Why your business needs tailored cloud services

There’s a lot of information out there pushing for IT managers to forgo their on-premise servers and take to the figurative skies with cloud technology; but abandoning a tried-and-trusted on-premise system for a solution as fundamentally different as cloud services can be a daunting prospect.

Considering that cloud technology is a relatively new phenomenon, it also makes sense for IT professionals to be wary and somewhat sceptical before committing time and resources to such a large-scale shift. But these reservations are, for the most part, appeased by the very real benefits of cloud services for business.

Here are four reasons why you should rethink your on-premise system in favour of a tailored cloud solution:

On-premise systems have many hidden costs

If there’s one aspect of your IT system that management and the C-suite genuinely care about, it’s money. Budgetary concerns are likely to be the primary factor determining whether full-scale movement to the cloud is signed off. While it might seem more fiscally responsible to stick it out with your on-premise system, that’s not actually the case.

For starters, on-premise servers and hardware entail considerable maintenance and upkeep costs. And if you need your servers up and running 24 hours a day, it adds a considerable chunk to your electricity expenditure. On average, organisations tend to replace on-premise systems every five yeafrs.

Cloud services scale as the business grows

Most companies consider growth to be a primary business objective. When you outgrow your on-premises IT systems, however, the required investment in upgrades and new hardware can be hefty – so much so as to deter business owners from scaling their businesses effectively. As a result, IT managers are often left in the awkward situation of running an IT system that isn’t suitable for what the business actually needs.

This is where cloud technology truly shines as an alternative, as your cloud services package is flexible enough to scale up – or down – with the changing needs of the business. This is especially true for companies looking to expand into new markets, but can’t afford the risk of investing in increased server capacity that might not actually be put to use. In the same vein, scalability is essential for young businesses and startups that deal with unpredictability on a near-daily basis.

Cloud technology is more secure than traditional IT

For many professionals, security is a big factor in their considerations of cloud services over on-premise IT. Some feel that by moving their core IT processes away from their physical office space, that they’re losing control and compromising security. But this is simply not the case, as cloud service providers invest heavily in their digital security systems and often have similar levels of security as online banking.

On-premise servers can actually pose a much greater risk to the business, as important data would be lost should anything happen to the hardware. Offsite backup on the cloud effectively eliminates this risk while helping disaster recovery and business continuity efforts.

Cloud services can be tailored to your needs

Another key advantage of cloud technologies is the extent to which your package can be tailored to the unique needs of your business. This means you aren’t tied into bloated costs for unwanted services and that the services you do pay for are a good fit; if they’re not, it’s quick and easy to drop them.

Popular cloud services for business include online backup of data and cloud-hosted company email, as well as virtual servers and desktops that essentially eliminate the need for ageing hardware.

Interested in moving to the cloud, but aren’t sure if it’s truly necessary for your company’s IT situation? Take our free IT health check.