7 Reasons Cloud Storage Needs to be a Part of Your Business

In the next several years, cloud storage will continue to solidify itself as an incredibly valuable and important tool for small and large businesses alike. However, cloud storage is technically still in its infancy stage and many businesses are either too blinded by their current commitment to physical servers, or lack the knowledge regarding what cloud storage actually is to make a move. Don’t let your business make that mistake this year.

Understanding the truth behind cloud storage

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding cloud storage, and it’s important for business owners and key decision makers to understand what it is and what it isn’t. With Apple’s announcement last fall that they’ve finally developed an answer to popular consumer cloud providers like Dropbox and Google Drive, the question is back on the table: What does cloud storage actually do?

According to Techopedia.com, “Cloud storage is a cloud computing model in which data is stored on remote servers accessed from the Internet, or ‘cloud.’” Additionally, this data is “maintained, operated, and managed by a cloud storage service provider” that oversees everything.

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The latest research shows that nearly two out of every three global businesses—65% to be exact—are now using some form of cloud-based storage. In the United States, that number is significantly higher, with 93% of small businesses backing up some portion of their data with a cloud provider.

But why is cloud storage becoming so popular? Is it just another marketing gimmick from tech corporations looking to capitalize on the next big thing? Certainly not! Cloud storage is incredibly important and offers a number of benefits to both personal users and businesses.

Reasons your business needs cloud storage

Unless you’re comfortable with leaving your business exposed to risk and falling behind the times, you need to invest in cloud storage. Here are a few specific reasons why:

Eliminate the need for costly infrastructure. How much money does your company spend on buying new servers, installing them, and maintaining them on a regular basis? While the manufacturer may claim their newest system is reliable and needs no ongoing maintenance, something always goes wrong. With cloud storage, you can eliminate the need for expensive in-house systems and possibly save thousands—maybe even tens of thousands—of dollars in the long the run.

Significantly reduce the size of your IT department. Every time you add new technology, software, or servers, your IT department becomes strained and you’re eventually forced to hire new employees. While your IT department won’t disappear altogether, an investment in cloud storage takes away a major in-house responsibility and allows you to shrink your IT budget.

Save on utilities and reduce your footprint. Are you interested in cutting back on your energy bill and becoming a more eco-friendly company? An investment in cloud storage is an investment in the environment. You can expect to shave thousands of dollars off your annual utilities bill by replacing a few physical storage servers with virtual, cloud-based alternatives.

Protect against disaster. Did you know that only 6% of companies survive for more than two years after experiencing significant data loss? That’s why cloud storage is so valuable. It protects your valuable data from loss due to server failures, employee mistakes, natural disasters, and more. The future of data storage is in the cloud and you should ensure your business is part of that future.

Improve corporate flexibility and agility. With cloud storage, you can access data and documents from anywhere. That means you can pull up a spreadsheet from the comfort of your home, access important company financials from a hotel conference room, or check in on the progress of an ongoing project while flying at 50,000 feet. Cloud storage gives you access to the information you need, when you need it.

Stop syncing and start centralizing. There was a time when we thought it was pretty neat to be able to sync up devices across multiple platforms. However, it’s really more of a nuisance than it is a convenience. Cloud storage doesn’t require any syncing. As soon as a document or file is uploaded, it’s accessible from anywhere.

It’s cost effective. Finally, cloud storage is extremely cost effective. Instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to maintain your own physical servers each month, you only have to pay for what you need. Cloud storage adapts to your business as you scale and only costs a fraction of the price. For example, Dropbox for Business only costs $15 per user per month.

Now is the time to join the crowd

Thousands of small businesses are already utilizing the power of the cloud. Now it’s your time to join them and maximize the resources and capabilities you have in front of you. You can’t afford to sit back and wait any longer, or else you’ll risk missing out on the many advantages and benefits of cloud storage.

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