Cloud hosting is also known as cloud computing, which is based on web-based computing that allows numerously or we can say an unlimited number of machines to act as one system. Many servers provide the guarantee of security of cloud hosting in comparison with other hosting solutions which gets the guarantee of security by one server only. The cloud technology promotes the growth of the website by allowing resources, such as space or RAM to combine or integrate easily.
Why companies are moving to cloud computing or cloud hosting
It is seen from last few years that companies are moving to cloud hosting, because of the several reasons; in general terms, you may have the benefits of
- Your company website is performing very well
- It is guaranteed by multiple machines
- You may get the guaranteed server resources (CPU, RAM)
- Removal of unnecessary storage of data
- Save you even from a single point of failure
- Promote the growth of your Website with flexibility
- Cheap and affordable and generous features
If we talk in specific terms, you may run your business with the help of cloud hosting with WiFi connection, which shows that it can work in an effective way anytime, anywhere. Cloud hosting also reduces your expenses by reducing the salary of your one employee i.e.an IT candidate who may be required in other hosting solutions to look after your hardware, software, but this is not required in cloud hosting as it is simpler, cheaper and better.
Cloud hosting allows you to reduce your business expenses on the service of hardware, which otherwise places significant financial burdens on growing businesses and also increases the likelihood of some kind of failure.
Cloud hosting proves cost-effective for your businesses and helps you to manage your fast-growth business.
Cloud hosting is very flexible, as it quickly meets the demands of the business because it is having a vast capacity of the service’s remote servers.
Companies or businesses which used the cloud-based services, does not require complex disaster recovery plans. They take care of most issues and solve them fastly in an average of 2.1 hours, nearly four times faster than those businesses which didn’t use the cloud (8 hours).
Suppliers of cloud computing take the responsibility of maintenance of server including security updates of their customers' website and by this they free their customer’s time and resources for other tasks.
A business which has minimal project start-up costs and predictable ongoing operating expenses are using Cloud computing says that it is much faster to deploy and there’s no need for capital expenditure at all.
Cloud computing allows all the employees to work on documents and shared applications simultaneously, thus it increased collaboration among all the employees which increases efficiency and improves company’s bottom line.
With the help of internet accessibility, employees can work from anywhere which positively affects workers' work-life balance and productivity
Cloud computing allows you to keep all the files in one central location, and everyone works off of one central copy.
In terms of security, cloud computing is very much secure because it allows you to store everything in the cloud, all the data which cannot be accessed no matter what happens to a machine.
With the help of cloud hosting, enterprise-class technology can be access by small and medium-sized enterprises. It also provides the opportunity for smaller businesses to act faster than big and established competitors. It has been seen that companies which are not using the cloud are relying on tape backup methods and complicated procedures, which cloud users usually don’t use. Another benefit which is receiving by the small and medium-sized enterprises is that cloud computing reduces the consumption of energy and carbon emissions.
Businesses and industries using cloud computing or cloud hosting use the space of the server as per their requirement, by which they get several benefits like their carbon footprint is decreased, less consumption of energy and carbon emissions than using on-site servers.
We all know data can be stored on our desktops and local server hard drives. But the other option that one has is to store and access data on the internet. This is what a Cloud stands for. It simply means using the shared data centers and their resources to manage your apps and data. Many call it a metaphor for the Internet.
Anyone who hears about the Cloud is bound to be awed by its features at first. Its advantages are sure to motivate you to step onto it at the earliest. But if you have a small business and you are planning to move on to the Cloud, wait! Taking up the Cloud blind-folded might cause you problems later on. It will be intelligent to first look between the fine lines and assess that whether it is actually useful for your small business or not?
Is the Cloud really useful for the Small Businesses?
Cloud is good but it is definitely not for everyone. A small business has different needs and they might actually be better off using their customized software or technologies which are specifically designed according to their need, rather than just following the herd and using the Cloud.
Here we try to unravel what really is not good about Cloud when it comes to small businesses.
- Uptime: When it comes to keeping your website up and going all the time, using Cloud might not be such a good idea. The biggest of the cloud companies have had huge outages. An outage at their end definitely means that your website will be down and will not be available for the visitors. This is something that a small business definitely does not want.
- Data Security: When you are storing your data in the Cloud, its safety now completely depends on the company that manages and runs that Cloud. It is a fact that now the most confidential data of yours on the Internet and a slight glitch or a hack can land that data into the wrong hands. Keeping the data in the cloud might make you very uncomfortable regarding data security.
- Support: If you are looking for e-mail or telephone support or for really detailed user manuals that will give a solution to your problems then Cloud is definitely for you. The customer service is not prompt with the Cloud. Stay away from it if you do not want to figure out the solutions to your problems through a community or user forums. Cloud platforms give very poor support.
- Costing: When anyone talks about Cloud, a paramount feature that he is susceptible to establish is that the Cloud is cheaper. Hold on. This might just be wrong when spoken in context with a small business. Sometimes certain features are required for a specific business. A Cloud might not be offering it at all! Or you might have to pay extra money to get it. The cloud always has a virtualization layer that uses a lot of resources and is responsible for giving the Cloud its features of flexibility and elasticity. This definitely costs money which is taken out of your pocket. Comparing the pricing of a Cloud plan with other options would be a good idea if you don't want to waste money.
- Needless elasticity: If you are a small business, you are definitely looking for long-term stability and some technology that you can rely upon. Cloud offers elasticity which means it can easily adapt to heavy changes in the workload. But hey! There aren't many in your case is probably nonexistent. Do you really need the Cloud?
The Cloud and related technologies are good and can really be a boon for those who are having problems that a Cloud can fix. But has nothing extraordinary to offer to the small businesses. So it will be a good idea to stick to your comfort zone instead of jumping on to the Cloud.