Aug 26, 2013 | SMB Technology
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is expected to release their fourth Annual Cloud Computing Trends research study this week. This cloud computing research is based on a survey of over 500 IT and Business Professionals collected in June 2013. The Fourth Annual CompTIA Cloud Computing Trends report is expected to reveal cloud computing trends and buying patterns, benefits and challenges related to cloud computing use by businesses. In addition, over 400 IT firms were surveyed on how the cloud is changing the IT technology channel. Here are some anticipated highlights of cloud computing trends: Cloud Computing Trends: Cloud is an Increasing Component of IT Architecture According to the research, 90% of companies are using cloud computing architecture in their business. The research indicates “as cloud components are becoming more prevalent in IT architectures, more companies are relying on cloud computing for business processes such as storage (59%), business continuity/disaster recovery (48%), and security (44%). This strong usage and strong market indicators show that cloud computing is becoming a default part of the IT landscape.” Top Benefits of Cloud Computing As Cloud Computing becomes more mainstream a range of business benefits are reported. While no single reason stands out, businesses report a broad range of benefits by adopting cloud computing technologies: Cloud Computing Reaches Maturity The research indicates that more than half of those delivering, managing, integrating and supporting cloud computing solutions feel their cloud computing businesses are mature and strategic. Integration Remains the Top Cloud Computing Challenge According to the cloud computing study by CompTIA, integration remains at the top of the list for all companies....
May 10, 2013 | SMB Technology
Cloud Computing adoption is on the rise for businesses looking to reduce capital expenditure and avoid software licensing. According to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Annual Trends in Cloud Computing Survey forty two percent of respondents turned to the cloud to modernize legacy IT. Forty two percent of those Business Owners and IT Executives cited Cloud Computing as simply a better option and fifty percent surveyed were moving to the cloud to cut costs. Many companies have turned to Cloud Computing without even knowing it. Through rogue IT (end user adoption without IT assistance) employees may be using cloud backup technologies for file sharing, mobile applications that connect to the cloud and other productivity tools. Here are some ways your company can make a strategic investment in Cloud Computing to extend the life of your existing IT Infrastructure. Cloud Computing for Desktop as a Service Some companies have older desktop, laptop and servers that are not able to run the latest version of office productivity applications or other desktop software. Because these systems may not have fast enough processors, inadequate memory or are lacking in an updated operating system O/S, some companies had adopted hosted or cloud versions of these productivity applications to gain access to the latest applications without having to upgrade their computers. Cloud Computing for Hosted Email Hosted email services are another way for you to gain access to the latest version of popular products like Microsoft Exchange without having to upgrade servers and pay up front license fees. By migrating to a cloud based version, you can have access to the latest updates for...
Nov 28, 2012 | SMB Technology
Can Cloud Computing Help your Business? Cloud computing has rapidly become mainstream technology for large and small businesses. From online backup to virtual servers to Software as a Service (SaaS) there are many benefits to using cloud computing. Here are some of the many benefits your business may receive from cloud computing: Capital Expense vs. Operating Expense Cloud computing provides businesses access to enterprise infrastructure, without having to make the upfront investment in data center, network and server infrastructure build-out. By using available cloud computing resources, businesses can subscribe to these services, instead of using precious working capital for an unnecessary up front investment. As a result, business owners may avoid making high capital expenses. Instead, the monthly subscription cost of cloud computing may be treated as an operating expense. As always, consult your tax professional for your business’s specific issues. Predictable IT Costs Cloud computing subscriptions enable the business owner visibility into predictable costs for IT Services. For example, online backup costs may be a function of the amount of data stored and bandwidth used each month. Software as a Service (SaaS) Email or Sales Force Automation (SFA) services may be charged based on number of users each month. Fixing these costs can be a huge advantage to small businesses. Improved Reliability Public cloud computing options may provide your business better IT Infrastructure than you can afford on your own. By taking advantage of economies of scale, your company can tap into enterprise class data centers that are monitored, managed and maintained by 7/24/365 support teams. What’s more, these facilities providing online backup, hosted exchange, SaaS CRM and...
Aug 10, 2012 | SMB Technology
Considering the Cloud for Backup? Many small to medium business (SMB) owners are turning to online backup or remote backup, generally referred to as cloud backup, as a top way to take advantage of cloud computing. According to a recent survey by the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), most companies turn to the cloud to cut costs and reduce capital expense. Because of the advancements in internet bandwidth, combined with the economies of scale from the cloud, remote backup can be a reliable, affordable and practical solution for most SMBs. When you evaluate cloud backup, here are a some things to consider: Security and Compliance There are public cloud and private cloud options available to meet your security and compliance requirements. If you need to comply with PCI, HIPPA or other regulatory requirements you may need to rely on a private cloud solution. This means your data is physically separated from other companies storing their data in public cloud alternatives. If you require a private cloud solution expect to pay more. Cost This leads to us to the topic of cost of cloud backup. There are a wide range of affordable options for cloud backup. Most cloud backup solutions charge by the amount of data stored. This makes them easy to compare. Office documents and spreadsheets are easy to compress and take up less space, as compared to, images, photos and data bases. Depending on the amount of data you are backing up in the cloud, you may incur additional charges for bandwidth. You may also need to consider the costs of a network upgrade and additional internet connectivity,...
Jun 26, 2012 | SMB Technology
What Has Your Backup Done For You Lately? Businesses of all sizes rely on their data more than ever before. What’s more, businesses have more data to protect and backups to store than ever. Critical files, customer data, email archives and other application data run our world. It’s not a bad idea to backup that data to a local drive or tape. In the case of a true disaster, such as an earthquake or fire your local backup may not be enough. By using online or remote backup, you can store your data securely in an offsite location and have it available in a disaster recovery scenario. Also, with cloud computing, companies large and small, can now affordably backup data offsite. When you evaluate a remote backup solution here are a few things to consider: Is My Data Secure? When you think about moving your data backup offsite most business owners think about security first. While backup vendors take data security seriously, their approach may vary for how your data is protected. Data storage in a private cloud may add an additional physical layer of security by dedicating hardware to your individual needs. A private cloud solution may drive the cost up and may be more than you need. Public cloud storage may use a virtual environment to store your data, making it more affordable. However, a public cloud solution may not comply with your industry regulations for data security. It is important you understand your security needs and priorities to find the best remote backup solution for your business. How Long Does It Take To Recover? When you...
