“The Cloud” is one of those IT terms that you hear on an almost daily basis, and it’s not just restricted to the business world. These days, cloud computing is a multi-billion pound industry and is open to organisations of all shapes and sizes. What’s more, we even take advantage of the cloud in our personal lives too.

As someone that runs a business, you might wonder if cloud computing is something that could work for you. But, what if you’re just merely a self-employed person that doesn’t have an army of employees? Or what if you are only an SME with a modest annual turnover? Regardless of your size, the cloud is something that you make use of.

Why is that, I hear you ask? Well, the answer is simple: the cloud will help you avoid having any future IT nightmares! Let me explain with some real-life scenarios you are likely to face:

You want to avoid buying new IT kit

The thing about computers is that they become obsolete in a matter of months! Every time a new software application gets released, it will require more system resources. And new hardware will demand you use only the latest operating systems.

As you can imagine, that’s a nightmare for businesses that want to keep a tight grip on their finances. Most firms admit defeat and set aside a hefty amount of money from their profit towards IT upgrades.

So, how can the cloud help you avoid buying new IT kit so often? It’s possible to have dedicated servers in the cloud that you can use as if they were your computers. You can run a virtual desktop from a cloud server using a thin-client solution.

System maintenance is easier (and cheaper)

One thing that businesses of all shapes and sizes hate is how much they spend on IT support and maintenance. Usually, their costs are high due to running problematic ‘legacy’ systems.

The beauty of cloud computing is that it makes technical support and maintenance a doddle. Firms like InfoTech Solutions can remotely manage your server and users without needing a physical presence at your office.

You don’t have to worry about remote workers

Let’s say that you’ve got some employees that work from home on some occasions. The old-fashioned way of doing things would be to supply them with a laptop. The big issue with that approach is security; what happens if their work laptop gets stolen? A thief could potentially have access to sensitive corporate information.

Cloud computing makes it possible for your staff to log into a virtual desktop environment. It doesn’t matter what system they use as long as they have access to the Internet. They can even print documents at your office printers ready to pick up when they’re next in the office.

Computing power that is scalable in seconds

Last, but not least, if you need to configure a new server or increase capacity, you can do so in mere seconds with cloud computing. If you had an in-house server, you’d usually have to take it offline, sometimes for hours, before you can add extra drive space or RAM.

The sad truth is that some business leaders don’t realise there is a world of options out there. Cloud computing isn’t just about being able to store files online with a Dropbox account!