Having "your head in the clouds" used to describe day dreamers. But now, it might describe someone working remotely or at a satellite office. Cloud computing is expanding the business world in a big way, and for the most part, it’s great. Between the mobility, low cost, and flexibility of scale, the Cloud is pretty much a small to mid-size business’s dream.
If it sounds too good to be true, it’s because the Cloud isn’t without its own problems. If you are on the Cloud, or considering using the Cloud, talk to your IT professional about these common, yet often overlooked problems to avoid.
3 Commonly Overlooked Cloud Issues
1. Internet Connectivity Issues
Internet connectivity issues happen. A couple of huge Cloud providers, like Google and Amazon, have both had issues. Yes, it happens -- the all-powerful Internet can fail from time to time. But if it does go down, even if temporarily, what is your contingency plan?
Your company should have a well thought out, written document on how to handle the loss of Internet. The plan should include things like on-premise files storage options, offline syncing platforms, a secondary backup provider or a cellular backup option. And don’t forget to train employees how to stay active during down time.
Keep in mind, your bandwidth is gold. Don’t overlook the amount of bandwidth that is needed to successfully roll out a Cloud environment. Check with your IT professional, they will know if your current bandwidth will sustain your Cloud goals.
2. Security -- On Your End
The second thing on everyone’s mind is security. What most companies overlook with the Cloud is YOUR role in IT security when you use Cloud technologies. Security on the Cloud is a 50/50 split between the service provider and your business. Reputable service providers do a great job at protecting their end, but that scope doesn’t cover your company.
Now more than ever, you need IT services from an internal or outsourced IT professional. Things like security and backups still need to be updated for your company. What’s even more important is: who has your back if internal or external hacks happen? Your IT service provider can encrypt data before it even hits the Cloud, keeping it safe and giving you peace of mind.
Don’t overlook keeping up IT on your end, no matter how great the Cloud provider is!
3. Backing Up Cloud Data
While data loss is rare, it’s not impossible.
This is another reason having your own IT department, on-staff or outsourced, is critical. Your IT provider will know best practices not only for disaster recovery, but also how to distribute data across multiple applications for added protection. Again, just like security, data loss is not all up to the service provider. Speak with your IT professional to understand the risks involved with using the Cloud. It’s important to come up with a plan to keep your company safe on your budget.
The Cloud is a wonderful resource that can help small to mid-size businesses create a competitive edge. Make sure that you are using it to your advantage by not overlooking these 3 common cloud problems. Talk to your IT provider to keep cloud computing problems to a minimum in your business’s not so distant future.
Want to talk specifics about the Cloud and your organization? Give us a call at (800) 481-4369.
Related: Tech Trends: The Cloud, New Norm for Businesses
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