Top 10 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Small Business

Cloud computing proclaims the most flexible IT environment with non location and non device specific information sharing and already began to replace the traditional IT infrastructure. Here we will introduce the top 10 benefits of cloud computing for small business.

Top 10 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Small Business


Top 10 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Small Business

For some years the term cloud has almost become a statutory mention in any discourse concerning technology, concerning new devices and computing. It is true that Cloud computing in more than one way changed the fundamental way we do computing, either in professional environment or in individual space. While the cloud computing beneficiaries are from every walk of life, particularly the benefits of cloud computing for small business are simply enormous. Just until a few years back a small business house had no other option but to maintain an investment intensive IT infrastructure for its business purposes, but now with the flexibility of subscribing to cloud it became much easier and smarter and cost effective to rely on remote server for a majority of IT needs. Moreover, now the file sharing and document transferring became faster and smarter without being location and device specific. Cloud computing is continuing to change the way small business endeavors were operated. Here are the top 10 benefits of cloud computing for small business.

  1. Seamless collaboration
  2. Cloud more than any other thing let you experience a totally seamless collaboration between multiple devices and professionals without any hindrance or clutter as you can connect to crucial information and company processes from anywhere and from any device. Through a cloud application featuring your company's internal process you are always connected to information, instruction and process and in real time can just revert to anything without needing to access the physical infrastructure back at office. This seamless collaboration is one of the prime benefits of cloud computing for small business.

  3. Flexible data transfer and sharing
  4. Through cloud applications all your documents, media files, photographs to anything can be accessed from any device and anywhere and this access in turn can be regulated by the management as well as per the situation and privacy policy. But unlike traditional computing environment here nobody has to rely on mails or manual data transfer or typically location specific LAN for transfer or sharing, instead even sensitive information can be shared with the option of regulating the access. This flexibility of data transfer without compromising on security is one of the prime benefits of cloud computing.

  5. Being more local and more global
  6. Today's technology is paving the way for being more localized while accessing a global audience and market thanks to the proactive space of internet that made all cultural and social boundaries blurred. In this context cloud computing is paving the way more effectively. Cloud computing means first of all a computing environment devoid of dependence on devices and locations. And thus even a small business venture even can facilitate smooth data access and real time communication based on it by its people situated in distant locations across the world. Cloud applications helped you to become more local in offerings while communicating and presenting them in a global space without the so called boundaries of time and space. This wide open attribute being more global and more local at the same time is one of the most prominent benefits of cloud computing for small business.

  7. More productivity with less infrastructure
  8. Just consider the huge IT infrastructure that is required to be maintained by any business owner including maintaining big servers, storage capacities, professionals and overhead cost accumulatively that takes a chunk on company's bottom line. Most importantly almost all the time this huge infrastructure is not used to its full potential and at times this just remain scarcely occupied as business volume tends to fluctuate from time to time in most of the small enterprises. Maybe in a span of time only a few high times are there when the whole IT infrastructure is used up to its optimum potential but nevertheless the infrastructure has to be maintained. On the other relying on cloud computing just give you freedom from such expensive obligations. Through Cloud computing you can augment your productivity as per the business situation while without needing to maintain a huge infrastructure.

  9. Less human resource and human resource development
  10. In small or medium business enterprises often traditional IT infrastructure and respective business processes require a great pull of professionals of varying capabilities and particularly the human resource more often maintains a hefty cost overhead than other areas. Many companies simply cannot get beyond their struggle in maintaining this overhead in control simply because of this irreplaceable human resource pull. On the other hand Cloud computing let you enjoy the freedom of least infrastructure and least number of professionals in any business setting as most of the crucial IT responsibilities are taken care by remote servers of cloud. Human resource development and training of professionals is another area that a business venture has to involve its energy and investment from time to time, but with Cloud computing there are less and less requirement of regular professional training and development initiatives as everything gets fast updated almost seamlessly in cloud environment.

  11. Smart security with doors open and eyes vigilant
  12. The erstwhile traditional IT security was typically focused on inhibiting malpractices and data theft from far beyond the point of access as security used to be overseen within the location specific IT infrastructure and within the installed devices inside the business premise. But in Cloud computing environment a typical data sharing and transfer and corresponding communication can take place between various business locations and independent devices within and outside the business premises. Here the data and network security is regulated by the remote cloud server and restrictions are imposed and access is determined as per the management's security guidelines and though access to information is open from various places and devices they are regulated as and when required. This typical smart and flexible security measures made the benefits of cloud computing for small business more accessible and available.

  13. Well protected from any possible damage to hardware
  14. Though natural calamity is something that we know cannot be avoided yet cannot be much focused upon as well given the chance factor that we are all part of, certain calamities like the terrorist attacks, civil wars and political unrests we are more concerned of these days. With the living instances of some of the ghastly destructions in the recent years we know the effects that it can have on the hardware and corresponding business data. In a cloud computing environment the data and business process are always protected by remote cloud servers and so any local damage to the infrastructure won't necessarily impact on your business.

  15. Easily and every now and then staying updated
  16. Being updated on software platforms and on business process requirements is an area that is true for every enterprise. While in traditional IT environment such updating is most of the time manual and time consuming, in cloud computing environment everything gets updated and tuned with the business process requirement from time to time and software updating is done most of the time just automatically. You stay updated all the time without spending any extra resource for it.

  17. Software deployment time slashed to months from years
  18. Time consuming software deployment has long been a great inconvenience making many business ventures suffer in more than one way. Often such deployment takes more than just a year and in the mean time your IT infrastructure faces many frustrating difficulties in coping up with the evolving scenario. Moreover, such prolonged deployment of software directly affects the business outcomes. On the other hand in a cloud environment such deployment takes mostly a few months and at every step the emerging difficulties are addressed adequately in real time. You not only save great amount of business time but also minimize the deployment related hazards and business risks with cloud.

  19. Replacing fixed expense by pay as you need fees

Having a traditional IT infrastructure means primarily to have a fixed cost overhead that you are supposed to go all the way whether business volume falls or goes up. Business volume and requirement of using IT infrastructure can vary from time to time corresponding to each other but as you cannot shrink and increase your infrastructure just every quarter or month, you go on with the fixed expense for the entire infrastructure. Cloud computing offers a freedom from this inflexible infrastructure overhead. As an enterprise when you subscribe to cloud service you can enjoy the flexibility of using as much as or as less as possible corresponding to your business volume or requirement. So instead of maintaining a fixed expense here you have the freedom of pay as you need fees. This flexibility of maintaining IT cost as per the business need is one of the topmost benefits of cloud computing for small business.