Are Cloud-Based Services Worthwhile?

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic is testing nearly every stratum of society. It’s not just driving us into self-quarantine and social distancing; it’s forcing businesses to rethink and adapt nearly every aspect of how they operate, from reevaluating their supply chains to having their employees work from home. It’s also putting a lot more focus on information infrastructure, especially SaaS and cloud computing services. So if you’re struggling to either catch up, or keep up, are cloud-based services worth it? Here’s what experience providing cloud server hosting services in San Diego has taught us at EP Host.

What Is the Cloud, Anyway?

If you’ve only heard of “the cloud” up to now, here’s a quick primer. Rather than relying on local computers and servers for a lot of the day-to-day applications we take for granted — everything from feature-rich websites, to collaborative software like Slack or Trello, to help desk systems, email, streaming video, and data backups — cloud computing relies on a network of remote servers to store and run crucial applications.

Benefits of Cloud-Based Services

How can cloud-based services help your business?

• Accessibility: Your applications and data are a swipe or mouse-click away, anywhere and any time you have internet access.
• Platform-agnostic: Many computer-based applications are tied to a particular OS. Cloud-based applications are designed to work across a wider range of devices, which comes in handy when not everyone is using the same hardware.
• Easy scalability: By its nature, the cloud is flexible and scales rapidly — for your workforce and customers alike — so you can easily adjust to the ebb and flow of demand.
• Resilience: Cloud services have good uptime and provide easy backups, leading to quicker recovery for your business in the event that something goes wrong.
• Security: While this is a concern for some users (see below), the cloud does provide plenty of protection, especially against viruses and ransomware that might infect your local hardware. The cloud provides a hedge against this and many other concerns provided you’ve taken the appropriate security measures, kept your applications up-to-date, and are otherwise careful with fundamentals like passwords, patches, and a robust firewall.
• Ease of Management: One way in which the cloud has leveled the playing field is by ensuring that even businesses that don’t have an IT department can take advantage of managed hosting and good tech support to have access to the same tools as larger players.

Drawbacks of Cloud-Based Services

Now that we’ve shown the benefits, let’s also acknowledge that anything cloud-based does come with some concerns. Security is a top-cited concern for many businesses, though as we’ve seen, this is something that both we and you can mitigate through careful security measures and a healthy dose of common sense. You won’t necessarily find it a cheaper option, especially since the time taken to migrate from your current systems to a new way of doing things is a cost of its own. Your access to key applications is dependent on a reliable internet connection, though some applications are beginning to offer the ability to work offline.

Cloud Server Hosting Services in San Diego

So when all’s said and done, is it worth it? We find that the benefits outweigh the potential downsides, but this is a discussion worth having — both internally, and with your hosting provider — to ensure you’re making the right choice. Whether current events, market position, or simple curiosity have you considering cloud server hosting services, we encourage you to get in touch with EP Host for the information and help you need.