The word “Cloud” has been something of a buzzword in recent years (though “AI” might have started to replace it), but within the context of tech, “Cloud” isn’t referring to the weather – let’s de“mist”ify the Cloud and see how migrating your setup might work for your business.
EPX’s “Professor” Elliot Bishop takes us through it……
Traditional IT set-up
The traditional IT set-up for most businesses likely involves at least one server, and probably more depending on the scale of your business.
These servers are basically big, powerful PCs designed to be reliable enough to run 24/7, and likely reside at HQ, providing login services, file sharing, printer management, running line-of-business apps, and so on – all of the key services that your business depends on.
Hybrid and remote working needs
Historically, this set-up has worked very well, but it does carry downsides. As more and more businesses adopt a hybrid or remote working model, full capacity offices are being eschewed in favour of downsizing and hot-desking.
Home workers can find themselves needing to rely on VPN connections or offline copies of their files to work from outside of the office, opening up the possibility of sync issues and version conflicts.
Disadvantages and high business costs
Even businesses that do still prefer full office attendance can find faults with this centralised IT model – satellite offices, salespeople who are often on the road, and collaboration with other external companies can all throw complications into the traditional server-based setup. Not to mention the appreciable cost to buy, run, upgrade, and maintain servers – replacing an old server with a new one could easily run into five figures.
What is the Cloud?
Enter, the “Cloud”. At its most basic, using a cloud-based service (for example, swapping out your file server for SharePoint) just means that you’re outsourcing the hassle of running your servers to someone else (in this case, Microsoft). To you as an end user, it’s often not even obvious that there’s a server involved at all.
Typically, a cloud service like SharePoint is accessed via your browser, or by installing an app built specifically to help deliver that service (in this case, OneDrive). This means that all you need to access the service is an Internet connection – you’re no longer tied to a specific location or reliant on a VPN. And instead of costly server replacements, you pay a much more palatable monthly or annual subscription fee to the provider of the service.
This isn’t just limited to file sharing either - Microsoft alone offer a cloud-based version of near enough every core role that a server would typically fulfil, and other companies like Google have their own equivalents as well.
Powerful and flexible business models
Strictly speaking, everything we’ve talked about so far is only one flavour of cloud – products like SharePoint are referred to as Software as a Service, or SaaS. But what if you have an app or service that doesn’t have a good cloud-based alternative, and still needs a server to run on?
Well, maybe Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS, has the solution. Platforms like Microsoft Azure offer the ability to run and manage entire servers in their datacentres, which can be tailored to whatever your requirements may be. Although there’s a little more setup, maintenance, and knowhow involved, IaaS can be incredibly powerful and flexible, and you still don’t need to worry about paying for expensive hardware up-front.
What to consider before moving to the Cloud
There’s still a few things to consider before making the jump - one of the biggest is the quality of your office’s Internet connection, no matter how large or small. Moving all of your core IT functions offsite to the cloud will increase the demand on your line in both directions, up and down, so you may want to give some thought to an upgrade, or even a leased line (watch this space for more info on leased lines around the corner).
A cloud migration could revitalise the way you work and give you the push you need to implement a truly hybrid or remote working model, but it still takes careful planning and consideration.
Starting to think about the move to the Cloud?
If you’re thinking of making the switch and want more info or advice, reach out to one of our Partner Consultant team and see how we can help you get there.
