The cloud has made our working lives easier, with everything from virtually unlimited email storage to access-from-anywhere. According to a recent IDG survey, 84% of the companies surveyed run at least one cloud-based application. The cloud allows businesses to focus on what they do best. For most of us (Well except us at nology), this isn’t running servers or email, so if someone can do it better, that’s good news. Over the past several years, businesses have put more faith and resources into the cloud, and it’s changed the nature of work for the better.
It’s given us time.
Cloud software runs online through a third-party provider such as nology networks, and users access it using apps from anywhere. They don’t have to install it, maintain it, update it, or worry about security. Users don’t have to set up additional servers to run the new software. Whereas before, IT departments spent a good deal of their day (and sometimes nights) putting out fires.
Cloud software runs online through a third-party provider such as nology networks, and users access it using apps from anywhere. They don’t have to install it, maintain it, update it, or worry about security. Users don’t have to set up additional servers to run the new software. Whereas before, IT departments spent a good deal of their day (and sometimes nights) putting out fires.
It’s given us space.
Both literally and figuratively. Many companies have forgone their own physical data centers, storing lots of data in the cloud.
It’s saved us money.
Paying a low, predictable, flat monthly fee for software is game-changing for companies that can’t afford to shell out lots of cash upfront. Mission-critical applications can run in the cloud, so businesses don’t have to buy costly new servers. Hybrid models let companies keep one foot in both worlds.
Many data-hosting services charge only for the space a company is using, so no money is wasted.
It’s kept us on the cutting edge of technology.
Unlike installed software, when a new version of a cloud-service is released, subscribers get instant access. This means software is always up-to-date, and patches can fix potentially harmful bugs as soon as they’re ready.
It’s made us flexible.
Once upon a time, you couldn’t take software installed on your desktop with you. Today, whether you’re at home, at the airport, or in a coffee shop, the cloud lets you log in and access your software from any Internet-ready device. Thousands of apps use the cloud to connect employees’ smartphones to their offices, and for more and more businesses, mobile is becoming a must.
It’s brought people together.
Collaborating with co-workers has never been easier, no matter where they’re located. Sharing and comparing documents, proposals, and presentations happens in an instant, allowing users to stay in sync with the latest changes, reducing version-control confusion. Cloud-based social tools — whether they be wikis, chat programs, or video conferencing software — encourage communication between employees across branches and continents.
The cloud is even enabling mergers by cutting down on the time it takes to transfer data and records from one system into another.
It’s kept us in sync.
Mobile computing continues to grow. If your smartphone’s word processor isn’t connected to the cloud, any work you do on that system won’t show up on your laptop’s version. The cloud provides a backup and synchronization, no matter which device you’re working from.
It’s lowered our risk.
Good cloud providers need to have the best security to stay in business. Better than small and medium-sized businesses can afford. Backup hosting facilities take over when there’s an outage, which likely means you won’t be affected even when there’s a natural disaster or other threat to a data center.
It’s made us more global.
Business has been getting more global for decades, but virtual meetings and web conferencing means that now all the branches can talk and collaborate on the same software. If only the cloud could solve that time zone problem.
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