Cloud Computing Tips for Small Business

SOURCE: Internet.com

Cloud computing technology offers both time- and money-saving benefits, which makes it a great fit for small business. As cloud computing benefits become more tangible, more small businesses are moving to the cloud. Still, as with any technology, you don’t want to jump in without proper preparation.

First, it is important to recognize that there are several fundamentally different approaches to cloud computing, including:

• Public cloud:  The cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or to a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services.  Most commonly used services here are application-specific — for example, Salesforce.com or Microsoft Office 365 — and pricing is often on a simple, cost-per-seat-per-month basis.
• Private cloud:  The cloud infrastructure is operated solely for one organization. It may be managed by the organization itself or by a third party, and it may exist on premises or off-premises.  CDW’s Cloud Computing Tracking Poll found that most IT decision makers, in SMB as well as other markets, would prefer the private option.  However, the private option requires more knowledge and capabilities to manage, so getting there is a challenge for many organizations, and it is not for everyone.

Cloud computing has a lot to offer, and for small businesses with limited resources, public cloud services offer especially attractive benefits.  For example, using applications in the public cloud can help address networking issues without requiring small businesses to invest in their own servers or expand their IT staff.

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