The possibilities are endless in the modern workplace. Technology has taken over; it has allowed us to reach levels of productivity we couldn’t have dreamt of a mere decade ago. We have made wholesale changes to the way we work that have boosted team morale and allowed businesses to grow even in the most testing of times – one of the most prominent of these changes came in the form of remote working.
The pandemic brought about the change to remote working, it was always going to become the new big thing, but the pandemic put the transition into hyperdrive forcing business owners to rush the change just to continue trading.
The Cloud makes remote working possible. Of course it causes apprehension and anxiety at first – we would be surprised if it didn’t, such a large wholesale change to the tools you are using and the way you work is no easy thing to adjust to. That is why – over the next two articles – we will walk you through some of the myths that surround Cloud computing, the complicated language used when referring to it, and the business benefits of a successful transition.
What is the Cloud?
Cloud computing is the future. Cloud computing is the process of delivering IT services over the internet from a providers data centre, it allows businesses to outsource their IT services rather than having to purchase and maintain their own locally based ones.
Traditionally, business owners would purchase, support, and manage their own IT hardware and software platforms from their first day in operation. As we all know, blackouts and problems aren’t an option, this forced business owners to power and cool their hardware to ensure it continually functions as it should – this can be expensive, very expensive in fact, and not to mention how challenging and time consuming it can be for those that have little technical prowess, working, maintaining, and getting the most possible from IT isn’t easy.
The Cloud has a lot of myths that surround it – most of which simply aren’t’ true.
Cloud myths – Debunked
“Why would I bother with the Cloud, we won’t achieve any more value from it anyway?”
A common myth about the Cloud, and partially it is true – but only partially. Many providers will get you on board and show great interest during your migration, only to not care at all when it comes to ongoing support and development on your journey. For many, unfortunately your name on the dotted line is all they want – they class this as deal done and move onto the next one, but things shouldn’t be this way.
It can be difficult to see value when you have no idea how to use something – how can you possibly achieve value from something you have no idea how to use, or at the least don’t know how to use to its full potential?
The Microsoft suite is by far the most popular Cloud platform on the market. Users all over the World use it for emails and perhaps to store some documents, but the capabilities of the Cloud go much further than that.
Your IT partner should be taking the time to assess your organisation individually. This is the only way they can hope to build, implement, and manage your technological landscape effectively. If this is done effectively, you will notice that challenges you and your team face are solved quickly, whilst levels of production and efficiency will skyrocket.
“Do I need to back-up my data if we work in the Cloud.”
You can store your data anywhere in the world – regardless, there is no way to guarantee its safety, it could be lost, stolen, or corrupted from anywhere. Any provider that makes a claim to be ‘100% safe’ is lying, there is no way to guarantee safety.
As long as it is humans that use your system, back-ups of data, email, and the system itself will always be necessary. Your users – completely inadvertently – could be the cause of all your problems, their mistakes could result in the loss or theft of your vital business data.
The Cloud – as unfortunate as it is – is not an impenetrable fortress on an infrastructural level, despite its enterprise-grade levels of cyber defences. As is with anything in the world, its quality is only as good as its weakest link, and – as is usually the case – the weakest link is the squidgy person at the desk using them, not the tech tool itself.
But the Cloud isn’t all bad news, your Cloud systems can be backed up to another independent Cloud service – if you are concerned. This will allow you to feel safe, knowing your data is protected and always accessible for anywhere on the planet, no matter the circumstances. Backing up from your Cloud environment is considerably cheaper than from an on-premise one, so it is a no brainer really.
“I’m no longer in control of My Data when it is on the Cloud”
Those with little proficiency in regard to tech make the mistake of viewing their data like they do other valuables in their life – but there is a key difference, just because your data is in your physical control doesn’t mean that is the safest place for it to be, and it certainly doesn’t guarantee safety, in fact it is less safe than when in a data centre. The clue is in the name, it is called a data centre and is designed with the sole intention of keeping yours – and other companies’ data – as safe as possible. It is more than likely that they invested heavily on a security infrastructure and defences that are extremely well equipped, far better than those you can produce in house.
“My data is missing, and I don’t know where it has gone”
You must always be in control! At no point should you not know where your data is being stored, this could be a disaster in terms of theft and corruption – and not to mention the legal ramifications you could be subject to due to for not meeting your compliance obligations.
With Cloud computing you maintain control. You can simply ask your provider where your data is being kept and double check that you are behaving in line with your compliance requirements. But don’t be fooled – as we said earlier – not all Cloud providers are trying to offer you value, some want your money and have no interest in your business. Read your contract agreement thoroughly – some Cloud providers insert a clause that allows them to scan your Emails and content for their own purposes.
If you want to talk to a capable Cloud provider that has the best interests of your business at heart, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.
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Since 2002, Echelon Technologies has been a leading provider of IT support and consulting, focusing on small and medium-sized businesses in the Greater Phoenix area. We have helped hundreds of companies, and thousands of users, to increase productivity and profitability by making IT a streamlined part of their operations. We equip our clients with customized technology solutions for greater operational value and to reduce risk. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact and see what we can do for you.
