The Top 4 Reasons to Free Your Office From Hosting a Server
It wasn’t that long ago that having your own office server wasn’t optional. Now, thanks to advances in cloud computing, data storage and analysis, and IT management, it’s completely optional.
But does that mean you should give up your on-site server? Yes, and here are four very good reasons why you should switch to a cloud-based server.
1. Security
No matter how good you think your office server’s security is, it’s not going to be as thorough or as unassailable as an off-site server or cloud-based server. There’s just no way that your company—small, mid-sized, or enterprise—has more resources to spend on security than a reputable cloud computing service. And if it does, the cost for keeping that security current is going to be astronomically higher. A managed IT service provider keeps things in tip-top on your end, while a cloud-based service keeps your data safe.
2. Agility
Need another server? Fire one up in a matter of minutes. Need less computing power? Jettison it just as quickly. There’s no need to waste time or energy agonizing over trying to accurately predict your company’s computing needs far in advance, because your managed IT service can adjust your off-site or cloud-based servers on an as-needed basis.
3. Disaster Proofing
There are so many ways in which moving your office server or servers to the cloud helps to protect you from data disasters. Here are just a few:
Redundancy
Here’s one of the big ones. Redundancy is so much simpler and cheaper when you’re letting your managed IT service handle your data with virtualized servers. The hoops you’re jumping through for backups now? They’ll seem archaic once you switch over.
Maintenance Downtime Reduction
What if adding RAM, updating critical applications, or adding hardware didn’t require any downtime? That’s a real possibility once you upgrade to managed cloud servers. Don’t just think about the time you’ll save. Think about how much more willing you’ll be to upgrade to begin with. How much more up to date could your company be if you didn’t have to weigh every bit of maintenance against estimated losses from going dark?
Disaster Recovery Speed
We did say disaster proofing, but let’s face it: there’s no way to avoid all disasters. However unlikely it could be that you experience a data disaster with an updated managed system, it could happen. But the good news is that disaster recovery will be much, much faster. Think minutes to hours versus hours to days.
4. Time (and Money)
And of course—what your company’s decision-makers most want to hear. Cloud-based servers save your company significantly when it comes to two of its most valuable resources: time and money. Not only will your routine costs and time investment be lower, but in the event that you need to recover from a disaster, you’ll be doing so without paying an emergency premium.
