photo credit: Lars Plougmann via photopin cc
We read this excellent article from Creately this morning about cloud for small business. Entitled Why the Cloud should be used by Startups, it makes early on a vital point:
In years gone by, access to high-end technology was really only for the big players, but this is something that has changed, thanks largely to the cloud.
Specialist knowledge
This is really the point. Until recently, if a company of any size wanted access to complex and/or specialized technologies, it required in-house tech skills and appropriate hardware that had to be maintained and replaced from time-to-time. The financial investment required would rule out access to many, if not most, small companies. Using open source software would lessen the financial blow, but even open source technology needs someone with suitable server-side skills to maintain the office-based server technology. Add to this the disaster recovery and security implications of running such valuable hardware and software from office premises and it’s a wonder any company could face running anything more demanding than an abacus.
Cloud and proud
Then along came the cloud. The cloud means different things to different people (which ultimately boils down to: it doesn’t have to mean throwing in your lot with Amazon or Google, it just means accessing services that are provided from a server at a remote location), but in this context, it means that any company can reap the full benefit of top-end services that are run by a specialist company. The company providing the services (yes, that’s us) has all the headache of sourcing, maintaining and replacing the hardware, managing all the software licenses and updates, and recruiting and employing staff with the required IT skills. The end user just pays the bill once a month or once a year and uses the services to facilitate running their business. What small company wouldn’t be proud of making such a canny move?
Cloud security
We heart the cloud. We own and run our own servers, which are located in a top-notch data centre in London that’s powered by a range of renewable energy sources (including sewage gas – yum). We make all the decisions about the software we use to configure and maintain our servers and who connects to them and how, so we know how secure our servers and services are. We understand that people have qualms about placing information on servers that are beyond their direct control, and in some instances and some providers those qualms are well-placed, but we have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the benefits of using well-run services on properly-maintained servers provided by a company with integrity and an excellent track record for uptime are enormous for business.
OpenSure’s cloud for small business
Our cloud isn’t just for small businesses – some pretty big ones use it too. If you’d like to speak to us about the cloud services we can provide for you, please contact us. We’re always happy to chat.
photo credit: Lars Plougmann via photopin cc