Ways that Cloud Hosting can Help Your Business

How can cloud hosting help your business? Many individuals are still unfamiliar with what cloud computing is, how it functions and why it has been gaining popularity over the past few years. 

To begin with, cloud computing has been around for a fairly long time.  If you take a look at e-mail and how it functions, this is actually a form of cloud hosting. All of your emails are stored in a "cloud," and you can pull them whenever you need to look at one or send one.  In the same vein, this type of technology is a fantastic way for businesses to save money on their IT costs.

For example, consider a smaller business that has a multitude of startup costs. Most businesses do not even turn a profit for at least two to three years depending upon what type of business they are in.  Because costs associated with servers and data is high, businesses often have to have an IT department spend precious hours to make sure that any issues can be fixed and any flaws are corrected, as well as having staff on hand to monitor situations.  Virtual server hosting saves both time and money, which is critical in this competitive environment.

If your company is at a very small stage right now, you can actually control the amount of storage space you need.  This eliminates the need to buy very expensive and large data space at the beginning stages, which could make costs very high.  With server hosting, you can shrink or expand your data capacity needs based on your business needs.  This is an extremely convenient situation for those who are trying to find ways to cut costs. Utilizing cloud computing can save your business up to forty percent of IT costs per year, so get a head start on switching to virtual server hosting today.

The Benefits of Using Cloud Hosting for Disaster Recovery Purposes

Over the last year and a half, people all over the world have faced the devastating consequences of natural and manmade disasters. From the BP oil spill in 2010 to the recent earthquakes in Japan, it seems like these types of events are happening more frequently and with more intensity than ever. Of all the lessons these disasters have taught people, one resonates with business owners the most: using cloud hosting for disaster recovery purposes helps companies and their employees through these difficult times. Here are some of the benefits this solution has to offer:

Backups in multiple locations

Cloud hosting makes it easier than ever to store and retrieve critical data during disaster recovery. In the past, businesses used disk backups that needed to be stored onsite. If a natural disaster such as a flood or tornado hit the office building these disks would be destroyed along with the computers. Now, cloud hosting technology allows companies to backup their data in a remote location and access it from anywhere for maximum security and recovery time.

Automated protection

Cloud hosting services allow companies to choose how often data is backed up. There is even an option to backup data as it is created which ensures nothing is lost in the event of a disaster. This disaster recovery plan makes data security one less thing that managers need to worry about in the face of adversity. Whether the data was stored the day before the disaster or a year prior to that, it is readily available so businesses can continue their operations and resume a sense of normalcy as quickly as possible.

Cost-effective

A disaster recovery plan is considered a cheap form of insurance. In keeping along with the affordable nature of a DRP, cloud services are a cost-effective way to store critical information. Not only does the cloud hosting company maintain the hardware, which cuts back on IT costs, but the time businesses save on backing up their data reduces operating costs as well. Should a disaster occur, this frees up time, money, and other important resources for the best possible recovery process. No one can predict the next Chilean earthquake or Indonesian tsunami, but companies can protect themselves from the damage brought on by these types of disasters by creating, documenting, and testing a DRP including cloud hosting solutions.  

Cloud Hosting Plays Key Role for Small Businesses

  When starting a business from scratch, it can be a very expensive and time-consuming process. From the various tax forms that need to be filled out to the high costs associated with starting a business and renting property, it can be quite difficult.  Most new businesses do not make a profit until after several years of strong growth, so it is always important to save money where possible.   

 IT costs are a primary area of focus for most businesses. Staying on the cutting edge helps ensure the future of pretty much every company in our modern times.  With the need for a consistent dedicated server, a business generally has to purchase expensive servers on their own, which can put a smaller business in debt. 

 This is where cloud hosting continues to play a key role. Cloud computing basically allows a company to have their files run by another firm in the "cloud." They then have the ability to access all of their information at a moment's notice, as well as contract and expand the quantity of data they need to store.  Virtual server hosting has the ability to save a company quite a bit of money, as they do not need to directly purchase or store servers on their site.  This allows IT resources to be freed up for more important projects, rather than babysitting small and pesky problems. 

 With the state of the global economy, as well as the American economy, cutting costs and being as frugal as possible is becoming the norm for businesses across the spectrum.  Whether it is in regards to personnel or eliminating expensive business flights, the reality is that the business world is rapidly changing.  Investing in a virtual dedicated server is one of the best values for a company that is looking to save on IT costs. If you're one of these companies looking to cut back on IT costs, be sure to check out the effective and affordable services that we offer.