The benefit of cloud storage

If you haven’t already considered cloud storage yet, it’s definitely time to start your research. Cloud storage isn’t literally in the clouds – it just seems that way as far as most of us are concerned! Data is actually being stored on massive hard drives that are located around the world and run by specialist companies.

Cybersecurity

The most obvious concern people have is about cybersecurity. But cloud storage providers have teams of specialists working purely on data security, ensuring they have the best and most up-to-date levels of protection. A small business couldn’t afford to have anywhere near that level of expertise looking after their own in-house servers.

So, given that cybersecurity is not a problem, there are many advantages to storing your data in the cloud that will help you to work smarter:

Remote working

With all your data safely stored in the cloud, you can access it from any device, anywhere. Data is updated in real-time, enabling your colleagues to collaborate on work without having to worry about who made changes, and whether or not those changes are up-to-date. This opens up a whole new way of working, enabling you and your staff the flexibility to work wherever you want, whether that’s from home, the comfy sofa in a local café, checking in from holiday, or even working in the office!

Many large companies are now offering staff the chance to work remotely – either from home or co-working office spaces – which means they don’t have to commute into the office every day. This not only encourages loyalty and staff retention, in the long run it can also help them save money on expensive city office space.

Saves money

Storing your data on the cloud will work out a lot cheaper than any other option. Having your own servers not only costs money in terms of buying the hardware, it can also prove pricey in terms of support and maintenance. You can also save money by not having to buy and store external hard drives and do manual back-ups. And not having to keep so much hardware on your premises will also free up valuable space.

Scalability

It doesn’t matter how much or how little storage space you need, you will only ever have to pay for the data you have. What’s more, if you suddenly find you need a lot more storage space, it will be available instantly and without any upfront investment.

Disaster recovery

One major advantage of cloud storage is that if your computer is stolen or damaged, it is no longer the major disaster it used to be because your most valuable asset – your data – is still available. It is even possible to remotely access stolen computers to wipe all the data on it, giving you peace of mind that the only thing you’ve lost is the cost of replacing the hardware.

Business continuity

You may find yourself, for whatever reason, unable to get into your premises, or are unable to work there – it doesn’t have to be a disaster like a fire or flood to close the office and disrupt your business, it could be something as simple as being denied access because of an emergency at a different building on the street, a power cut, or even workmen accidentally cutting through the broadband cable. If you store your data in the cloud, you will be able to get your business up and running again just as soon as you and your staff can get to computers and access the internet. Minimising the amount of time you cannot operate could be the difference between staying in business and failing.

If you are looking for co-working office space in Hertford or Stoke Newington, click here for more details of UOE Hubs.