How many times have you seen the movie trope when someone puts their briefcase on the top of their car and drives off with it, only to have their stomach drop when they realise it twenty minutes later?
Or when they leave it in a public place to find it gone when they go back to look for it?
Thankfully, those are panic attacks we can leave in the past with the advent of cloud computing. Now you don’t have to carry around a briefcase, all your files weigh nothing, and are stored in the cloud, in thin air.
But avoiding that “it’ll be funny later” moment isn’t the only use for cloud computing. Learn more about the benefits of it in this article.
Uses for Cloud Computing
If you read “uses for cloud computing” and think that there’s only one use – storage – you’re not looking at a big enough picture. Sure, storage is the primary function of the cloud, but it also impacts productivity and file security.
It allows you and your employees to work from anywhere, at any time. If you haven’t gone to the cloud yet – it’s past time!
1. Flexibility
Before, if you wanted to get something done at work, you had to actually be at work. Especially if that was on a computer, before having computers at home was commonplace.
With the invention of remote logins and desktops, now you can work from anywhere, as long as you have login access.
Studies have shown repeatedly that people work better and harder when they control the situation they work in. Some people aren’t comfortable or productive in an office setting. They get distracted, or they feel like everyone is watching them and can’t get anything done due to anxiety.
Employees are happier when you give them the choice of where and how they do their work. Cloud computing makes that possible.
That flexibility also applies to how much bandwidth and storage you need at a particular time. Maybe your business has a busy season in December, where you have twice the amount of files than average.
You can contact your cloud computing provider and ask for more storage, just for that month. The ability to adjust your plan to what you need makes having a cloud computing service very cost-efficient.
2. It Keeps Data Safe(r)
As much as we wish that there was such a thing as 100% safe data storage, unfortunately, it doesn’t exist.
Even if you kept all your data on a computer in your workplace that’s not connected to the Internet, it’s still vulnerable to physical threats, like natural disasters.
When you use cloud computing, your files are offsite at a location equipt to prevent and or handle natural disasters as they come. Server centers have multiple backup generators, fireproof walls, and constant on-site security for the good of your data.
Can the basement storage room where you keep your files say that? Probably not.
That said, having your data on the cloud frees up room in your office too — both on your computers and by getting rid of data storage computers in your extra-space rooms.
You can now use this space to hire another employee or give the employees you have a proper break room.
People work better when there’s less clutter, which is just more proof that cloud computing boosts productivity in the workplace.
3. Software Updates Automatically
When it’s time for a software update on the work computers, who’s the one that stays behind and does it? Your IT team? You?
Or do you ask your employees to stay later that day to make sure the update goes through?
Cloud computing can’t prevent your computer from needing the occasional operating system updates, but it takes care of your data file storage system updates for you.
Your provider can schedule any system updates at your least productive times, like in the middle of the night, without you having to lift a finger.
It also means that your site will be “down” for a shorter period, reducing the impact of customers not being able to use your website.
4. You Can Collaborate More Easily
When you can share files in the cloud between parties easily, collaboration becomes less of a pain.
Instead of having to locate each document, scan it, or email it to whoever you’re working with, you can give them online access to the whole relevant file.
5. It’s Better For File Security
We’ve talked about natural disasters and power outages, but what about cyberattacks? How does the cloud help prevent those?
Cloud server stations have people monitoring activity 24 hours a day. If they see a threat or suspicious activity, they can look into it for you, or alert you to it.
Hackers are smart. Before they try to get into your files, they’re going to observe your activity. You can’t catch threats while you’re sleeping – not unless you have a cloud computing service.
Additionally, cloud computing services allow you to see who has accessed what file, when. If you find there was a data leak, you can go back and check who the last person to access that file was.
That gives you a starting point for your investigation and helps you structure your recovery strategy.
Cloud Computing Services
There are many different uses for cloud computing, even more than the benefits listed above. Outsourcing your servers and moving your files to the cloud can only make your life easier – so why wait?
Set up a call with us, or browse our services to find out more. We look forward to helping you!