The challenges and adversities that businesses have faced since the pandemic struck the world in 2023, have prompted a range of innovations that have made companies more sleek, agile, efficient and versatile. The ability to increase value and lower costs using IT is particularly shown by cloud technologies which can be leveraged by organizations of any size. Has yours embraced the cloud?
The cloud is a crux point of the digital transformation efforts that markets are embracing around the world. Let's investigate how the cloud can benefit your organization by considering the typical characteristics of value-adding IT solutions.
Flexible Pricing
Previously, there were financial long-term commitments when it came to investing into IT infrastructure such as servers and networking equipment which could sometimes become inefficient; for example, for a time some of the energy costs of running in-office servers for hosting applications could be disproportionate to the bandwidth and data that was needed. Later, when an upgrade is needed, it can be costly in terms of time and money to upgrade the infrastructure.
Happily, the cloud's widespread usage of subscription-based pricing makes it much easier to match resource provision to point-in-time demand. If a relational database needs to be set up, you can get the best computing power for your needs and scale up the resources as needed through providers offering scalable services.
Monthly subscriptions with cloud-based providers for example, make it easy to offer access for a precise number of end users, with the flexibility to delete or add accounts as and when it is needed. The final result is more manageable, cost-effective IT spending that precisely meets the requirements of your company in a timelier way.
Reduced reliance on on-premise hardware
As we’ve already discussed, less reliance on hardware on your company’s premises results in cheaper capital expenses and the capacity to provide resources to meet demand, but there are more advantages that are a little less evident.
Hosting services on third-party infrastructure allows you to avoid the costs associated with hardware lifecycle maintenance, and eliminates the worry about critical components reaching their end of life. Also, you won't have to worry about the setup fees and the logistical disruption that frequently accompanies on-premise installations.
Remote working capabilities
Due to the covid epidemic, over half of US employees found themselves working from home for at least some of the working week during 2020. Although many have returned to the office, keeping remote working capabilities open can be financially beneficial to your company. It brings less strain and related expansion costs for your offices. Some studies even suggest that remote workers are more productive, as the practice is linked to reduced levels of stress and an improved work-ilife balance. Productivity, flexibility and lower stress can increase employee retention, lower hiring costs, office costs and contribute to strong work performance amongst staff.
Although remote working may not be the best solution for everyone, or every organization, keeping it as an option enables your organization to tap into its benefits whenever the need arises for a more flexible approach to work.
Built-in automation
In any business, there will be a range of activities that offer no measurable reward. These often have no impact on the customer experience, have little to no bearing on profitability and eat away at working hours that could be spent on something more fruitful. In many cases however, automation can be utilized to alleviate the burden of such tasks, giving staff more time for activities that carry strategic value.
Business process automation is often included in contemporary enterprise software packages to decrease the time spent on menial, repetitive labor. Every area of an organization, including marketing, accounts, human resources and payroll, has automation solutions. Other tools, like Microsoft's Power Automate, provide highly customizable process automation and connectivity with hundreds of data sources. Other automation solutions concentrate on specific business divisions.
Automation doesn't have to mean replacing your valuable people with machines; rather, it means giving them more time to focus on important tasks that will move the needle; increasing profit margins, growth and customer satisfaction.
Data security as standard
Many cloud providers bake-in some data security features, including backups, encryption, and user access controls amongst others, which can help to keep your organization’s data secure. Often easy to configure, these features should be activated in accordance with an organisation’s security policies and procedures in order to ensure consistency of application and achieve compliance with industry-specific standards and regulations.
Some organizations worry that migrating to the cloud means accepting lower data security standards, but this is almost never the case. With enterprise-grade protection backed by multi-million (sometimes billion) dollar security budgets, cloud service providers allow organizations to exploit security capabilities that would be infeasible for most SMEs to establish in-house. For instance, an in-house server can present an on-premises threat, but by re-locating any remaining servers to server warehouses with added physical and technical security, this adds an extra layer of protection alongside methods such as two-factor authentication for network devices.
By making investments into the cloud, you can set up the foundations for more security and growth in your organization, whilst advancing your digital transformation. By embracing these platforms, your organization can make its way toward the leading edge of security and productivity in a digital world that continues to gather pace.
Your Experts for Managed IT Services
AsiaCloud Solutions provides high-quality, reliable and cost-effective Managed IT services to help your organisation succeed with IT. We offer a combination of enterprise-grade technology along with a fast, scalable, personalized service. We provide world-class IT support that you can rely on at affordable prices, with our specialists supporting you with a proactive service from right here in Singapore.