If you’re a technology decision-maker for a small or midsized business (SMB), you may be looking at cloud solutions as the answer to all your technology challenges.
Then again, there’s a good chance you’ve already decided you can’t benefit from the cloud because you don’t have 10,000 employees, multi-billion-dollar revenues, or vast server farms.
The truth lies somewhere in between.
Regardless of the size of your company, cloud computing won’t completely eliminate your need to run servers or install applications. But the benefits of cloud computing can and do apply to organizations in virtually every industry and at every revenue level.
Leading Cloud Solutions for SMBs
What are some of the cloud solutions that can save you time and money by reducing your hardware footprint and application maintenance burden?
You’ve no doubt heard of Salesforce.com – one of the gold standards of cloud-based software solutions. Salesforce lets thousands of companies enhance their sales force automation and customer relationship management with a solution that’s delivered through a browser. You don’t need hundreds of salespeople to reap the benefits.
There’s also Zendesk – a web-based help desk system that is helping many companies increase the efficiency of their call centers. Zendesk can be a great way to provide better service without adding more agents.
But the cloud solution we’re most excited about for SMBs is Microsoft® Office 365. Actually, we shouldn’t even call Office 365 a solution, because it’s really a range of solutions. Depending on your company’s needs, you can use Office 365 to move your email to the cloud, connect via presence with Microsoft Lync, or deploy the full Microsoft Office suite to a handful or hundreds of users. In either case, you’ll only pay a flat fee per month.
Your Path to the Cloud
Now, here’s the catch: because cloud-based software solutions are delivered online and you simply pay a fee to gain access, people often make the mistake of assuming they won’t have to put a lot of thought into their transition to the cloud. IT decision-makers are often tempted to start replacing as much of their installed software as possible with cloud solutions. By doing this, they can begin to generate noticeable savings in a short time. But it’s a short-sighted approach.
To make the best cloud decisions for the long term, you’ll need to consider what your current hardware infrastructure looks like. What software you have installed. And what growth plans your company has. Otherwise, you’ll risk being left with a slick, powerful cloud software solution that doesn’t fit the way you actually work.
But don’t let that discourage you. Just be sure to plan carefully. To learn more about how you can benefit from cloud computing – and four other emerging technology trends – request our free white paper: “SMB IT: Five Ways to Get More From Your Investment.”
