What is the cloud – and how can it benefit your company?
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, chances are you’ll have at least heard of the latest buzzword in tech – namely, the cloud. These days it often feels like everything seems to be going cloud-based in some way – whether it be playing games in the cloud, streaming media, shopping online or uploading files to cloud-based storage. But just what is this mysterious cloud and what, if anything, can it do for your business?
Remote storage vs cloud storage
Cloud storage is almost identical to the idea of storing files remotely – just under the rebadged, in-fashion, ‘cloud’ title. In truth, there’s really very little new in the idea of uploading documents and files to remote servers; we’ve been doing it ever since the first web pages were posted online, served by far-flung computers.
In recent years, however, branded services like Dropbox, Google Drive and even FTP sites have become popular as a way to allow companies and individuals to store and share files to and from remote locations.
Remote storage has become increasingly widespread due to its flexibility and accessibility options.
Cloud servers
While cloud storage is, in essence, just connected remote hard drives, cloud servers could be considered more like connected computers, with the ability to process software and apps. It’s very likely a cloud server will also function as a secure repository for your important files but, crucially, it will also have the ability to serve these files through applications, making them useable remotely.
By drawing on the processing power of a cloud-based server, it’s now possible to run the most complex, power-hungry apps and games on even the simplest mobile phone – since all the true grunt and complex calculations are remotely processed, in the cloud, by the server itself.
Vastly improved connection speeds like the upcoming 5G technology and better mobile devices have substantially increased the usability of cloud-based apps to the point that a basic tablet can now be used to function better than a powerful desktop.
However, cloud-based computing really comes into its own when the services offered are tailor-made, bespoke to your company and its operations. By leveraging the processing the speed and storage capacity of a remote cloud server – coupled with the applications you use on a daily basis in your office operations – you can vastly increase workers’ efficiency and overall productivity, no matter where they happen to be.
Moreover, because most cloud platforms come bundled with security and back-up functions built-in, you can worry less about compromises of your network security. Indeed, there are almost limitless additional services you can add to increase your network’s security – again, at a faction of the cost and trouble of trying to install them yourself on a local server. For example, Proofpoint’s excellent Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) system doesn’t just protect your network, it also monitors and controls access by third-party apps that might provide a backdoor into your network.
With the recent emergence of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns, there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of people working from home over cloud-based solutions.
Given that most analysts suggest remote-working is going to be with us long after the virus abates, if your company hasn’t already invested in remote technology, it’s probably time you considered looking at integrating with cloud-based networks.
And the beauty is, you don’t just need to look for local suppliers – because of the nature of cloud-based networks you could partner with companies in any location across the world, potentially making substantial cost-savings in the process.
