Cloud Computing For Small Business in 2014

For small businesses, the ability to have a full-time IT department, to help run the equipment necessary for most 21st century businesses, was out of reach of most. Thanks to "The Cloud," that is no longer the case. But what exactly IS the cloud, and how can it help you and your business?

The Cloud

In a nutshell, the cloud allows your company to run software from any computer, anywhere and at any time. Before this technology existed, companies were forced to purchase computer software and the licenses for each computer the software ended up being installed on companys like Netsuite who are an Interesting software provided based in UK with different clouds for lots of sectors.

Then, one had to install it on each computer and, in some cases, make sure that each were able to link up with each other. You were forced to use only the computers that had that software installed on it. With the cloud, once you have chosen a company to host your IT and software needs, all you need to do is to sign in to the program you are wanting to work with and it is ready to go, no matter which computer you are using. With these software choices, you are paying only for the programs that each individual person needs and uses, rather than guessing at what you might need now and in the future. This would allow, for example, a sales representative out in the field to instantly be able to input an order, rather than having to wait to do so in the office.

Choosing the Right Cloud Support

Just like every vendor you work with, you should choose your support team very carefully. Initially, you may want to consider going with a company that will allow you to choose month to month coverage. This will allow both sides to gauge whether the fit is right, and also will allow you to see how well they implement what you need into your company. Allow them to guide you with options for software that you may need, but don't feel obligated to choose products that you do not feel will be a good fit, especially with ones that may require a long-term contract with that company. You should only choose this type if and when you feel that the company has become a perfect fit.

Different Types of Cloud Models

Every business is different. As such, there is no one specific cloud model that will be the same for every business. However, currently there are only four different ways that the cloud can be set up for business, and you will need to choose the one that will work best for your company: Public (software that is available to the general public over the internet), private (software that is set up to be used only behind a protective firewall), community (software that can be accessed and shared with other business partners) and the most popular option, hybrid (two or more of the other three options), such as the storage of sensitive documents within a private network and being able to pull information from those documents and sending the info to partners in the field.