email encryption is critical for any business. Email is NOT a secure way to communicate unless it’s encrypted. Hackers use email to collect passwords, data, and other sensitive information. They can even access attachments.
Cloud Backup Service and Cloud Data Storage
Most small businesses do not have an adequate backup system in place. And if they do, the backups may not be frequent enough, or safe enough. Ideally, you have backups locally in your office, but also securely in the Cloud. Should you have an outage, or files are lost or deleted, there’s always a backup in the Cloud. Even if your office were to be struck by a natural disaster or fire, your data would still be safe.
Co-location
Co-location is a good option for some businesses. The business owns its own equipment, but keeps it housed in a secure datacenter, where the cloud services provider monitors and manages it.
Benefits of Cloud Services
Lower Cost and Better Technology
Your technology spend will usually be lower with cloud services versus buying your own hardware, software, apps and systems. Most cloud computing services are pay as you go, meaning you pay for what you need, not for what you anticipate you may someday need. This allows businesses to scale up as you grow.
Other factors to keep in mind are regular technology upgrades, maintenance, repairs and replacements are taken care of with cloud services.
Perhaps a major cost-saving expenditure is the ability to transition into an embrace workspace. Hosting your business software in a cloud virtual desktop environment allows your employees, consultants and clients to access it from any machine type (Mac, laptops, Chromebook, Tablets, Smartphones) or operating system. Your on-site servers and desktops can be virtualized with the same or even better specifications, and made available to your employees remotely. This makes it easy to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy and a working from home program within your company to save on space and in-house infrastructure.
Increased Efficiency & Productivity
Cloud services are designed to improve business efficiency and productivity. The ability to access files from anywhere and collaborate easily is only part of the picture. The software, collaboration and communication tools available can get projects moving along faster and serve customers better.
You also gain productivity by avoiding the downside of technology – the updates, the outages, lost data, security breaches. The responsibility for maintaining and supporting your technology happens somewhere else – in the capable hands of your cloud managed services provider.
Greater Security
The security of your data should be top of the list. Most small businesses don’t make it a priority, until they’ve gone through the devastation of losing data or informing customers that their sensitive information has been taken by hackers. Your business data – from employee records to customer information to inventory and sales – is critical to running your business.
The Cloud ensures your data is secure by:
- Allowing for easier business regulation compliance (perfect for government contractors or businesses complying with HIPAA)
- Providing daily backups that avoid potential downtime as a result of human error, a local disaster, or cyberattack
- Implementing safety measures that regulate access such as multi-factor authentications, RFID access, multi-layer firewalls, anti-DDoS protection, and physically locked access to your data.
- Monitoring all accesses, blocking suspicious activity or too many failed attempts which prevents impersonation by hackers.
Benefits of Using a Cloud Managed Services Provider
The easiest, most affordable and efficient way to put cloud services to use is through a reputable cloud managed services provider. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors for different services, you have a good working relationship with one provider, who finds the best solutions for your specific business. More on that later in this article.
Just like having the right MSP, having the right Cloud Services Provider takes the technology burden off your plate so you can focus on your business. mPowered IT gives you unbiased business consultation on what cloud services would best serve your business needs.
mPowered IT acts as your technology partner to transition your business systems to the cloud, onboard you, manage it and provide support. When you have any questions or concerns, instead of multiple vendors, you have a partner – someone who looks after your IT needs.
Most small businesses avoid change like this because it’s so much to absorb, too many decisions to make, and they just don’t have the bandwidth to deal with it. A Cloud Managed Services Provider assesses your needs, shows you your options and when you say go, they implement it. Easy.
If you think your business is ready to transition to the Cloud, call 678-389-6200 or schedule a call to speak with an expert.