SMEs are one of the largest contributors to our economy – making up over 99% of all businesses in the UK.  However, recent research states that three quarters of UK SMEs may be failing to adopt workplace technologies such as cloud, mobile working and BYOD, stifling their growth, productivity and employee engagement.

Cloud computing is everywhere and there’s a high chance you are using it already in your day to day life. From online backup sites, like OneDrive, to web-based email services; if you have gmail you’ve used the cloud! The cloud has rapidly increased into the new normal, so much so IT analyst Gartner forecasts that by 2022 cloud will make up almost a third of IT spending.

But what is driving these businesses to the cloud?

Accessing Data Anywhere

If you work on the cloud, your data is right at your fingertips. Data is stored over the internet which means you can be anywhere in the world and be able to access your work. With location in your own hands, cloud computing services usually offer a range of applications and programs for your mobile, tablet and desktop which makes your choice of device a breeze. The cloud redefines the workplace with businesses offering more flexible and balanced working-perks like the ability to work from home. This proves extremely beneficial to SMEs who may not have a huge number of employees but still need the balance of work and pleasure to maintain productivity.

Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery is crucial for businesses of any size. However, the hefty price tag and need for complete understanding may limit an SMEs chance of a reliable service. Cloud is available for businesses to defy this. Studies show that small businesses are twice as likely as larger companies to have implemented cloud-based backup and recovery solutions. These solutions save time, avoid large up-front investment and roll up third-party expertise as part of the deal.

Security

All businesses need their data to run successfully. Loss of vital equipment puts this sensitive data at risk of being lost. However, because your data is stored in the cloud, you can access it no matter what happens to your machine. And you can even remotely wipe data from lost laptops so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands.

Flexibility

Cloud-based services are ideal for businesses with growing or fluctuating bandwidth demands. If your needs increase it’s easy to scale up your cloud capacity, drawing on the service’s remote servers. Likewise, if you need to scale down again, your cloud package allows it. This flexibility and pay-as-you-go style package gives you the freedom to purchase what you actually need.

Collaboration and Control

Although teams working together on projects can produce high quality work, it’s sometimes hard to keep up with changes over platforms like email. Cloud-based workflow and file sharing apps help them make updates in real time along with the knowledge of who edited what and when. Its said that “73% of knowledge workers collaborate with people in different time zones and regions at least monthly”. This can be hard to manage without files being shared live in one place. Cloud storage means that all files are stored centrally resulting in greater visibility and collaboration.

Helping the Environment

As we mentioned in our last blogpost, the cloud can help the environment in many ways. Most importantly, small businesses can save even more energy than the larger counterparts – up to 90 percent! Cloud servers have the ability to run multiple operating systems, reducing you hardware and equipment significantly. Your flexibility within the pay-per-use plan also helps, as you’re getting what you will actually use instead of wasting energy on unnecessary hardware.

What we can do.

The Cloud is becoming the right tech to support customers, businesses and yourself. SMEs are driving cloud uptake and these businesses are proven to stay successful with their cloud infrastructure. It’s important to stay on top of our ever expanding technology and be open to adopting the right tech that can drive your company into the future. If you’re ready to take the next step to cloud migration contact us here at Cloudserve.

Here at Cloudserve we offer, secure cloud computing services. We are a Microsoft Silver Partner specialising in delivering high performance, reliable, and cost-effective services to small and medium size businesses. Cloudserve takes complex cloud services and makes them consumable to small and medium businesses, offering a complete array of IT and communications services.