A smooth transition to the Cloud

The world of work is unrecognisable in comparison to what it was a mere ten years ago, and the Cloud is one of the main drivers for this dramatic change. With the extremely difficult circumstances that we have all gone through during recent months, business owners were forced to make a rapid transition to Cloud computing in order to continue operations in a climate where we didn’t know what was happening later that day let alone next week, in a month’s time, or a year.

Business owners are stereotypically apprehensive of change – and can you blame them? They have spent – in most cases – a lot of money to make that business the success it is today, and they know how fickle the world of business is, when one wrong move could bring the whole organisation tumbling down. The most common reason that the Cloud brings apprehension in its wake is due to confusion around what it is, what it offers, and how it can actually help going forward. The Cloud is often referred to in such an unnecessarily complex way when described by professionals, so we can’t blame business owners for not jumping at the chance to implement it – would you want to make a potentially business defining change to operations if you knew very little about what it would entail or the effects it would have on you, your staff, and your business as a whole?

Before committing to such a large commitment – and spending hard earned capital – business owners want to know exactly what the Cloud is. Some providers do want to push the most expensive option on you, but not all are like this – some are genuinely interested in helping to ensure that you not only get the right tools for your organisation but also that you implement and use them correctly going forward. We put ourselves firmly in the latter category.

In the remainder of the article we will answer some of the questions you have regarding Cloud computing, explore what it is, how to make an educated decision on the best Cloud solution for you, and what steps need to be taken in order to make it a reality.

Cloud computing

Cloud computing is at the very cutting edge of world defining IT tools, services, and infrastructure. It is simply revolutionary and has changed the way business is undertaken forever. Traditionally, businesses would need to purchase, support, and maintain their own IT hardware and software platforms to cater for their day-to-day work activities. With the Cloud you operate under a subscription-service that is catered specifically for the way you and your team work, with the personalisation’s working to meet the exact demands of your organisation.

When – as the term goes – ‘on the Cloud’ your computing resources, storage, telephony communications, and software databases and apps, are all delivered over the internet on demand. This allows businesses to enjoy the unrivalled flexibility that the Cloud offers, and, with rollouts of new IT services being near-instant, users can be equipped with new tools as they need them. The beauty of the Cloud is that you are only paying for what you use; the scalability of the Cloud will not only make your systems easier to use but also more cost effective as your business transforms.

One factor that has made Cloud computing so popular is the opportunity it offers for remote working from anywhere on the globe whilst still granting you access to all of your applications, files, and documents.

Understanding your business

Before making a transition to the Cloud you need to take a step back and look at the internal operations of your business. Ask yourself some questions like, “How can I continue growing and succeeding at the rate I am?”, “What more can I do for – or give to – my team to help them achieve their daily tasks with as few problems as possible?”, and “What am I obliged to do by law?”.

Compliance

Every organisation in the world is responsible for sensitive data, be it their clients’ personal information or that of the staff team. The care of data has always been important, but in the modern world it is more integral than ever to prioritise the safety of that data – this should play a key role when considering Cloud computing. Again, ask yourself, “Does the Cloud help my efforts to remain compliant and safe?”.

Business goals

You must know the answer to some of the biggest questions, “What do you want from your organisation?”, “What is the goal?” – knowing this will guide you to the right Cloud solution for you.

Your users

Your users should take pride of place in your organisation, as they are the lynchpin to the success or failure of your entire organisation. You must communicate with your employees – after all they are the ones that will be using the tools every day. Ask them “Are the tools you use good enough?”, “Is there anything you would change?”, “Are they difficult to use?”, and “Which are your favourites?”. It is in their best interests to help you purchase the right Cloud solution for your business, because their work life balance can be improved with remote working, and their tasks could be made much easier to carry out. However, be careful – some Cloud providers offer different services to others, so you need to check that the one you choose offers suitable levels of collaboration, communication, and productivity that can rival the office setting.

You must – if you haven’t already – get to know your team, because the more intertwined you are with them as people, the way they like to work, and the tools that they use to perform their work to the best of their ability, the better you will be able to provide them with a workplace – be it in the office or at home – that helps them carry out their duties to the very best of their abilities.

As we mentioned earlier, the Cloud is sold by subscription – we will now explore some of these models, as well as some of the terms that are used by providers that you may not have heard before.

SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)

Software-as-a-Service is the delivery of applications, the storage of data within those applications and, dependent on the provider, the security and backup of that data too, which applies all over the internet as a contractually paid service. SaaS allows you to say good riddance to the often-complex software and hardware management tasks that come from traditional IT.

IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service)

Infrastructure-as-a-Service is a computing framework that is provided over the internet. Your provider takes charge of the supply and management of the infrastructure for you on a subscription basis, leaving you to purchase, install, and configure your own software.

Cloud storage

Cloud storage removes the storage requirements from individual computers or servers, in the process providing access much more fluently. The Cloud is a remote server of sorts that can be accessed from multiple devices and is accessible to anyone (with the right access controls) from anywhere with an internet connection.

The right solution for your business guaranteed

4TC take time to understand the daily challenges that your business faces. We then provide cost-effective tech solutions to these issues that will help you save time, protect vital data, and enable you and your staff to be more effective with your time management. We will ensure that your staff are using the technology at their disposal in a way that works for them, whilst making sure that they are educated on how to use it as productively as possible. Utilising your IT to its full potential is essential to guarantee that you and your business can thrive and grow into the future. If you would like to find out more on how 4TC Services can provide affordable tech management to your business, drop us an email or call us now for a full demonstration.