Has Your Business Moved to the Cloud Yet?

The cloud is becoming a very important part of the modern-day business, and for good reason. It frees companies from the restricting physical nature of servers, desktops, and other hardware. In fact, according to Joe McKendrick of Forbes magazine, four-out-of-five small businesses will soon operate on the cloud.

Most businesses seem to be primarily interested in cloud-based applications and software simply due to how much more mobility it offers. One company which McKendrick spoke with, the Schaeffer Manufacturing Company, has seen a huge shift in profits ever since moving toward cloud-based services. Will Gregerson, an executive at the Schaeffer Manufacturing Company, says that the company has seen an incredible rate of growth, jumping from $85 million to $130 million worth of sales over the past few years. But, perhaps the most interesting part of this whole situation is that the company saw a 53 percent increase in profits with minimal changes to staffing in the sales department.

According to an Emergent Research and Intuit Inc. survey, 80 percent of small businesses plan on integrating cloud-based services into their business by 2020. These businesses aren't just technical companies, either. It doesn't matter what services or products businesses offer; they still want cloud services in the future. The study, led by Emergent's Steve King, also shows that these businesses plan to use several different methods of cloud computing to gain an edge over their competition.

"Plug-in Players"
These businesses are basically looking to concentrate on the more specialized services they provide, and outsource the rest of their operations to a third-party solutions provider. These businesses are called "plug-in players" due to them plugging into a cloud provider to get around the financial restrictions placed by a budget. Computerware can provide your business with solutions that can help you manage your business's homebase while you concentrate on delivering quality services and products to your clients.

"Hives"
Just like a beehive that is built around several individuals working toward a common goal, cloud-based applications can bring several people together to build something sweet. Thanks to the ability to work anytime, anywhere, workers can all be connected via a virtual workplace using cloud-connected applications.

"Head-to-Headers"
While small businesses grow and are able to tackle markets previously thought unreachable, cloud-based applications allow these businesses to go "head-to-head" with larger companies. This opens up far more possibilities and helps businesses cross the barrier once formed by the sheer size of a company.

"Portfolioists"
The individuals in each "hive," so to speak, will be able to take advantage of the cloud in never-before-seen ways, including building a virtual portfolio. These people will be able to find more than one source of income, eventually building their own personal space within the cloud. These people tend to be driven by the desire to be their own boss, and the cloud allows them to go about their plans for expansion in ways which previous generations weren't capable of.

Regardless of what you want to use the cloud for, Computerware can help you accomplish both your personal goals and your business goals. We can equip your business with virtual servers, cloud backup data, and cloud-based applications which make your business more mobile. Your business's productivity and potential for expansion will be sent skyward. Just call us at (703) 821-8200 to see what we can do for your company.