Benefits of Cloud Computing and How to Move to the Cloud

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services, such as accessing files, databases, email, and applications, over the Internet instead of using servers located in your office. These resources run remotely on servers located in data centers, often managed by leading cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and IBM Cloud. Additionally, specialized cloud providers such as Microsoft’s Office 365, Oracle, SAP, ServiceNow, and VMware offer their products without the effort and cost of setting up internal or cloud-based infrastructure.

Cloud computing has become a popular solution for businesses of all sizes due to its technical and cost-saving benefits.

Benefits of Cloud Computing:

1. Scalability: Cloud services are highly scalable, allowing you to easily adjust resources to meet the changing needs of your business.
2. Cost Savings: Cloud computing offers significant cost savings compared to traditional IT infrastructure, eliminating the need for hardware, maintenance, and upgrades.
3. Flexibility: Cloud services can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection, enabling remote work and on-the-go access to data.
4. Reliability: Cloud providers offer high levels of reliability and uptime, ensuring that your business-critical applications and data are always available.
5. Resilience and Backup: Many cloud providers offer tools to streamline data backup and restoration, making it faster and more reliable to recover from cyber-attacks or data loss.
6. Security: Cloud providers often implement robust security features to protect against data breaches and other cyber threats.

If you believe that moving to the cloud would be beneficial, there are a few things to consider to minimize downtime, accelerate adoption, protect your data, and achieve potential savings.

Moving to the Cloud:

1. Assess Your Needs: Determine which applications, data, and services would benefit most from cloud hosting. Start with key business applications that are accessed by most of the company, possibly from different locations.
2. Determine the Cloud Strategy: Document your cloud adoption goals, decide whether a public, private, or hybrid cloud strategy is best suited for your business. Often, a hybrid solution (combining local and cloud-based solutions) is the most effective approach.
3. Choose a Provider: Compare different cloud solutions or consult with your IT provider to find one that best meets your needs, budget, and security and compliance requirements.
4. Plan the Migration: Create a migration plan, including any necessary modifications to your environment, to ensure access controls, compatibility, security, and backup/restoration.
5. Test and Validate: Thoroughly test the cloud deployment to ensure it functions as expected and that all data has been transferred and is accessible. Consider performing end-user acceptance testing to identify and address any issues.
6. Train Employees: Provide training to employees on accessing services now running in the cloud and ensure they understand new protocols to maintain security.
7. Ongoing Evaluation: Continuously monitor the cloud services to ensure they meet your business and technical needs. Confirm data backups and the ability to restore them, and promptly address any issues that arise.

Moving to the cloud can provide numerous benefits for your business, but a successful migration requires thoughtful planning. Working with an experienced IT provider can help you avoid pitfalls and ensure an optimal outcome.

Why are Companies Moving to Managed Services?

The managed services industry is growing rapidly, driven by the adoption of cloud computing, digital transformation, and the desire for organizations to focus on their core business functions. According to a report by Markets and Markets, the global managed services market size is expected to grow from $223 billion in 2020 to $329 billion by 2025.

Managed services offer numerous benefits in addition to allowing businesses to focus on what they do best. Here are five key advantages:

1. Predictable Costs: Managed service providers offer fixed, monthly fees for their services, making it easier for businesses to budget for their IT needs.
2. Expertise: Cybersecurity, cloud computing, and IT, in general, can be complex. Managed service providers have teams of experienced professionals with expertise in security, physical and virtual servers, cloud technologies, networks, and workstation support, providing businesses with diverse skills that are not cost-effective to hire in-house.
3. Proactive Maintenance: Managed service providers use advanced tools to monitor systems and detect issues before they become major problems, minimizing downtime and potential business disruptions.
4. Increased Efficiency: Managed service providers can optimize IT systems and processes to improve efficiency, reliability, and uptime, which can increase productivity and reduce costs in the long run.
5. Scalability: Managed service providers can quickly scale services up or down as needed, allowing businesses to adjust their IT needs to meet changing business demands.

Managed service companies, such as Eaton & Associates, can provide your organization with the diverse expertise, tools, and processes of a large, sophisticated IT department without the associated costs. Our approach is flexible, with a focus on customer service, and we welcome the opportunity to tell you more.