To say that cloud hosting has simplified things for enterprises is an understatement. Cloud hosting allows you to access all your applications and systems through the cloud. Instead of a single on-site server, it involves a network of servers acting as one. These servers are web-based and are inter-connected.
Some of the most commonly known applications for cloud hosting are in the fields of web hosting, data hosting, information sharing, and business software use.
By the end of this year, this market is expected to reach a value of $258 billion globally. One of the biggest reasons that companies around the world are investing in this technology is the ease of access it affords them.
Let’s look at some more benefits of hosting business software in the cloud:
1. You Pay For What You Use
Compared to the payment structure of other hosting services, cloud hosting is a lot more flexible. In short, you don’t have to pay a fixed amount every month, irrespective of whether or not you use the service.
The three main common payment structures are listed below:
- Infrastructure as a service: Pay according to the amount of virtual machine space being used. These are typically quantified based on the number of working hours, weeks, or months.
- Platform as Service: The vendor will charge you on the basis of every gigabyte of memory you consume in an hour.
- Software as a service (SaaS): If a software application is being delivered to you via the cloud, you’ll be charged according to the number of users or features used.
2. Scalability
As businesses mature and enter the growth phase, software needs to change with them. There’s a need to incorporate more features and save larger data files; this mandates essential software upgrades.
Conventional hosting services require you to get the entire system upgraded. This involves purchasing and implementing upgrades. All of this can be very troublesome if you don’t have the right expertise on board.
In the case of cloud hosting, your vendor will take care of all the upgrades remotely. This frees up your time and enables you to focus on your core business operations.
3. Collaborative Efficiency
Since cloud hosting makes it easy for you to access applications via the internet, you don’t have to be physically present at the workplace to get work done. The term ‘work from home’ came to the fore after the emergence of cloud computing.
Employees have now become more flexible in how they carry out work practices. As long as you have a working internet connection, you can connect to your office virtually.
Furthermore, if your employees are deployed in multiple locations, cloud hosting allows them to share information and collaborate on various work-related tasks.
Various stakeholders and team members can access the same files from the comfort of their homes, even if they’re not present in the same city.
You can even expand your team and get foreign personnel on board—without having to pay for travel fares. This has led to the emergence of entire industries—namely, nearshore and offshore development outsourcing, among many others.
4. Reduced Costs
Cloud computing takes away the need to employ a full-fledged IT team to take care of your work systems. You can carry out most everyday tasks without paying for software, infrastructure, data servers, and equipment.
Most cloud computing packages include maintenance, updates, hardware, software, and system upgrades. Furthermore, your energy consumption costs will also go down if none of the servers are operating inside your office facility.
Your cloud computer vendor will take care of all troubleshooting and connectivity issues. You won’t have to pay for IT personnel either to help you with system-related issues. This means fewer delays. We haven’t even talked about the massive payroll savings that this leads to. This can be a godsend for small businesses.
When it comes to cloud hosting, the name that shines tall and proud is QuickBooks. This cloud accounting software helps small businesses streamline their accounting solutions and control costs. It comes in many variants, depending on the size of your business.
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