The #1 Reason To Be In The Cloud

by Chas Arnold

There are many good reasons to transition your IT into the cloud. But there is one primary reason the cloud has become so popular - it simplifies your business model. All the other benefits are auxiliary to the fact that you’ll no longer have to buy hardware, software licensing and service to maintain the whole setup in house. All the assets end up on your balance sheet, and then you have to pay taxes on them and worry about depreciating them over time. The new way of thinking in the New Normal economy means businesses should be doing everything they can to get out of the data center business. After all, once you outsource the IT part of your business, you’ll receive even better services such as:

More Security

When you outsource your data, applications and support to a cloud provider, it will be located in building that’s hardened for environmental disasters. They are designed to withstand tornadoes, earthquakes and fires. For fires, they have state of the art prevention and suppression systems to help minimize risk. Flexible cages and thick concrete walls ensure seismic and weather related activities have minimal effect within the confines of the data center.

High-end data centers have 24/7/365 day manned security accompanied with video surveillance. They typically have multiple kinds of biometric security scanners like fingerprint readers and retina scanners for physical access.

More Redundancy

Within the cloud providers data center, there are multiple copies of your data. At all times, there is a usuallya minimum of 3 backups with 2 being on-site and another in a separate off-site data center. Each server contains dozens of hard drives via SANs (Storage Area Networks) that are replicated in an striped array for both speed and data integrity. Whole servers that contain multiple hard drives are cloned throughout the day, so in the event of a whole server crash, a replica server will simply takeover where the other server left off.

More Availability

Cloud providers have high-end, independent power sources that can take over in the event of an outage. They store fuel on-site and test systems at least monthly to ensure proper operations. Even the power backup has backups. There are multiple power substations on separate utility grids feeding into the data center to ensure power is always being delivered and to handle the transitions between utility and generator power. Multiple power feeds means there is never an interruption in power internally. Externally, they allow power to be switched between UPS modules, generators, and Utility power ensuring constant up-time.

More Mobility

Whether you are connected to wireless in flight or in your office, moving into the cloud means everyone is working remotely all the time. An employee in Florida has the same capabilities as someone in your office in Atlanta. The cloud gives you the ability to use your data anywhere AND on any device. An employee can run all of your applications on their iPad, at 30,000 ft. altitude while flying.

Outsource All Of Your IT Plumbing

The cloud is a new paradimg in which you can simplify your business while also making dramatic improvements to your technology capabilities. Through simplifying, you gain the ability to create a major competitive advantage. The cloud offers more security, redundancy, availability, and mobility. Instead of just keeping up with the competition, you’ll be able to focus improving efficiency and growing your company.