Remaining relevant
Adopting the cloud offers numerous benefits to enterprises of all sizes, but one category that should reap the rewards the most, is SMEs.
Close Brothers has revealed that a staggering 58% of UK SMEs do not currently use cloud-based computing for software, storage or other remote services. David Thomson, CEO of Close Brothers Invoice Finance, commented,
“SMEs appear to still be at the early stages of adopting cloud technology, but these businesses could gain the most…The cloud offers a number of benefits for smaller businesses, including increased storage space, remote access to data, and reduced costs. It can also protect against a loss event as companies no longer need to rely on hard copies of documents, manual back-ups or local infrastructure”
With 94% of enterprises already using the cloud in some capacity, small businesses and start-up companies have an inherent need to compete with the big players in their field in order to remain relevant. Cloud adoption closes the gap between small and large companies by providing access to sophisticated technologies that were previously out of their reach.
Cost-effective
Without the generous budgets of larger corporations, SMEs need to keep a tighter grip on their spending, making moving to the cloud a logical investment.
Many Public Cloud solutions work on a pay-as-you-go basis, where you are charged only for what you use. Companies such as IBM, Google, Amazon and Microsoft provide these facilities, and Hyve offers a management layer for public clouds such as AWS and Azure if you do not have the expertise in-house.
This ‘elastic’ approach to IT infrastructure can be very beneficial to SMEs, as you will not be paying for any unused resources, and can soften your wage bill by outsourcing a third-party support team.
Improved security
Misconceptions surrounding security have been a major factor in delaying the integration of the cloud into SMEs. However, it is especially the case that cloud-based solutions are more secure and easier to maintain than onsite applications.
IT infrastructures have to be patched, maintained and monitored regularly, all of which commands considerable expense and in-house expertise – something small businesses may not be willing to invest in. Alongside server security breaches, you also have to consider the possibility of physical breaches, such as a cut in power, outages in networks, hardware failure, and common human errors. When you move to a managed cloud solution, your cloud hosting partner takes care of both physical security and server maintenance for you.
At Hyve, we take away the stress of security from your business, with all data centre locations Tier 3 enhanced and ISO 27001 certified, ensuring that your data is as secure as possible.
Enabled scalability
It is unlikely that many SMEs wish to stay ‘small’ forever. But whilst growth might be the goal, if your business expands too quickly, you run the risk of outpacing your infrastructure. This could lead to downtime and unnecessary financial loss for your business.
Moving to the cloud offers flexibility in terms of scaling resources, whilst remaining cost-effective by negating the need to constantly invest in a traditional IT infrastructure that often needs updating. The cloud can accommodate demand and projected growth, without burning your budget.
For example, if an e-commerce website released a marketing campaign around the Black Friday sales, they would be able to foresee a spike in traffic and add capacity accordingly, to avoid the website crashing and losing sales. Then, when the sale is over, you could reduce the capacity back to normal in order to reduce costs.
The beauty of the cloud is that you have the flexibility to adjust capacity as and when you need it, without having to disrupt business operations.
Are you thinking of moving your business to the cloud? Give our friendly sales team a call on 0333 696 1873 for a bespoke solution.
