If you have been paying attention to the tech world, you probably know that almost all industries have begun moving their IT infrastructure to the cloud. Wondering whether it is worth it to install software on the cloud? Knowing the benefits and drawbacks can help you make the right decision. So here are the pros and cons of moving your software from on-site to the cloud.
Pros
- Reduced costs
This is probably one of the most commonly cited benefits of migrating to the cloud. Switching to the cloud means you don’t have to worry about buying hardware, repeatedly paying for software licensing or spending your financial resources on maintenance and repair. With the cloud, you only pay for what you use and how much of it you use as the investment in IT infrastructure and the burden of maintenance is placed on the vendor.
- Reduce IT staff responsibilities
Since almost everything related to the cloud will be managed by a third-party, your IT staff will have plenty of time to attend to other aspects of the business. They will no longer get engrossed with installing new software patches, maintaining servers or deploying and maintaining a firewall.
- Data security
Another key benefit of moving your software from on-site to the cloud is that your data is secured. From sophisticated digital safeguards to high-tech physical ones, cloud technology offers more security than you may possibly need. Even if you’re a small business owner, you can still benefit from enterprise-level security by working with enterprise cloud hosting partners.
- Easy accessibility and increased collaboration
Unlike in-house IT infrastructure where employees can only access the software when they’re on-site, the cloud hosting software makes it possible for your people to work remotely, provided they have an internet connection. You can simply leverage cloud hosting services for business applications so your employees can work together in different cities, states, countries or even continents.
- Superior disaster recovery
Moving your software to the cloud makes it easier to recover your data. The reason is that you can determine when the cloud system should backup your data, and it would do so automatically. So you can easily recover all lost data in a matter of minutes, even if your systems get corrupted.
- Scalability
You may have previously run into capacity problems when using your on-site infrastructure but the cloud eliminates that problem. Need more terabytes of storage space? Simply upgrade your plan with a few clicks. And even when you want to scale down, you just need to downgrade your plan – it’s that simple. In other words, the cloud allows you to adjust your services to suit your company’s needs.
- Ease of use
Getting started with the cloud is very easy as the provider is available 24/7 to offer all the technical and non-technical support you need. For example, deploying IFS applications on the Microsoft Azure cloud is simple and can be done in no time.
Cons
- Access is based on a robust connection
Unlike on-site IT infrastructure, you need high-speed internet to work remotely as a slow internet connection may grind your work to a halt or make it frustratingly slow. If you plan to move your software into the cloud, you will need a high-speed internet and good bandwidth.
- Legal restrictions
Before you move to the cloud, you need to first determine whether there is any legal restriction that bars you from putting your data on the cloud. For instance, government contractors are not allowed to store their data on the cloud.
Conclusion
It’s obvious that the benefits of the cloud far outweigh its drawbacks, which is why the cloud is here to stay. With this information, you can now make the right decision for your business. Ready to take the plunge? Request a Free Consultation today!
