Beyond Backup: Why Choose The Cloud?
Cloud computing has gone from a niche part of IT into the norm for most companies over the past couple of years. It’s become common
knowledge that for backing up information without having to spend money on costly hardware, the cloud is the way to go. However, back-ups are not the only benefits of moving your network to the cloud. Accessibility, portability, and scalability are all benefits as well that can save your business time and money and help you raise the bar for your business….into the cloud.
Let’s start with the integration. In the past, setting up a new server, linking it, installing software, and everything that went with it took days. This meant downtime, manpower being shifted from their usual jobs to helping install and implement the network. With the cloud those days become hours, if not minutes. The cloud offers seamless integration and back up. This means that integration is merely a matter of proper synching and uploading
which can be done easily by an experienced team such as Delval Technology Solutions, while your team works on the things that they need to for your enterprise. What’s more, your software will be integrated as you need it to be, no more having to start from scratch and customize it to your needs. It goes to the cloud just how it exists on your current terminals.
The cloud also makes it easier for your business to grow. Cloud servers have the capabilities for near unlimited storage. If your enterprise takes on more clients, backs up more files, or adds additional projects or employees, the room is easily made without adding extra hardware. What used to take new
computers, hours of setup, and multiple consultations now occurs in just a few clicks, at a fraction of the cost. If you add new users remotely, or in house,
as long as they have internet service and proper credentials, they can access your network quickly and efficiently. For your workers who are collaborating, it can be an issue sending larger files to one another without having to take extra compression steps, which can degrade images and video. However, with the cloud, sending these files is as easy as dropping something into a shared file.
The cloud also offers enhanced security. Now, this may seem counter intuitive. You would think that a process that makes your network more accessible
to your employees would also make it more accessible to hackers. However, this is not the case. A top-class cloud provider, like the folks at Delval
Technology Solutions, will employ someone whose entire job is to make sure that the cloud is secure. They are tasked with monitoring the goings on in the cloud in real time and are security experts. This is not to say that your in-house IT personnel doesn’t know their stuff, but they have a variety of things to focus on. Another thing that adds to the security of the cloud is the encryption associated. For your data to reach the cloud it must first be encrypted. This encryption only deciphers itself when properly accessed. What does this mean for your business? You don’t have to worry about your data floating around cyber-space, as even if it does get out, it will be illegible to anyone trying to read it.
The cloud is also more affordable in the long run. With cloud services you get access to things like subscription versions of the latest software which are easily scalable and available for a fraction of the cost. In fact, adding anything from software, to terminals, to necessary storage is more cost effective in the cloud. This is because you are leveraging cost. The cloud is basically a massive, shared server. Therefore, you are basically getting a wholesale price on data, storage, and software. Why the cloud? Well, it seems the question in this case would be why not? Whether you are looking to scale up, migrate your employees, back up your data, or save money, the cloud is a perfect solution to your data needs. When you partner with a top notch cloud service provider like Delval Technology Solutions, the cloud isn’t merely a thing you look at in the sky, it’s the technology that makes the sky the limit for your business.
Ransomware Concerns Aren't just Ransom
At this point, everybody has probably heard enough about cyber attacks to get the gist. Hackers come in through a nefarious means. This could range from phishing, to finding a zero day exploit in a server, to just peering over an employees shoulder. From there, they use the way in to steal your data. This includes login credentials, customer information, credit card information and just about anything else that's out there. In the case of ransomware, the most prevalent attack, these hackers hold your data hostage, crippling your organization until you pay up. That sounds bad doesn't it? Well, that's not the only price you pay when you get hacked. Today, let's look at what else costs you when you get attacked.
How much does trust cost your business? When customer or employee information leaks to the dark web, it serves to erode the trust you have built.
This could mean a number of things. It could mean your customers and clients suffering from identity theft, bank account breaches, or having at the bare
minimum to argue with their bank or change all of their login credentials. These minor nuisances and major challenges come back to reflect on your company's security. Many businesses have suffered greatly from lack of consumer confidence. On the employee end, it can mean reimbursement, time lost, and worse yet, a higher turnover rate. If an employee cannot trust and employer with their livelihood and reputation, then they lose much of the incentive to stay with that job. Those factors can also keep other qualified applicants from wanting to join the ranks of your business.
A breach is also cause for investigation. For some that could be just a minor nuisance as they may have a great MSP like Delval Technology Solutions to make sure they are compliant and operating within the regulations that have been set out. If a company isn't up on their compliance, then it can be a far bigger issue. That's when they need to worry about fees and fines levied, costing thousands of not millions of dollars. It can also lead to an organization being shut down completely, depending on the violation.
How much does it cost you, per day for your network to be shut down? This question is a pressing one for many business owners. The cost of downtime is something that can bleed a business dry if it goes on to long. In fact many studies indicate that a business can only sustain three days of downtime without losing catastrophic amounts of money. After that 70% of businesses have to shut their doors completely. You still have to pay your team, even if they are knocked offline by an attack. Your bills, invoices, and internal communications will grind to a halt. You won't be able to get the money from your clients in order to pay your bills and your staff. Your team won't be able to continue and complete their tasks as they will not be able to communicate or collaborate over your network. Your customers who are trying to reach you will be left in the dark. This ripple effect is why making sure you have systems in place to minimize downtime are crucial elements to your business.
This may seem daunting, after all these hackers are working full time to attack enterprises such as yours, and you are working full time on numerous other things involved in running your business. This is where an MSP like Delval Technology Solutions comes in. An MSP gives you access to the resources you need in the fight against hackers. You will have experts on call, helping you plan and manage your network proactively. Your company will have access to top class software and hardware, handling things such as multi factor authentication and real time network monitoring to keep intruders out and your business experiencing uptime, not downtime. Your team, well they will receive monthly training to help transform them from average
employees into Frontline firewalls, helping you keep hackers and cyber-attackers at bay. All of this comes at a fraction of the cost of hiring
just one full time IT technician, and is tailored by experience so you get what you need, when you need it.