Do Mid-sized Businesses Benefit More From the Cloud?
Cloud computing technology has created an exciting and vibrant revolution in the IT industry. While every industry had the opportunity to be transformed by moving to the cloud, the IT sector has benefited like no other.
Scalability, agility, and high-end security are some of the features that attracted the IT industry to the cloud. This transition is not complete yet. Large enterprises enjoy the benefits offered by IaaS and SaaS cloud models. However, there are other processes that face compliance issues; standardization of processes is a concern. On the other hand, mid-sized businesses operate with fewer processes. So, they can enjoy the maximum benefit from scaled resources. Here are some things that mid-sized businesses need to consider while migrating to a cloud environment.
Optimizing infrastructure
A high-priority goal for mid-sized businesses is to optimize infrastructure. With shrinking IT budgets, this is even more important. The majority of people moving to the cloud think that it automatically saves costs. However, cost saving is not the case with every business model. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is the most popular form of cloud computing business models. When you choose an IaaS model, you still need to manage and configure your computing resources. So, mid-sized businesses need to assess the present and future expenses of their networking infrastructure. By properly implementing a cloud-based network strategy, businesses can leverage resources and increase revenues rapidly.
Business improvement in the cloud
Before implementing a cloud-based service, mid-sized businesses need to check out service levels and performance offered by the cloud vendor. One of the primary reasons for moving to the cloud is to avoid network outages. To provide consistent services to your customers, your cloud network should run with little to no outages. So higher performance and twenty-four-hour support should be a major priorities when choosing a cloud vendor.
Network security and data integrity
As data travels through third-party networks, businesses have a concern about data privacy and network security. However, security measures implemented by cloud vendors are far superior to those regularly used in mid-sized business networks. With limited resources, mid-sized businesses cannot afford to purchase cutting-edge security applications. By moving to the cloud, they can enjoy world-class security software at affordable prices. One example would be GMO Cloud’s Multi-level security strategy.
Business compliance and guidelines
While large enterprises work with huge volumes of disparate data moving across heterogeneous networks, mid-sized businesses have less data to manage. Still, they need to work in compliance with local governing authorities. So businesses need to check out where the data is stored, what the nearest data center is and how transparent the process is. By looking at these aspects, mid-sized businesses can ensure that cloud-based solutions meet their business needs.
While large enterprises are thinking about moving on-premise networks to the cloud, mid-sized businesses have flexible options. You can combine on-premise networks with public and private clouds or move entire processes to the cloud. The key to success for businesses lies in understanding how cloud computing technologies address your business requirements, customer needs and infrastructure optimization. At the same time, identifying the right cloud vendor is a vital concern. Businesses that take full advantage of the cloud are sure to profit from that decision both now and in future years.
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About the Guest Author:
Kaushik Das is an engineer, research analyst and a technical writer in the areas wireless, IT, enterprise software, next-generation hosting, storage and renewable energy. He specializes in competitive analysis, market research, industry insights, white paper and actionable web content development.
