And now it’s something that underpins the foundation of their businesses — every survey that we can find on the Internet confirms this trend in cloud computing.

The top 5 reasons that organisations are turning to the cloud include:

1. 24/7 access to data from anywhere, which streamlines collaborations and makes remote work much easier,
   
   
2. better security & data privacy, so that companies can meet the standards that apply to their specific industries,
   
   
3. reduced capital expenses and operational overhead, thanks to virtually unlimited storage space, more flexibility in scaling up and down and no longer requiring any physical server upgrades,
   
   
4. the adoption of new technologies and high levels of automation, all of which accelerate growth and time-to-market,
   
   
5. increased agility and efficiency, so that companies can quickly adapt to fluctuating environments.
   

It’s no exaggeration to say that cloud computing is not only an attractive alternative to in-house servers, but a must for most organisations these days.

Cloud computing will unlock a new level of productivity

According to Richard Kneller, Professor of Economics at the University of Nottingham:

“There’s some evidence that cloud enables firms to do things which make them more productive. That would help to improve that gap relative to the average, but one of the key elements in the way that cloud improves productivity is by enabling new firms to enter markets where firms are typically more productive and then grow and scale very quickly. That then helps to raise that average overall productivity measure.”

Richard Kneller

Professor of Economics at the University of Nottingham

We can go even one step further and say that cloud computing is almost all about productivity. For example, it facilitates employee collaboration in real-time, regardless of the location from which each team member is physically working. There are a number of platforms that make communication, cooperation, and document sharing a breeze (such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams). Also, it supports the BYOD (bring your own device) policy, which is gaining popularity all over the world. The ability to access cloud services from any device (and also simply being allowed to do this) makes employees more productive and responsive. 

Cloud computing also reduces downtime, since cloud providers do everything they can to respond to any issues immediately. Plus, it supports flawless data management, and allows companies to quickly modify their business models and scale up or down, smoothly adapting to changing market conditions. All of these things boost productivity like nothing else.

It’s not just about efficiency; it’s about accessibility

Ease of access to applications via an Internet connection can be a decisive factor in terms of business continuity.

This way, they don’t have to put their business activities and ongoing tasks on hold, which can be extremely costly, even for a short period of time.

The improved connection speed to company systems and data and better access to any relevant information allows organisations to effectively work from anywhere, anytime. Moreover, customers might not even notice that something has changed in the company’s modus operandi, since they will still get what they pay for without interruption and receive support whenever they need. And this dynamic also applies to businesses and their cloud service providers. The latter do what it takes to ensure service continuity and offer IT support on the highest level, oftentimes around the clock, which, these days, is absolutely invaluable.

Cloud computing unlocks innovation and creativity in marketing

Cloud computing is also leveraged by sales and marketing teams, since they can make use of the quick and easy access to relevant customer data and valuable insights that it offers.

Advanced CRMs, social media management solutions, and analytical SEO and customer data platforms allow decentralised specialists to build precise and successful sales and marketing campaigns. Along with cloud-based SEO tools, they can optimise everything else, too — from targeting to content creation, to lead generation, and more.

And all of this happens in real-time, enabling lightning fast reactions, so that teams can respond to customer problems in a flash. Plus, this also gives them better control over marketing campaigns, so that they can steer them in the right direction, adjusting methods, messages, and timing.

Turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities 

All of the great benefits mentioned above make it seem like moving to the cloud is a walk in the park. Well — nothing could be further from the truth. This is a long and winding road that requires a lot of knowledge and experience to make the final result both efficient and profitable. And no matter how big a company may be, there are at least three main challenges that they will need to face.  

1. First of all, high performance is non-negotiable with cloud technology, especially if you want to create a highly flexible and scalable environment.  
   

2. Secondly, data security and privacy is paramount to any company, not only to those whose staff work outside the office.  
   

3. Thirdly, flexibility in using different cloud services and providers is a must, so instead of betting on public, private, or community cloud storage only, it might be better to consider a hybrid solution.   

Of course, these challenges can all be turned into opportunities and used to build competitive advantage — but only when the cloud migration is done in a smart way. You can choose to hire experienced cloud experts or cooperate with a solid IT partner (we at Future Processing can be of assistance here!) — both ways can produce equally good results, and it’s much better than just throwing yourself into the deep end single-handedly.  

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