Gill Walker Every Cloud has a Silver Lining.........
Cloud is everywhere today. Many people I meet wondering “What is Cloud?” – “Is Cloud for me?” “Should I be using
Cloud and how will it help me or our business in 2014”
Whether you are a small business or a larger business you are probably using some Cloud, even if you do not realise it.
Almost every website is running in the Cloud – paradoxically this is done for security reasons by keeping the users of
your website away from your critical business systems, you are protecting those business systems.
Cloud is simply a way of using other people’s computers rather than your own. It is a throwback to the early days of
computing when people and schools rented time from local business’s mainframe computers - usually during the
night.
So why would you use Cloud rather than your own computers? What are the benefits and are there any rain clouds or
storm clouds to watch out for? So what does Cloud actually mean?
Cloud-based computing is technology that gives companies the ability to have their data managed or delivered over
the web. When any type of data is taken into the Cloud companies no longer have to purchase expensive hardware
and software to maintain. Instead of this, the computers are located in a data centre – the data centre is the sky.
They are managed by the data centre staff according to an agreement, not your IT team. To many people this is seen
as a massive silver lining to Cloud. But there are still options, so decisions need to be made to get the best type of
Cloud for you, while avoiding those storm clouds that are lurking on the horizon.
You can purchase just the use of an application which is running in the Cloud - no ownership or installation is required.
Many email providers including Gmail are examples of this. Applications such as Xero, a small business accounting
solution run entirely in the Cloud. This is public cloud. It is also possible to purchase managed servers which give you
all of the functionality of an on premises server but the management is done for you. Or you can purchase entire
computers, but keep them in a data centre.
Entire servers running in a data centre is private cloud and usually with this option you are still responsible for the
maintenance, but you are now not reliant on your internet connection; all data centres will have top of the range
internet connectivity. How much Cloud is right for you will vary with your particular situation.
The rain clouds are because the management has become centralised, you have less control over the applications and
so features may appear and disappear without you being aware of the impact of these changes. You have become
dependent on an external supplier.
The advantages of cloud are that the management of aspects of the hardware and perhaps the software is moved
from your building to a central location and your staff to a dedicated team.
For smaller businesses, where the IT Management was done as an extra by someone whose main role was something
entirely different, this can be a godsend. The cost is also more predictable as you commit to a payment rather than
being subject to the whims of hardware failures which do seem to happen at the most inopportune moments.
In summary, the Rain Cloud is possible the loss of control and the Silver Lining is the predictable costs.
Gill Walker is well known Sydney based customer relationship management (CRM) guru
who will ensure you are able to maximise on your customer attraction and
development efforts. Gill can be contacted on +61 2 8212 3480 or [email protected].
To learn more on how she can help you and your business, visit http://www.opsis.com.au and
http://www.crmtraining.net.au