4 Reasons To Migrate To The Cloud

Are you thinking of moving to the cloud? A lot of small business owners are beginning to realize the benefits of handling the essential processes, like storing data and maintain the needed hardware to do so. SaaS (software-as-a-service) and IaaS (infrastructure-as-a-service) are solutions that may be the ticket to allow you to ride the waves of change and growth.

What Are IaaS and SaaS?

IaaS is referred to as the infrastructure of an off-site data center. IaaS contains servers, hard drives and networking elements. An IaaS provider will maintain the equipment; they will rent out the space and provide services to numerous customers. This will allow small businesses to divide the cost of maintaining the data centers and to avoid the problem of securing real estate and having to hire a staff to keep it up and running.

SaaS is able to operate on the same basis but it refers to the software applications that are hosted in the cloud and is accessed through the internet. The SaaS provider will handle all the security, off-site upkeep and maintenance. SaaS providers will allow numerous customers to share in the expenses and still to be able to benefit from the high end programs like a customer relationship management application.

Should I Move to the Cloud?

If your small business requires a data center or you are looking for a better and more inexpensive software that is able to accommodate your company’s expanding needs, here are a few fascinating reasons
to move to the cloud.

1) Avoid the growth stage. A lot of small businesses finally hit a growth plateau. It is a tough place to be where you are maxed out in your current capacity, but you do not quite have the resources to supply in the extra software, employees, hardware and a lot of other assets that you will need to expand.

IaaS and SaaS are two solutions that are able to be scaled up or down any time it is needed to help you make room in your company for the changing demands, like seasonal shifts and rapid growth times. With IaaS, small businesses, small businesses can maintain lower operating costs since they are paying only for what they use. Some newer IaaS providers now operate on a more flexible, pay-per-use pricing. So, the costs and the resources will fluctuate together along with the demand.

The scaling up under the more traditional models means that customers will find a larger facility and the ability to rent or lease additional servers. But, they will incur the cost of maintaining the infrastructure even if your demand returns to normal the following month. For most small businesses, IaaS just makes perfect financial sense.

2) Reduce the need for on-site staffing concerns. Moving to the cloud means that all of your data will be stored on an off-site server that is easily accessible through the internet. There will not be a need to install software on your local devices, to make your sensitive data more secure or to support an in-house IT department to handle all of these tasks and more. By using the cloud, it does not eliminate the need for you to have your own security measures, but you should choose a provider that has a sound security system in place to help reduce the demand on your existing staff.

Small businesses that use SaaS will be running the most up-to-date version of software. SaaS providers will handle the updates remotely, so any changes are reflected across the entire system instantly.

3) Ability to access expensive resources at a portion of the cost. Small businesses may opt for cloud-based solutions not only for their scalability and flexibility, but for the ability to access the sophisticated solutions that would not be cost effective. Small businesses will be able to operate more practically just about every facet of their business in the cloud.

The key to small business integration is looking for SaaS solutions that integrate with other applications they are currently using or with other popular applications that they may use in the future. This will enable businesses to create a more cohesive platform that is configured perfectly to meet small business requirements.

IaaS is also a more cost effective model that it’s alternative. Over a ten year span, a traditional model will cost almost $120,000 to configure and maintain. The equivalent data center will cost nearly $46,000 under an IaaS model.

4) Mobilize your workforce. Small businesses have never before had the capacity to keep up with other major players in the terms of technology. SaaS evens the playing field and allows small businesses to be just as connected and in the loop as other major companies that have configured their own intranets.

SaaS operates in the cloud, so field workers can easily access the essential data on the road. Small business owners will be able to take advantage of all the benefits of going mobile and having instant access to the most up-to-date records and information.

When you decide you are ready to make the jump to the cloud, look for a SaaS or IaaS provider that has a good security plan in place, can guarantee 99 percent uptime or better, is able to integrate with other applications and has a fully functional API.

A lot of information has been given to you today, so if you are still confused about the cloud and which model to choose, call Localweb today. The professionals at Local Web are ready to assist you today.

to learn more about the cloud and cloud computing, visit Cloud Computing on Nist.gov.