It’s easy to get confused as to what Cloud Computing is. Many people think they have to choose between Cloud Computing and ‘traditional’ computing, whereas the reality is there are many different types of Cloud Computing and a hybrid approach is often the best.
Put simply, ‘Cloud Computing’ is where parts of your IT applications and data are stored away from your offices, ‘on the internet’ or ‘on the cloud’.
We can advise on what form of Cloud Computing is right for you. Some of our clients use a very light form of Cloud Computing and have their email ‘on the cloud’. Others store documents on the cloud, while for many the traditional server approach is still most appropriate.
The big advantage of implementing a form of cloud computing is that a lot of the management of your IT infrastructure is done remotely and you don’t need to worry so much about the physical hardware in your office. If you have many remote users then storing data on the cloud is very sensible, since it is easier and faster for remote users to access and they are less reliant on the physical office.
However, the downside of cloud computing is that you are totally dependent on your internet connection. If your office internet goes down then anything you have on the cloud is inaccessible from your office, which at worst might mean that your business stops.
As with most things, the best approach is normally a combination of different solutions. sfG Software can help you understand if and how Cloud Computing might benefit your business and will work with you to implement the most appropriate solution.
