A big part of IT support for small business is consulting with companies as to whether they want to embrace the cloud or not. These days, getting into the cloud is seen as almost a necessity. But it’s not. And, in fact, recent research released by The Register seems to suggest that the incredible mad dash to the cloud we’ve all been hearing about does not really exist. It’s more like a steady walk.
The early days of cloud computing were marked by an industry pleading with small- and medium-sized businesses to get on board. The pleading has since stopped, thanks to security and other cloud innovations, but companies are not getting into the cloud as quickly as the media would have us believe. They are being a lot more cautious with both private and public clouds. Such caution is not a bad idea.
Websites and Applications
Many of the decisions about going to the cloud are directly related to the kind of data a company is using. For example, a company may have a website content manager who uses available web space for things like blog posts, informational articles, and general information about the company. If that’s all there is to it, moving to the cloud may not be necessary.
On the other hand, the company IT manager may also have numerous applications online. Those applications not only help the business run but also assist customers in interacting with them. Application needs are far more extensive than web content alone. They are more appropriate to the cloud environment.
Hybrid Is the Way to Go
According to The Register’s research, hybrid environments appear to be the way to go for small- and medium-sized businesses. A hybrid environment is one that utilises both public and private cloud space depending on need. For example, the company might set up its own private cloud hosted on servers physically located on site while also making use of cloud space in a public setting.
Why use a hybrid environment? Because it maximises flexibility. Data can be moved around between environments depending on how it’s being used, the storage needs associated with it, and so on. A hybrid solution also prevents certain kinds of data from being spread across multiple public data centres in a way that might make security or data management more challenging. Keeping such data in a private, onsite cloud makes it more manageable.
When IT support for small business includes consultations about adopting cloud strategies, there are a lot of questions that need to be asked and answered. There is no perfect solution that works well for every company. Thus, businesses needing outside consulting services need IT professionals who understand the cloud environment from every angle.
I am a network and IT specialist with the knowledge and experience you need to make wise decisions about the cloud. I would be more than happy to help as your company walks steadily toward the cloud.
Sources:
The Register – https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/13/cloud_computing_is_bigger_than_aws_and_azure/
By Bob Lewis-Basson.
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