May 2017
Blue Sky Thinking: How the Cloud is Helping Businesses to Thrive
With news that HSBC is finally looking to implement a Cloud-first strategy across its entire organisation, it looks like even the great bastion of tradition which is banking will soon be adopting Cloud technology.
To companies in other industries, however, the Cloud is nothing new. For years now, Cloud-based services have been providing remarkable results across businesses of various sizes – and with HSBC’s recent announcement, there’s proof that it’s never too late to adopt the technology. But what, you may be asking, makes the Cloud so good at helping businesses?
24/7 Access
This is the big one, and is a manifestation of the way we prefer to work in the 21st Century. Like its namesake up in the sky above, the Cloud isn’t in a fixed location, allowing for individuals to not be constrained to one location or a single server to work. This has essentially transformed how small businesses work and how owners run their organisation.
The remote working movement is a hugely influential idea – and has become a staple of modern day business – and the Cloud lies at the very heart. Of course, there are more benefits on offer than simply being able to work from a laptop on a beach.
Using the Cloud-based applications and bespoke CRM solutions on offer, business owners can work from anywhere in the world at any time. The 9-5 is no longer a constraint we have to live within, and as clients who make the most of our bespoke CRM solutions will know, this flexibility opens up a whole world of possibilities when it comes to how a business is run.
No More Physical Limitations
On the subject of being freed from working constraints, there’s also a practical way that the Cloud has been benefiting businesses. When it comes to running software applications, traditionally organisations needed to go to great pains to run installations on servers and access said applications from those physical machines.
Now, companies are benefiting from a virtual experience instead. Rather than the painstaking process of putting software into place, organisations and individuals can access their software on the Cloud. From here, they can experience much faster operating speeds, more regularly maintained software, and a space where software can be developed.
Lower Costs
Of course, by moving software to a virtual desktop, companies are freed from having to acquire and maintain a server. Instantly, companies have seen sizeable savings not just from ditching the server, but also from not needing a professional to maintain said server on-site.
What’s more, small start-up businesses can further save on not needing a physical location to work in and on travel costs. The savings – plus the affordable costs of Cloud applications, such as Google Drive or Dropbox – make for a much healthier bottom line, all with the benefits of being able to store and access data at will.
Damage Limitation
There’s also a lot to be said about the ability for Cloud systems to be regularly updated, saving businesses huge amounts of heartbreak when an accident occurs. Regular back-ups can see an organisation back on their feet in a matter of moments following a crisis, all without forking out for the cost of repairs.
In addition, there’s also no physical server to watch over in the office, protecting data against physical disasters such as fires, floods or theft, and Cloud servers are watched over by professionals who can ensure a constant uptime.
A Competitive Edge
If you’re reading this because you’ve yet to adopt any aspect of Cloud computing, it’s important to note that your competitors are already making the most of what’s available. It’s a lesson HSBC will soon learn once their rivals begin to combine Big Data and Cloud computing in their own organisations, attempting to imitate the same competitive edge.
But it’s not just the act of adopting the Cloud that will help you to get ahead – it’s also important to make sure it’s being used in a way that assists your business specifically.
Businesses which have been hugely successful from Cloud solutions have explored various services and products – including Cloud storage solutions and Cloud-based bespoke CRMs – to find an offering which fits with their people and goals. Those are the businesses which have truly gained a competitive edge, and who have thrived the most from the Cloud.
Are you looking into moving your CRM onto the Cloud for better results and thriving business growth? Get in touch to arrange a free demo of Lunar’s bespoke CRM tool.