More and more businesses, both large and small, are diversifying their technological assets and migrating to the cloud. But what does this actually mean? Cloud migration means transferring digital operations and resources from physically-based hardware to remotely accessed, internet-based virtual servers. So, what are the top advantages of cloud technology? In this post, we’ll explore the top reasons for migrating to the cloud.
Relying on the cloud allows businesses to quickly scale both up and down according to demand. By using the cloud, organizations that experience seasonal bandwidth peaks can immediately access the resources necessary to manage high traffic loads and scale back down again once the data levels recede. Scalability allows businesses to meet their IT demands without over or under-investing in resources.
Running out of hard drive space isn’t something that’s limited to the personal photos, videos and music files on your smartphone. Running out of digital storage space affects businesses just the same – only at exponentially higher levels. One of the top advantages of cloud technology is that storage capacity is virtually unlimited. Working with a cloud provider allows an organization to pay for as much storage space as it needs at any one time while simultaneously providing virtually unlimited room for expansion.
Moving operations to the cloud reduces costs by eliminating the need for expensive physical hardware, the space that it requires, and the energy needed to power it. It also removes the need to replace the hardware every time it becomes obsolete. Cloud providers typically take care of operational upgrades while making the resources available to their clients as part of an overall service agreement. Relying on a cloud provider can also decrease the need for specialized IT staff.
Utilizing the cloud can also help improve data protection. Compared to hardware-based systems, data stored in the cloud isn’t as vulnerable to natural disasters such as flooding, fires or earthquakes. Data is isolated from any physical location ensuring it remains unscathed regardless of any localized calamity. Cloud servers are also generally encrypted which means data is protected from nefarious actors. Redundancy is also a feature of most cloud servers meaning that if there is a loss of data due to virtual or physical failures, it can be quickly and easily retrieved. The reputations and business models of cloud companies rely on providing top-level data security to their clients which generally makes their services more secure than most privately managed systems.
When working with a cloud service provider, an organization can access its operations from anywhere in the world. This has become incredibly important in a business environment where working remotely is more common than ever. No longer are businesses tied to physical locations depending on where their computing operations are based. Cloud computing is fully compatible with the use of mobile devices and accessible 24 hours a day regardless of proximity.
Keeping computer programs updated and outfitted with the latest patches can be a full-time job. In fact, in large organizations it can require many full-time jobs. Most cloud provider service agreements include the maintenance of the computing programs which means there’s no longer a need for manual updates and patch installation. This provides greater security while reducing instances of human error.
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