A fair number of business owners are somewhat hesitant to embrace the cloud. That’s understandable, but the reality is that you’re probably already using cloud-based services yourself, and have been for quite some time now. Given that, perhaps it’s time for a rethink. Here are just a few of the ways you’re likely already using cloud services.
Do you use a web-based email account like Gmail or Hotmail? If so, you’re using cloud-based services. Your emails are stored on a remote server, and you can access your messages from anywhere on a variety of devices. If you can get an internet connection, you’ve got access to your mail.
Music and Videos
Do you listen to music using Pandora or Spotify? Both are cloud based. If you’ve got an Apple device, odds are you’ve purchased at least a few songs on the iTunes store. It’s likely that you use the iCloud to store your music, streaming it to your devices when you want to listen to them. If you’ve got an Amazon account, you may have one or more videos in your digital library, which you can again stream on any device, simply by logging in. And we can’t forget to mention Netflix, if you are using Netflix to stream movies or television shows to your home or device, you are using the cloud. All of these are great examples of cloud-based services.
Social Media
If you use Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other social media, you’re storing the information you share, along with images you upload on a server somewhere else, but can access them later from any device, anywhere in the world. The same is true if you have an account with a photo-sharing repository like Flickr.
File Sharing and Collaboration
In a similar vein, if you use Google Drive, One Drive, Drop Box, Box or any other online storage, and/or if you use Google Docs or Office 365 to generate documents, then you’re already using the cloud. The bottom line is – it’s incredibly likely that you’ve been using a number of cloud-based services, possibly for years without the slightest hitch. Embrace it.
If you still have qualms or hesitations about the cloud, we can answer any questions you may have, and address any lingering concerns. There are a number of ways the cloud can help you reduce costs and increase productivity in your business. Feel free to contact us for more information.
