Little Known Ways to Make the Most Out Of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is becoming an inevitable phenomenon in this day and age; it is hard to completely avoid it, keeping in mind that you are operating in a business field where competition is always rife. Most of the CIO’s who had previously stayed away from the technology are now running back and forth in order to keep up with other organizations which were fast to adopt cloud computing when it first came into the scene. I only have a single statement for organizations which have been running away from cloud computing; “you can hide, but you cannot run away forever, because eventually the technology will catch up with you and you will have a hard time trying to catch up with everyone else.”

How can organizations gain from cloud computing?

Reduction in energy consumption

Once an organization adopts cloud computing, very little will be required in terms of hardware and software investment, because most this will be provided through the cloud platform. All you need is the basic hardware setup such as computers in all the offices and a stable internet connection. Everything else will be provided through the cloud. Most organizations have server rooms, which normally require huge capital investment in order to keep them running, not forgetting the huge maintenance costs. Server rooms consume a lot of power, which means that that once you switch to cloud computing, the server room becomes obsolete, especially if you are dependent on a public cloud. Without dependence on any server room, you will save a lot in terms of power consumption, and those funds can be channeled to more pressing needs in the organization. Reduction in energy consumption also means that you are keeping in line with the Millennium development goals (MDG’s).

Cutting operational and maintenance costs

This is the best way to make the most out of cloud computing. Most of the infrastructure for the cloud is normally covered by the cloud provider. The cloud company will hire the personnel to monitor everyone who has hired out space on the cloud, on a 24/7 basis. They will buy the best servers, install high quality security firewalls and provide unlimited storage space to their customers.

Thus the organization may result to downsizing it`s IT personnel, since their former job description is now being handled more efficiently by someone else. With a reduced wage bill the organization may channel the funds to other projects which will bring more revenue into the organization.

Additionally, the maintenance costs which are rampant in most organizations such as replacing damaged hardware parts, purchasing new licenses for expired software and applications and system upgrading will be out of the picture. All these are costs which would have caused a huge dent in the organizations coffers were it not for cloud computing.

Automatic upgrading and constant notifications and alerts

Investing in a public cloud is always beneficial, since the cloud provider always ensures that its customers receive the latest software and apps in the market, because if it doesn’t the clients may easily turn to another service provider. Since cloud provision is also a very competitive industry, all the players in this field are trying to outdo each other, and part of edging out their competitors is having the latest software before everyone else. This, with automatic upgrading, ensures employees always have the best tools of work in the various organizational departments, which increases productivity and better performance ultimately leading to more profit.

Another area in which organizations can take advantage of cloud computing is with regards to constant updates and alerts. This means that if there is a threat in your system firewall, you will be alerted, as the cloud provider continues to work on countering the threat. Your employees with also receive constant notifications on how to use various software and apps in their day-to-day operations at the organization. There are tutorials on how to effectively use certain applications, and this means that employees are always able to adapt to new changes faster.

Reduced need for training

Before an organization launches new changes in IT, it has to enroll plans for everyone to be trained first, so that once the technology is effected, everyone will be familiar with how it works. Sometimes even the IT personnel need training so that they are able to effectively introduce such system upgrades in the organization, all of which cost money thus increasing the operational costs.

When you invest in cloud computing, it becomes easier for the employees to adapt, since there are a wide variety of applications to choose from, hence there is no reliance on a specific app for everyone in the organization. Employees will therefore chose to work with applications which they well conversant with and they can also use online tutorials in order to slowly understand how to work with others which are more advanced. Training will therefore occur without causing any ripples on the organization`s operations, because it is self-training, and it will not cost the organization any considerable funds.

The best thing about cloud computing is the fact that it provides both new and older applications, and this ensures that no one is left out, or is having a hard time trying to configure more advanced applications.