There are always ways for small businesses to save more on technology. Cloud computing has made finding those savings easier than ever before by providing a range of functions and features that were previously available to only the largest enterprises with dedicated IT departments. Today, the cloud enables much smaller organizations to compete and scale alongside industry leaders.
Here are five ways that the cloud can save big bucks for your organization:
#1. Less hardware to maintain
A typical in-house IT department consists of a powerful server connected to multiple client computers, such as workstations, laptops, and mobile devices. That’s a lot of hardware to maintain, upgrade, and repair when something goes wrong. And if something really terrible hits your office, like a hurricane, all that hardware represents a single point of failure.
By moving to the cloud, you can have your programs, data, and even entire operating systems hosted in an off-site data center that’s managed by your service provider. These cloud services eliminate the need to worry about things like patch management, hardware lifecycles, firmware upgrades or other tedious maintenance.
#2. Lower utility bills
Although a data center may not sound like something you'd find at a small business, almost any office — and those aren't cheap to power. Since servers typically need to be kept in climate-controlled rooms, you won’t just be paying for the electricity needed to run your computers, but also for the cooling needed to keep everything running smoothly.
Migrating to the cloud should allow you to significantly slash utility bills, since all you’ll need to access your hosted apps and data is a barebones, low-power desktop or budget laptop, or even a tablet computer. That’s because most of the computing is processed in the cloud rather than on the device in front of you.
#3. Reduced staffing costs
Unsurprisingly, the greatest ongoing cost when running an in-house IT department is the expertise needed to maintain IT. Technology expertise doesn’t come cheap either, with salaries averaging $66k per year in Atlanta. Key roles for growth, like a chief information officer or an IT consultant command, even more money, putting small businesses at a huge disadvantage.
Easily the biggest monthly saving when migrating to the cloud is on human resources. You no longer need to maintain an in-house IT department, since maintenance, repairs, and new technology implementations are going to be handled OR will be handled by the cloud provider for a flat monthly fee. Your regular employees will also be spending less time trying to work around minor IT problems while they wait for your overwhelmed technician to find time for them.
#4. Fewer up-front investments
Capital costs have long been the number one obstacle to growth, especially for small cash-strapped startups that are struggling to build their brands. In fact, even a very small organization can easily end up spending tens of thousands of dollars on technology if they want to do everything in-house.
Cloud solutions require fewer up-front expenses, and and instead charge you only for what you use. You don't need to buy expensive hardware or purchase lifelong software licenses — you pay for exactly the amount of computing power you use. It's a model that makes budgeting a piece of cake.
#5. Enhanced productivity
A poorly executed technology infrastructure can leave you in a worse situation than when you started, while the right mix of solutions, powered by the freedom, scalability, and flexibility of the cloud can greatly enhance productivity. It may be hard to measure, but that’s something that translates to fewer expenses and greater revenue.
One of the greatest benefits of the cloud is that it is accessible from anywhere, making it the perfect solution for empowering a mobile workforce. Employees can work at home or wherever else they please, which means reduced office space requirements, enhanced morale, better productivity and, all in all, money saved.
ATS Tech Solutions helps businesses in and around Gainesville get more out of their technology. Get in touch today to schedule your free network health checkup and learn more about our cutting-edge cloud computing services.