It seems like everything is stored on the cloud these days. Photos, documents, applications and much more. Adam Jassy, an Amazon Web Service Executive once stated, “The cloud is the new normal.” He said this after discussing the move many major companies are making into the cloud computing realm.
This brings in the renewed question of reliability–and trust. If major companies put trust into cloud systems, and some even move a bulk of their web services and applications to the cloud, what does this indicate for smaller businesses?
Many cloud services, such as those offered by Google and Microsoft have proven cost-effective for these and many other companies, big and small. Not only that, businesses say it makes them more “agile” and they can connect with customers quicker. Of course, some companies, such as Google, are making it difficult to avoid the cloud, putting emphasis on it with the popular Google Drive and Gmail. Microsoft, on the other hand, continues to grow it’s Cloud services with OneDrive, and Office 365, and Exchange Online.
But with seemingly constant security breaches, is it worth the risk? There are several questions that need to be asked, centered squarely on security. Is anything you put in the cloud truly secure? Or what happens if the cloud-hosting company goes under?
In reality, what you have in the cloud is just about as secure as anything on your computer’s hard drive at in the office–if not more so—as long as you choose a reputable provider to store your data. As cloud services become more prevalent, companies are putting increased emphasis on security. Their clients are demanding it, and when your clients are multibillion-dollar companies, you listen. As for the likelihood of a company going under, this again decreases to negligible rates when you choose larger and more widely known companies. While it might be tempting to go with a small start-up whose offering or price differs from their big competitors, it can be risky. So this risk must be weighed against the benefits of the provider to determine if it is worth it for you and your company.
The bottom line is the cloud isn’t something to fear or avoid. From a small business perspective, it comes down to what you feel comfortable storing “out there.” If you have concerns about your cloud usage or are thinking about expanding your cloud services and are looking for advice or suggestions, we would be happy to help.