Cloud-hosted computing has been around for quite some time, but it has never been as accessible as it is today.  It is now a commonly used resource for almost any type of business. In fact, the growth of cloud-based computing suggests that we are staring at a cloud-hosted future. Today, we wanted to discuss the cloud and how it has become the go-to solution for growing businesses. 

Business Computing, Hosted in the Cloud

For a long time, “the cloud” was thought of as a wasteland where rogue companies send their data to be stolen. The perceived insecurity of cloud computing platforms kept businesses away for a long time, instead investing in IT infrastructure refreshes that would cost tens of thousands of dollars every five years. 

Today, the cloud is possibly the most crucial tool used for business. Not only can it provide an organization with the applications and storage they need to effectively run their organization, it provides a degree of flexibility that allows businesses to make strategic computing decisions.
As it stands, the global cloud computing market is expected to exceed $620 billion by the end of 2023 and currently stands at over $500 billion per year.  

Cloud Computing Use Cases

There are three ways that businesses can take advantage of cloud computing. They can utilize: 

• Public cloud - Cloud resources that are hosted on shared infrastructure over a public network. Public clouds are particularly useful as they provide the processing, storage, or application deployment necessary for many businesses to operate without huge computing costs. For what your business loses in control over its computing environment, it is supported by cost reduction.
• Private cloud - A private cloud is one that is typically hosted in-house on company-owned infrastructure. This provides the access that is needed for employees (especially remote employees), but also gives your team the control over the management, and maintenance of the applications and the underlying infrastructure. 
• Hybrid cloud - The hybrid cloud uses elements from both public and private cloud solutions to create the most cost-effective and secure construct. The hybrid cloud comes with significant management and configuration costs, especially if you plan on integrating solutions hosted both ways, but can be a very effective deployment method for business computing. 

These three deployment methods can be deployed in a myriad of ways. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ways that the modern business uses cloud computing. 

• Line of Business - The cloud is a popular destination for line of business applications, especially since a lot of businesses have chosen to work with a distributed workforce. The only real drawback is that for any cloud-based platform to work as intended, there needs to be network connectivity. 
• Productivity - Productivity is the name of the game. There are suites such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace that deliver a lot of value through the dissemination of multiple productivity applications and cloud-based storage. 
• Communication - Lately, a lot of businesses have chosen to utilize cloud-hosted telephone and video conferencing solutions as their go-to business communication options. These are great options as it significantly reduces cost in both landline and mobile communications.
• Security - Getting your security tools in the cloud reduces the management costs a business is responsible for and it ensures that, since it is delivered as a service, it is constantly updated with the latest threat definitions without in-house management. 

Computing in the cloud could be right for your business and you may not even know it. If you would like more information about how to utilize cloud-based resources to improve your business’ technology profile, give Data Net a call today at (760) 466-1200.