Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Cloud

Cloud computing is certainly attracting headlines in the media. You might have noticed Microsoft’s Cloud Power advertising blitz, or seen Apple’s Steve Jobs talking excitedly about iCloud. The trouble is that, for most companies, it’s hard to work out whether any of this hype is relevant to their business.

So is the cloud an option for you? As it happens, it is likely that your company already uses a cloud-based solution. If you subscribe to Hosted Exchange for your email, Online Backup for your critical files or a website hosting company, you already do so.

What’s new – for small and mid-sized companies at least – is the concept of replacing your old server (which often sits in a darkened corner of your offices) with a fully hosted alternative.

So what does that mean? Simply put, all of your software – from Microsoft Office to Sage to CRM – plus your files and data are stored in a data centre. No more servers at your offices. No more costly server upgrades every four of five years. No more Microsoft licence purchases for servers or PCs. Instead, you simply pay a fixed monthly fee per person, with zero set-up costs. You then just need a fast internet connection (plus a backup line in case the first one goes down).

Why are businesses considering this as an option? For many it comes down to money. During the downturn, most businesses reduced IT spending, often by deferring the replacement of their servers. Many of those servers are now suffering frequent failures or running slowly, affecting the ability of staff to work. Rather than simply replacing those ageing servers, companies are looking at whether a cloud alternative makes financial sense.

But there are other significant benefits too.

The amount of downtime when your employees cannot work because of a server failure is likely to be significantly reduced. Your company’s vital data will be more secure as it is stored at Tier 4 data centers. If you have staff that work regularly at home, at client sites or on the move, they can access everything they need to work without interruption or delay. Similarly, any business with multiple offices will avoid spending thousands on ensuring everyone can access the same files.

What about the downsides? Well, the cloud is definitely not right for every business. Design agencies, architects and video production companies are probably a non-starter. Likewise, if your internet line is chronically slow and a faster line is unavailable, the cloud is not for you.

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Brian

Managing Partner at meshIP, LLC

Brian Byrne is the founder and Managing Partner of Dallas based meshIP, a technology services firm offering cloud computing strategies and services. He is an accomplished executive with senior management experience in all facets of the technology, telecom, cloud computing, and SaaS industries. He has proven success in developing, financing and executing strategic plans as well as launching new ventures. His background includes a record of significant achievement in international business development and his credentials include a MBA in Marketing and Management Strategy from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS from the School of Computer Science at DePaul University, and a BBA in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

He is also the inventor of the patented meshDETECT, Secure Prison Cell Phone Solutions.

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