Let’s be honest “Cloud” is super cool and you WANT it (but we are a little biased as it is in our name – CloudSmart IT).
The 411 on cloud computing is really easy. As a Microsoft Partner, we want to move everyone into the Cloud by Microsoft. Why you ask? Well, in my opinion it is the new way of doing IT. Microsoft has created an enterprise IT system that is priced right for small business. It is more secure, and is scalable from here to Japan. In the click of a button (the right one of course) you can spin up a new server (technically a VM “virtual machine”) in minutes.
How does this benefit you? See previously when you needed a new server setup, we would have to spec out the server for the job it’s going to do, then we would add about 60% more compute, ram, processors, and storage to handle that load to anticipate the business growth needs which of course drives up the cost. Then we would have to have a vendor build it then wait for that to ship and then install it which all takes time, when what you need is a solution now.
This is where the Cloud comes in – you only pay for what you use. For example, if you’re a startup or small business with, say 10 employees we start with a package that suits your smaller team. Then you grow to 30 employees, way to go! We can just add more compute to handle the success of the growing business. If we had purchased the server originally for 10 employees, then you doubled, that would have been ok as we took the growth into consideration. But now you are at 30 and you’re still growing – now what? Well, we would have to go through the same thing all over again. The Cloud just makes it easy to click a button to increase capacity for your business.
We understand you may have concerns. There are statistics about cyber-attacks and security and IT guys picking their noses, but let me spare you with all of that (plus keep my blog shorter). Give us a call and let’s talk. I know “Cloud” is in our name but we don’t push that. In all seriousness, the Cloud isn’t for everyone. We ask you about your business, what your current set up is and what your needs are and we design the right package for you. If your IT budget comes out of your capital expenditures “CAPEX” then you may want to continue purchasing expensive servers, storage and licenses. If you already have a significant investment in IT infrastructure then Cloud may not be a good fit. If, on the other hand, your IT budget comes out of Operating Expenses “OPEX” then the Cloud is a great fit for you as it is billed monthly per user using our Key2Cloud product. The last thing I would say is: if it is important to you to see or touch your servers then Cloud is definitely NOT a good fit.
The last thing we want is an unhappy client. We did have a client that was super excited to go to the Cloud for costs reasons and, well, they ended up hating it. So, we rolled them back to a new on-site server in the basement and we still call them family to this day.
We have seen cloud provide HUGE advantages to our clients – it allows them to work from home, have a secure environment and be able to grow as they need to. Cloud is easily adaptable the other way too, so if you need to downsize, a virus anomaly comes out of nowhere, you’re caught in a pandemic, or if things are just a little tough for whatever reason, Cloud gives you that flexibility.
Book a call with us today to discuss how cloud can help your business.