8 Myths About Cloud Computing
The world of Cloud computing has been with us for quite some time now. In fact, most people are unaware the concept has been around since the 1960s. You probably use some facet of it in your day-to-day life without even realizing it. From music streaming, social media platforms, and file hosting, it’s become the way we access the things we love.
Now, the Cloud is transforming the way we work. You may realize that you or your company will need to eventually take the plunge into the unknown. Here at Cloud9 we want to dispel any apprehension about virtual working environments by overturning 8 remaining myths about Cloud computing.
The Cloud Takes Away Your Control.
Maybe you’re on the fence about switching to a virtual solution because you’re worried about the loss of control. While it’s true you’ll no longer be in charge of your own servers – this is actually a good thing. Cloud computing offers your business enhanced agility in the areas that matter most. Yes, you’ll be relying on an outside environment to crunch analytics and compute, but often these processes are carried out in a fraction of the time, meaning you’ll finish your projects faster and be ready to take advantage of additional opportunity. Most importantly, with the Cloud you can access your important files and applications from anywhere there’s internet and remotely backup critical data. Now that’s control.
Cloud Computing is Cost Prohibitive.
As with any service, the cost of being on the Cloud varies based on your needs, number of users, and the provider you choose to go with. What’s certain though is this: over time, you’ll spend much more on software, hardware upgrades, repair, and IT personnel by staying off. Technology is advancing at a breakneck speed and it can be difficult to keep up. Being on the Cloud means you’ll never have to worry about investing thousands of dollars’ in servers and a team to operate them. What could you do with all that freed up capital?
The Learning Curve is Too High.
Learning curve? Nah. The difficulty of moving onto and operating within the cloud is no more than any traditional on premise setup. The great thing about the Cloud environment is that it frees you from having to worry about all the intricate, techy stuff – or having to pay an IT guy to tinker around. Simply log into the Cloud through your provided portal and start working on your favorite applications.
It’s a Less Stable Environment.
It’s comforting to stick to old habits, and if you’re used to storing your data in in-house servers than you’ve probably developed a false sense of self-reliance. You may think that your environment is more secure and less prone to instability, but are a host of potential problems you must be prepared to deal with entirely on your own: security, hardware and software updates, dedicated power supplies, and IT personnel. If even one of these responsibilities is overlooked, you can have quite a mess to deal with.
The Cloud offers more stability through its various levels of redundancy. Even if at any point data is lost, it can be recovered as it was – meaning you can get back to business as soon as possible.
Only Big Companies Can Benefit.
On the contrary, in fact – if you’re a small to mid-size company – your transition to the cloud might even be easier. Large enterprises typically have their own in-house data servers, email data, and file storage. While this ownership gives them a certain level of oversight over their operations, this control comes at the cost of heavy investment in hardware and IT personnel. Additionally, their size, and their subsequent investment in internal computing solutions, means they find it problematic to update systems rapidly without incurring significant financial cost.
I’ll Have to Switch Applications.
Not necessarily. More SaaS products are being written for the cloud than ever before. Older, time-tested applications that used to be desktop exclusives are now offered virtually and on demand.
It’s Less Secure.
On premise or cloud based solutions are both susceptible to attacks. However, data shows that on premise solutions experience more attacks than cloud-based providers. The reason for this is that in-house systems are often not built with the same security rigor.
The Client Experience Will Suffer.
If you haven’t figured it out by now – the benefits of moving to the cloud don’t stop with you – they trickle down to your customers as well. Your growing flexibility will keep you in prime position to meet their needs. By cutting out hardware and maintenance costs you’ll be able to offer more competitive price points. Increased collaboration means your teams will be able to pump out ideas at a higher rate. The freedom of the cloud also means you can work from anywhere there’s an internet connection – meaning you can respond and service clients in real time.
