How to get your business started in the Cloud

There’s no going around it, the Cloud is the future of online business.  In fact, you may be part of the 95% of Americans using Cloud services already who don’t even know it.  Or, you may be part of the 54% who claim they hardly ever use the Cloud even though they use Cloud service at work.  Did you know that 51% of Americans believe Cloud computing is affected by the weather?  While Cloud computing has nothing to do with actual weather, the name is derived from the infrastructure of the Internet where an actual cloud provides the base shape.  If your business moves to the Cloud is no longer a valid statement, when you move to the Cloud is more realistic.

Migrating to the Cloud doesn’t have to happen overnight, and doesn’t have to be a full migration to start.  Many organizations move to the Cloud at a leisurely pace, moving one or two services at a time.  Agile IT works to migrate businesses at night and over the weekend so as to have as little interference with current operations as possible.

By next year, the Cloud is projected to be a $95 billion industry.  Small businesses are helping to drive this growth as 6 million have purchased their first Cloud service in 2013.  Regardless of this massive growth, many companies and individuals are still mystified by the Cloud.

There is no government requirement or mandate stating you must migrate your business to the Cloud.  Instead of viewing the Cloud as a hindrance you may wish to embrace it.  If you decide to move to the Cloud you can begin with a small migration (such as your messaging service) and continue to move from there.

Many different options exist for Cloud services, such as on-site, hosted, or hybrid which can help you determine which one is right for your business.  You can even try a pay-per-usage or pay-as-you-need service.  If you decide to start your migration with messaging, you can adjust Cloud requirements up or down to include more services.  This method doesn’t require up-front fees and you will not be held to certain long term contracts. This allows you to explore Cloud computing without a commitment.

It takes time to fully migrate to the Cloud but in the long run you will save a lot of money.  Cloud computing saves you by not having to purchase physical hardware or additional hardware required to run a network.  Migrating to the Cloud gives you a chance to replace old and outdated hardware with a newer, faster, and cheaper way to run your business without interruption.

The easiest, most painless way to try out the Cloud is to start small.  Messaging or email service migrations are fast, easy, and non-intrusive.  After this initial migration you can elect to sign up for more Cloud services, such as storage.  Many Cloud service providers include a level of security to ensure the safety of your data.  More and more Cloud based firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and secure endpoint peripherals are becoming available every day which are designed for Cloud service.

Agile IT is a certified Microsoft Gold partner, and has years of experience helping businesses move to the Cloud.  Whether you want to move just your email, or your entire business, Agile IT will make your migration as seamless and un-obtrusive as possible.  Contact us today to get started, and let us show you just how easy a move to the Cloud can be.