There’s no way around it: cloud computing has been the way forward for a few years now, and it continues to represent a huge opportunity for businesses of all sizes – including small to medium ones.
Need some figures? Well, consider that, in 2023, the global cloud computing market was valued at $587.78 billion. But there’s even more. This figure is estimated to grow to a whopping $2,291.59 billion by 2032, which translates into a CAGR of 16.5%.
Now, there are lots of reasons for this boom – and that’s exactly what we are going to discuss in this article. Before jumping in, though, let’s quickly clarify what cloud computing is.
The term “cloud computing” simply refers to all those computing services that are provided and delivered via the Internet. This includes anything from software to servers, from storage to databases, and more.
Generally speaking, the cloud offers three types of services:
Whittling down all the amazing benefits of cloud computing to a short list of five was no easy feat, trust us. Here they are, though – ready for you to reap them all!
Now, perhaps this first benefit is not as obvious as the others, but that’s precisely why we need to talk about it. Many people still believe that storing your data online is not the most secure method, but that’s not actually true.
Imagine if you chose to store everything in-house, on physical servers. That would also mean managing and maintaining the security of your data. This involves staying constantly up-to-date on current and evolving cyber threats, updating your security protocols, and ensuring every single one of your systems is continually monitored for threats.
You’ve already guessed: the resource expenditure would be enormous, not to mention that, if you’re not an IT security specialist, things are inevitably going to slip through the cracks. With a cloud provider, on the other hand, you get the peace of mind that all this is going to be handled by them, at no extra cost to you. And if you choose an excellent partner – as you should – you can also rest assured that they will have top-notch knowledge of all things cyber security.
As a small or medium company, the chances are that you either don’t have an in-house IT team, or that you have a very small one. Well, that won’t be an issue, if you choose to move to cloud computing technology.
With the cloud, in fact, management and maintenance requirements are kept to a minimum, especially when compared to those of traditional, physical hardware. Even better, if you don’t currently have an IT team and aren’t willing to build one in-house, cloud computing is yet another winning choice.
By partnering with a trusted, experienced, and proactive cloud provider, you can gain all the benefits of cloud computing without the need to spend time, money, or other resources on hiring, training, and developing IT professionals.
Do you think that, because your data is hosted online, it will be more difficult to access? Think again, as pretty much the opposite is true. Consider a very simple, everyday example of cloud computing: email.
Now, think about all the different ways in which you can access your email – from your laptop, your smartphone, your office desktop, your tablet, even your smartwatch. Have you ever stopped to think why that is possible? Precisely because the data is hosted in the cloud, and the cloud allows for incredibly easy and quick access.
And because data is so convenient to access, cloud computing is also the perfect solution for remote teams. Did you know, in fact, that up to 16% of global businesses are fully remote? If this is the case for your business, or if you operate a hybrid working model, then cloud computing is an absolute no-brainer, as it will boost the efficiency, productivity, and communication of your geographically dispersed teams.
We briefly mentioned scalability earlier, but it’s worth explaining this point a bit better. With cloud computing, you can host incredibly vast amounts of data in the cloud without the need to add any further physical infrastructure to support it.
The bottom line? Much higher – and easier – scalability. And if your data requirements grow and you need any extra space, you can always negotiate it with your cloud provider.
Nobody likes it when servers crash and everything grinds to a halt. Thankfully, though, this won’t be an issue if you operate your business in the cloud. Why? It’s simple. Even if disaster strikes and all your physical equipment is lost, your important data and information will still be stored securely in the cloud, enabling you to access it anytime and from anywhere.
Cloud computing truly is a goldmine of possibilities for small and medium businesses, as we have discussed in this article.
However, if the idea of embarking on such a huge digital transformation on your own feels overwhelming, fear not: you can work with a trusted provider like Basecamp Studios and start reaping all the benefits of cloud computing quickly, easily, and securely.
Simply get in touch with our team today and schedule your discovery call!
