Cloud computing has greatly affected how companies operate and store data, and it has made a significant impact in the business world. You can use the cloud to your advantage in many ways, including enhancing your data security, gaining access to your data anywhere, and tapping into the power of new data storage technologies.
Reliable Access to Your Data From Any Location
The way companies do business has changed dramatically in the last decade. One of the main advantages of using the cloud is that you can now reduce the amount of printed data files. In the past, businesses needed to store vast amounts of paper on-site or at costly off-site locations to have access to their data.
Using any web-enabled device, you can get access to data for your business thanks to cross-platform functionality. For example, you can create a document on a laptop while commuting to work, edit it on your tablet, have staff members review it on their desktops at work, and then have the document available on your smartphone during a meeting. Ten years ago, this idea would have been a complicated feat, but today’s cloud can sync up operating systems automatically so that you and your team can seamlessly access company data.
Cloud computing allows you to reduce your physical footprint, reclaim office space, and improve efficiency. Imagine what moving offices now would be like versus having all of your files stored in the cloud.
Enhance Data Security
Whether you have strict regulatory guidelines or you want to keep your client data safe, cloud computing helps deliver strong data security. While your company may not have fallen victim to hackers or serious data breaches yet, you’re not completely immune to data security compromises.
Companies successfully using the cloud use high levels of encryption as they move data between the cloud and their office security systems. Multiple layers of cloud security will protect the office and the sensitive information you want to keep safe. Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers one example of how businesses can take measures to support data security and data access compliance.
The cloud also helps make sure that you are able to retrieve the latest version of your data should an on-site system failure or natural disaster take place. Choose a service that can back up your data automatically and often to the cloud. If an incident happens, your operations will be back up and running within minutes.
Gain Access to New Technologies
One of the core ways the cloud benefits businesses is providing access to mature APIs for technologies outside of the core competency of your company. These new technologies can enable more functionality in your offerings.
One example is an API that provides access to the same underlying technologies used to power Amazon Alexa. These APIs are primarily voice to text and deep-learning algorithms trained to interpret this text and deliver useful responses.
Using the cloud to store data increases collaboration, enforces security policies and compliance requirements, and protects company data. You will also gain access to new technology for building conversational interfaces into your customer service program. Cloud computing will become more and more powerful in the years to come: Now is the time to discover the advantages for your business.
