As a business owner, I bet one of the terms you are frequently hearing about is the cloud. Many of your probably do not know what the cloud is, or if you do, you have a vague idea that the cloud deals with technology, but that’s about it.
The fact of the matter is, many individuals and businesses are already using the cloud, and have been for years, with your Gmail, Yahoo and AOL etc. email accounts. In addition to email many of these services allow you to store and access data. Gmail’s document and data sharing services are useful. Dropbox is another common cloud-based file storage system for files, photos, music and more.
I would define the cloud as providing extended use of the Internet accesses software and programs outside your office. As a result, cloud technology takes the use of the Internet to the next level and accesses a full spectrum of functions beyond your computer desktop or network.
Stated a different way, the cloud lets you access computer programs, databases and other applications from virtually anywhere in the world, which you previously had to host on your desktop or on site memory database to utilize.
While the cloud sometimes refers to all of the cumulative resources of the Internet and Web, I would agree with the general tendency to limit the cloud to those programs and services that businesses and individuals can access on the web, but are housed outside of their computer or network. This dynamic provides opportunities and benefits, but it may also limitations and dangers.
I believe there are four important issues to consider: 1.) support for business strategy, 2.) overall business operations, 3.) security, and 4.) cost.
These conditions must be examined on a case by case basis, based on the needs of each business.
On the plus side, the cloud offers the potential of saving on hardware and software costs, maintenance and upgrades. This can be significant. Support hardware and database storage can be eliminated. Some costs to manage the equipment and data can be passed on to the cloud provider, with potential for some savings.
On the other hand, placing your data on the cloud provider’s server could compromise your security. There is the potential of this data being duplicated, monitored or stolen. We hear frequent reports of security breaches and data theft.
There are other threats… big and small… how much time will it take to retrieve my data, what if the power goes out (for an extended period), or there’s some other natural or man-made disaster, what happens if the data you placed on the cloud is no longer accessible.
For these reasons you need to consult your trusted technology adviser on the four priority areas discussed above. All things being equal a hybrid system may offer many benefits. As the old saying goes, “… don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” For more information, contact me directly at Liberteks or access my recently recorded webinar on the cloud.
