Putting Clouds in Their Proper Perspective
by Chris Lane
Cloud computing can open new operational vistas, but is it the right solution for you?
Look up from your laptop or iPhone, and you’ll see clouds everywhere. Cloud computing appears to be the next great thing in the IT realm. So it may be time to get your head out of the fog, and find out whether cloud computing might be the next great thing for your business.
Cloud computing is really just a new name for many things you’ve already experienced on the Internet. Simply put, cloud computing is all that’s going on behind the curtain of your Internet-access device.
Whether it’s a social network like Linked In, or a Web-based bookkeeping software program, cloud computing offers your business impressive impact for a very low price. In addition to marketing tools like social networks, clouds are behind email, file sharing, data storage, and an ever-increasing list of specialty solutions.
Clouds in Action
Here’s a typical business scenario using a cloud solution. A small business wants to share documents between six people for a project they’re collaborating on. Some team members are traveling, others are in the office, and one works from her home outside of town. The project includes some sensitive information that not all team members can see. The business has a file server for sharing documents when everyone’s in the office, but the team won’t be back in the office together until after the project’s deadline a week later.
Before clouds, the business would have needed to setup a virtual private network with encrypted Internet connections to each team member. Or it would buy a terminal server to allow remote access. Either option would cost thousands of dollars, take weeks to procure and implement, and require ongoing maintenance.
The cloud solution has everyone sharing documents in a matter of hours, with security access triaged for each user at a total cost of less than $100 a month. The employee working from home is easily connected, even in a remote location where hardware infrastructure is sometimes impossible to establish.
Further, since this company rarely has cooperative projects, they can turn the cloud on only when they need it.
How High is the Sky?
Some cloud computing solutions, like Facebook, are free. Often times companies sell advertising to support the application’s cost. Other cloud computing solutions are pay-for-use, yet still provide affordable access to technology that used to be available only to large companies with deep IT budgets.
You can buy powerful cloud services for as little as $10 a month per computer user with instant access, compared to equivalent build-your-own hardware infrastructure costing more than $10,000.
Know Your Cloud
While cloud cost is comparatively low, if any part of your business will depend on services you might outsource to a cloud service provider, you’ll want to get experienced advice to assure solutions are right for your business. Here are a few considerations:
Data security. Find out where your cloud stores its data. Especially if you’re using a cloud to backup your on-site data, you’ll want to assure the company keeps backups at a separate location to survive disaster. (It’s a good idea to keep two copies for your company in addition.)
Download/upload times. How frequently does your work force need to access cloud-stored data? If you have many people working from shared documents stored online, Internet speed becomes imperative. Your business also will need a way to access data if the Internet goes down.
Maintenance. What part will your company play in making the most of the services you’re buying? Watch for setup, customization, content development, and other work only your company can do.
Scalability. What is your company’s growth plan? Services should scale up with your company’s needs.
Cash flow. If you’re paying for cloud services in monthly payments, and get behind, you risk losing access to essential business data or services.
Service-provider stability. You don’t want to build your business on a cloud made of sand. Your success depends on their reliability. Think of each provider as a strategic partner.
Ultimately, though the cloud can put virtually every business “in technology,” the way you use technology is what will change your business. Startups have never had fewer barriers, in good part because of cloud-computing solutions that are equally valuable to companies mitigating growth spurt costs. Still, there are plenty of reasons to build in-house solutions. With advice from someone keeping a pulse on the possibilities, you can leverage options that best meet your business’ evolving needs.
Chris Lane is the president/owner of inTECHrity Solutions in Prairie Village, Kan.
P | 913.660.0424
E | clane@intechritysolutions.com