Businesses are migrating to the cloud at an incredible rate – and here are seven capabilities of cloud computing solutions that might explain why.
Remote work is here to stay. The coronavirus pandemic quickened the adoption of remote and hybrid working solutions, and the cloud has played a large role in the development of feasible remote working models.
Because all data on the cloud is hosted remotely, authorized end-users can access it no matter where they are. This means that remote workers can carry out tasks that were previously only possible on-site within their workplace.
A remote desktop is one that is completely hosted on the cloud. All of the software accessible through these desktops is fully remote – meaning employees do not have to download software in order to complete their work.
Companies like bridgehampton.io help businesses adopt virtual desktops in order to offer employees a more efficient way of working, which is fundamental in today’s era of remote and hybrid working culture.
Data loss can be one of the most devastating catastrophes for businesses that rely on information analysis. Luckily, cloud storage providers typically enable companies to set up automated backup uploads. Using these protocols, companies can ensure they are safe from any unexpected hardware or software crash.
Data is backed up automatically as soon as it enters a company’s computer network. The ease at which storage capabilities can be expanded using the cloud means that all data can be safely backed up – no matter how much is being created, used, transferred, and stored.
Traditional in-house storage and computing solutions can be incredibly expensive and time-consuming to expand – and said cost and time are a major stumbling block for businesses undergoing swift growth.
However, cloud storage and computing capabilities can be expanded with the click of a mouse – instantly enabling businesses to increase their capacity in parallel with growth. Ease of expansion is one of the most immediately beneficial elements of cloud technology and is certainly one of the most tantalizing prospects for strategists looking to plan and implement successful long-term plans.
Most of the big cloud service providers have large networks of servers available in order to facilitate easy expansion. Business is more data-driven than ever, and data storage capacity is important for an expanding company. Data allows businesses to make strategic and tactical decisions based on fact rather than flimsy analysis, so it’s crucial to make sure such valuable information and files are secure, protected, and backed up constantly.
Cloud computing allows businesses to create virtual business environments, which are essentially consumer-focused portals that offer everything a business might offer in the flesh.
Although the idea of a virtual business environment predates the popularity of the cloud, this new technology enables companies to host and offer far more comprehensive online services to their customers.
One of the biggest issues that many business owners face when considering a migration onto the cloud is security. Cloud computing and storage can only work if a great deal of data is sent from end-user devices to remote servers and back over the internet. Naturally, this raises some concerns, and business owners are wary of the risk of ‘man-in-the-middle’ attacks wherein data is intercepted while in transit.
Fortunately, all good cloud service providers offer end-to-end encryption as a standard. End-to-end encryption is a term used to describe the process of deliberately scrambling all data that is in transit – and only hardware and software possessing the correct decryption keys can unscramble data sent over these secure channels. Thus, comprehensive end-to-end encryption makes modern cloud computing and storage very safe from these ‘man-in-the-middle’ attacks.
Cloud service providers are also heavily incentivized to offer additional security tools. Most service providers will allow businesses to set up multi-factor authentication so that only authorized people can access sensitive data. Multi-factor authentication usually involves a combination of password, device, and biometric gateways. Biometric authentication gateways are in vogue due to how hard they are to spoof. Each human being has unique physical traits that can be used as an authentication method. Iris scans, facial recognition scans, fingerprint scans, and voice recognition are all commonly used.
Naturally, there is some shared responsibility for the security of a cloud network. IT teams working within a business need to collaborate carefully with the cloud provider they are using in order to develop airtight protocols that ensure data is kept safe, secure, and backed up round the clock.
Businesses using traditional computing and storage solutions need to budget for the maintenance of in-house servers and upgrading of in-house, end-user computers. However, the adoption of cloud computing negates the need for complex and costly upkeep in these fields, freeing up technical staff for more pressing matters and saving a great quantity of money at the same time.
When using a cloud computing or storage service, a company is partially paying for the responsibility of maintenance to be shifted onto the service provider. Cloud computing service providers are expected and obliged to carry out all the maintenance necessary to keep a network of secure servers online and available. If they do not, and their servers go down, they will lose valuable customers.
In this way, cloud service providers are incentivized to keep very high levels of operability at all times. A huge responsibility is shifted from the end-user to the service provider – making the life of a business tech team far easier.