The cloud is not unlike an iceberg. Some benefits, like speed and security, are more apparent. Others, while less obvious, pack quite a punch. It's these hidden benefits that make cloud computing the bedrock of doing business digitally. They're also why some experts cloud managed service providers will triple by the end of this year, unleashing a “cloud gold rush” that will boom into a business by 2021. Whether you're fully on the cloud or using a hybrid model, here are ten ways businesses large and small can capitalize on the expansion.
#1. ENHANCES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Good businesses understand that enhancing the customer experience is a direct route to improving their customer retention. Using the cloud or combining it with your existing server structure centers your customer by providing more features to help ease their pain points. Gartner reports that leading cloud providers consistently add anywhere from 40 to 50 features each month. That's thousands of feature sets to support your business each month!
#2. POWERS YOUR BUSINESS VIRTUALLY
Cloud technology offers accessibility regardless of locale, allowing employees to stay responsive and tend to their work virtually. At this point, WFH life is more long-term solution than passing trend. Not only do employees who work from home report higher job satisfaction, having a remote workforce supported by the cloud gives employers the added assurance of business continuity, no matter what in-office disruptions they may face in the future.
- 87% of companies now rely on employees using their personal smartphones to access cloud-based apps and services.
- 66% of workers say offices will disappear by 2030.
#3. CUTS UNNECESSARY COSTS
Committing to a large IT investment can be daunting, particularly if you're looking at an upfront cost rather than a subscription-based model. If you're not ready to take the plunge and migrate your whole business to the cloud, hybrid cloud offers you the opportunity to migrate incrementally at your own pace. This means you can spread associated costs over a longer period and test before committing. You may even choose to continue working with a hybrid in order to mobilize your most resource-intensive processes and data repositories. Not to mention, its environmentally friendly! See how below:
#4. MAKES YOUR BUSINESS MORE COMPETITIVE
Small businesses that adapt to the cloud or a hybrid technology have a huge competitive advantage. Suddenly, instead of relying exclusively on a limited specialized team to wow their customers, they have access to enterprise-class technology. Most businesses recognize the benefits of agility but actually achieving it is challenging.
74% of organizations say the cloud gives their team a competitive advantage.
19.6% say their business is faster at adapting to new technology after the cloud.
#5. REACHES BUSINESS INFLUENCERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Even the savviest social media marketers can increase their impact using the cloud. With the mind-bending amount of videos, comments and interactions shared on social, it'd take a small army to analyze each one. By leveraging the cloud, businesses can automate their social media management and identify business with a direct line to their target audiences. 1.7MBé of data is created every second by every individual throughout 2020.
#6. GETS YOU FUTURE-READY
The relevance of your IT infrastructure can directly impact the relevance of your business. A near-obsolete setup prevents you from effectively deploying the future-ready technologies that we're growing reliant upon. Be it different kinds of automation and analytics to Artificial Intelligence (Al) like chatbots, having access to advanced cloud computing resources helps you pivot toward long-term success. The average person uses 36 Cloud-based services every single day. 74% of Tech CFOs believe that cloud computing will have the maximum measurable impact on their business. Gartner predicted that by 2020, the average person would have more conversations with chatbots than with their spouse.
#7. CUTS UNNECESSARY COSTS
When you run a business, cash flow is king. Committing to a large IT investment can be daunting, particularly if you're looking at an upfront cost rather than a subscription-based model. If you're not ready to take the plunge and migrate your whole business to the cloud, hybrid cloud offers you the opportunity to migrate incrementally at your own pace. This means you can spread associated costs over a longer period and test before committing. You may even choose to continue working with a hybrid in order to mobilize your most resource-intensive processes and data repositories. 94% of IT executives said the cloud would reduce setup and maintenance costs. IT pros report an average of 20% overall cost savings switching to the cloud.
#8. SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL GROWTH
Have your sights set abroad? Moving to the cloud helps businesses expand internationally. Whether you send an individual point person or an entire team overseas, cloud computing makes it possible for them to access essential files and company data in real-time, regardless of their new country code. It also gives businesses more say over where sensitive-data is stored, avoiding any regulatory or compliance complications. Global e-commerce will grow to reach $18.89 trillion by 2027. 62% of tech businesses on both sides of the Atlantic say they primarily pursue international expansion to grow their customer base.
#9. FREES UP TIME AND RESOURCES
If you want their help creating and testing new products you're going to have to free them up somehow. By working with the cloud, key members of your team have fewer server related responsibilities.
#10. NEXT I.T. CAN HELP!
In conclusion, single out any of the above benefits and you can easily make a case for switching over to the cloud. Come armed with all 10 and it's likely to be smooth sailing for your business. Fortunately, the team at Next I.T. are specialists in cloud migration and setup.
Contact us today to learn more and see how these benefits will directly impact your individual business!
