The cloud makes operations more efficient and can save you plenty of capital in the long run, which is why many organizations are turning to it to further improve the way they do business. Yet, businesses that haven’t moved to the cloud will face steep competition from those that have. If you’re still not sure whether the cloud is right for your business, consider the following advantages of cloud computing for SMBs.

The Cloud Takes the Burden Off of Running Your In-House Network
If you host your own IT infrastructure in-house, you are responsible for ensuring that it functions properly. This includes worrying about issuing the latest security updates and resolving critical problems that could lead to hardware failure or other forms of downtime. An average SMB will find this challenging, as they may not have an internal IT department or the time to devote toward learning how to properly take care of technology solutions.

When you host your business’s data and applications in the cloud, you are essentially taking this responsibility and outsourcing it to a managed service provider. This managed service provider then performs all of the necessary maintenance and management. In return, your business gets the ability to focus on your business goals, as well as the peace of mind that your technology is being maintained by experienced professionals.

The Cloud Offers Flexibility
Today’s mobile-centric business environment is very conducive to the success of the cloud. Hosting your data and applications in the cloud allows your organization to share files and information from any connected devices. ITProPortal explains: “Global expansion has increased the need for international data centers, especially as security and privacy concerns lead to strict regulations that vary from country to country... Cloud computing with an established cloud partner with physical data centers across multiple geographies means your data can ‘live’ in just about any jurisdiction, and mitigates this problem.”

Next, consider the fact that you’ll be providing your team with versatile access to important files, as well as collaboration capabilities in real time. This makes the cloud an important and borderline-necessary way of improving productivity for your organization.

The Cloud is Secure
Before the cloud became a popular option for businesses, there were major concerns about the privacy and security of data handled by cloud service providers. Trusting a third-party provider with your sensitive data may not have seemed appealing for this reason. These days, security has undergone so many upgrades that even public cloud options are viable ways to host your data. Data centers have also undergone impressive shifts in favor of SMB cloud hosting, allowing you to host your organization’s data with their resources without giving up on the flexibility option.

With all three of these features, have you changed your mind about the cloud? For more information about what the cloud can do for your business, reach out to Argentum IT at (502) 473-6407.