Can the Cloud Save You Time & Money?

Companies large and small always wonder if moving to the cloud will save them time and money. The answer is not always so simple. A small firm with very few employees will probably not see the benefits of going to a full-service cloud provider. They can usually get by with a limited service like DropBox to keep most of their files.

As companies grow, though, their needs for data backup expands as well. This is where the benefits of the cloud really shine. Below are the main reasons.

Access Anywhere

The cloud allows a firm’s employees to work remotely from anywhere in the world. According to eWeek, 1.3 billion people around the world will be working remotely by the end of the year, which is 37.2 percent of the total global workforce. Having full-time employees work from home has many cost benefits, which include a reduction in rent expenses, fewer desks & offices, and savings on electricity, parking, janitorial, and facility security to name a few.

While working from home is not everyone’s preference, many in the modern workforce enjoy the flexibility of working remotely and see it as a great benefit. This often leads to higher morale and a great reduction in costs for companies, but managing employees can be a challenge. The cloud can assist in the management of these challenges

Improved Collaboration

Having files and data in the cloud allows multiple people access to documents at the same time and allows for real-time updates. Gone are the days of saving multiple copies of the same document over email and causing mass confusion between collaborators. People can now access the information seamlessly which results in a reduction in errors and avoids repeated efforts.

Seasonal Flexibility

Most industries go through cycles. During tax season, the needed resources by accounting firms increase while their demands on those same resources reduce dramatically during the rest of the year. Being on the cloud allows companies to ramp up resources during busy months while scaling them down during slower months, which is very difficult to accomplish with a physical, internal server.

Economies of Scale

Cloud companies buy hardware in bulk. This allows them to get the best possible price. These costs are then passed down, as the clients only pay for what they need. This also minimizes the waste of having unused resourced.

Lower Maintenance Fees

By going to the cloud, customers don’t have to worry about maintenance costs. IT capital expenses can be very high. Cloud companies have full-time staff to make sure their servers are always running which allows clients free from the worry of hiring IT personnel as well as the overhead costs associated with added employees.

Also, server equipment can be very expensive and takes up a lot of space. Firms no longer have to worry about having such a heavy capital expenditure and concerns about upkeep and creating complicated depreciation models for computers that can fail at any time or worse, become obsolete.

Instant Upgrades

Upgrades to servers take weeks or even months depending on the needs. This will lead to high costs. By using a cloud service provider, a company can upgrade their needs in a matter of hours and not worry about having their IT department focused on upgrades rather than their daily tasks.

Focus on What You Do Best

Most importantly, it’s important for firms to focus on what they do best. A law firm does not go into business wanting to spend time worrying about their servers and data. They want to practice law. By outsourcing their IT needs, clients can not only save money, but they also get back time to focus on why they went into business in the first place.