As it was outlined in a previous blog article here, Cloud Computing is a service that offers multiple advantages to companies that decide to implement it. In essence, it is a service that is completely customizable according to the needs of any company and offers innovating, but also essential, services for any business that aims to be at the forefront of technological development in the field.
Cloud Computing is not a completely new service, but it is a technology that is in a continuous process of refinement and is being rapidly implemented by many companies in different industries, offering numerous benefits to those that adopt it. It is no coincidence that, according to Forbes, 74% of Tech Chief Financial Officers regarded Cloud Computing as the element with the greatest impact on the development of their business in 2017 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/04/29/roundup-of-cloud-computing-forecasts-2017/#263b111f31e8), a trend which is expected to become only more obvious.
The main benefits of Cloud Computing
Flexibility
Possibly the greatest advantage of Cloud Computing services is their flexibility and customizability, as they can offer a wide array of services according to the specific needs of the company. These can range from media services for companies that have customers all around the world, to data storage and blockchain management, proving that Cloud Computing can be tailored according to the needs. At the same time, the company that chooses to integrate Cloud Computing services pays only for the services that it uses, being able to manage costs accurately and easily, without having unjustifiable losses. Additionally, if the company thrives and expands, it can purchase additional services that will fulfil the new needs that might arise. Thus, as a service, Cloud Computing can benefit giants of any industry, like Netflix, General Electric, Apple and Instagram, but it is also being rapidly implemented by start-ups all around the world. wishing to operate at the current edge of technology. This greatly enhanced flexibility has been quoted by about 37% of the respondents in surveys as a major factor behind Cloud Computing implementation (https://www.sysgroup.com/resources/blog/10-cloud-computing-statistics-2018).
Security
Security is one of the most important concerns of any company that wishes to be reliable and earn the trust of the customers. Cloud services are renowned for the flexible nature of their security, enabling the user to access data, media or any other Cloud Computing service according to the security indicated by the company. At the same time, companies that offer Cloud Computing services, like Amazon, follow extremely strict rules of security in order to satisfy the needs of any company that desires to safeguard their data (https://d1.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/aws-overview.pdf).
It is also important to note, that since a company that uses Cloud Computing services has no need for hardware and facilities in order to store their data, it is much easier for them to maintain the level of security that they wish. Their valuable data is safely stored in the datacentres of the company that provides Cloud Computing services and safety is completely guaranteed. Since companies that are at the forefront of Cloud Computing services are technological giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft (https://carldeantucker.com/blog/what-is-cloud-computing-and-who-uses-it/), it is easy to understand that they follow the most sophisticated safety protocols when handling the data of their customers.
Reliability and Efficiency
In many ways, reliability can be closely related to security, but in the case of Cloud Computing, it can mean even more. When a company chooses to implement Cloud Computing services, it is actually choosing to trust another company which is extremely efficient and has great experience in the field of IT, something which is arguably impossible to outperform with an in-house IT department. Of course, this equates to much more robust security, as it is a fact that human error is one of the greatest causes of security breaches, being responsible in many cases for up to 36% of security breaches (https://theconversation.com/hackers-cause-most-data-breaches-but-accidents-by-normal-people-arent-far-behind-99684). Thus, it is easy to understand that your data or any other services that you choose to outsource in a Cloud Computing company, are actually much safer and handled in a more professional way than it is possible in-house.
Efficiency, on the other hand, is also greatly benefited, as the experience of these IT departments ensures that your data will be handled in the best possible way, and at the same time the software and hardware used is guaranteed to be at the highest of industry standards, ensuring the highest quality of services possible in this field.
Mobility
One of the key advantages offered by the implementation of Cloud Computing services is the greatly enhanced mobility of the company, in terms of workflow and access to the data. First of all, since the company has no physical facility that houses the data but rather access to the Cloud Computing services that house their data, any worker with access to this system can work, share and be productive even when away from the office or headquarters (https://d1.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/aws-whitepaper-business-value-of-aws.pdf). Many consider this trend of desktop virtualization as a major benefit of Cloud Computing, being cited by 42% of respondents in surveys as a very important reason to implement these technologies. This also equates to a highly adjustable workflow that benefits both the company and the employee, being able to adjust their timetables on the go and work without the limitations imposed by physical data storage. Additionally, it is possible that the employee can work and have access to the data of the company in multiple devices, reflecting the contemporary trend of technological progress that dictates more personal and customizable computing.
Innovation
Innovation is one of the most important driving forces behind any industry, being essential for the continuous expansion of an enterprise and giving the edge when trying to overcome competition. This is something especially important when it comes to computing and generally IT services, as technology and innovation are dependent on one another. Companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft that offer Cloud Computing services to their customers all around the world, always try to innovate and introduce new, novel features in their services. Many of the features that are currently easily implemented globally due to the rise of Cloud Computing services were almost unheard just a few years ago, reflecting the great influence of these technologies in multiple markets around the world (https://d1.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/aws-whitepaper-business-value-of-aws.pdf). These features and expanded services offered to their customers can ignite the expansion of business and offer to their customers new tools that can further refine their workflow and have an even more successful technology department. In a way, implementing Cloud Computing services is not only a way to remain at the current edge of competition but also a way to guarantee that a company will always be at the forefront of technological development and will be competitive in the respective market (https://cloudacademy.com/blog/the-benefits-of-cloud-computing-for-the-enterprise/).
Global Reach
Our society has never been more interconnected than it currently is, and it is almost guaranteed that this trend will continue to rise exponentially along with innovation and technological progress. This global society which has been formed is home to numerous companies that regardless of their size can have an outreach that defies physical borders and be active in markets all around the world. In such a case, storing data and having all the IT services locally can be extremely problematic in terms of quality and efficiency, due to issues like latency and even physical restraints like timezones. Choosing to implement Cloud Computing services in the workflow of a company, means that access to data is guaranteed to be equally fast and efficient all around the globe, due to the sophisticated network of those companies that provide the services 24/7 (https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/aws-overview/six-advantages-of-cloud-computing.html). Cloud Computing is almost a need for any company that wishes to be active on a multinational level and wants to break free from the limits of localized IT services.
Cost
When choosing to implement Cloud Computing services, one of the most important benefits is its cost efficiency, as it can greatly reduce the expenditure of a company. without compromising the quality and efficiency of the workflow, as proved by all the points explained above. First of all, it has been noted that Cloud Computing is highly flexible and customizable according to the needs of the company, thus the usual policy is that the cost fluctuates in accordance with the consumption of resources and the services chosen. In contrast, having an in-house IT department that handles everything has numerous costs that are fixed, from salaries to energy bills and rent for office space, something which is not the case for Cloud Computing services (https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/aws-overview/six-advantages-of-cloud-computing.html). At the same time, the quality of services is not sacrificed, as the companies that provide Cloud Computing services usually hire experts in the field of IT, ensuring that you have the greatest possible quality for the best possible price, regardless of the location of the company headquarters. This can be considered the very essence of cost-efficiency.
Additionally, there is no need to constantly purchase new hardware and software in order to support the needs of your business, as the companies that provide Cloud Computing services are always at the forefront of technological development and guarantee to have the best possible equipment for the tasks. Software is always maintained and up to date, something that further shrinks the expenditures for in-house IT services and simplifying the workflow of the company. Due to all these major reasons and many more, it is no wonder that about 75% of many businesses cite regarded in 2015 that they lowered operating costs due to Cloud Computing (https://www.statista.com/statistics/469451/distribution-of-cost-savings-due-to-usage-of-cloud-services-in-the-uk/), a trend which is continuously on the rise as services are refined and become even more technologically innovative.
Conclusion
As it can be proved by all of these highly important benefits of Cloud Computing detailed above, this service can be regarded as one of the most essential steps in order to create a business which is thriving and has great expansion potential, being able to remain ahead of the competition and even have a global outreach. At the same time, Cloud Computing is simplifying the daily workflow, creating a much more flexible environment and drastically reducing the expenditures of the company, in order to further refine the operational status.
