The past couple of years brought plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and the business world did its best to adapt. Companies quickly cobbled together remote work policies as offices worldwide closed their doors in the face of a global pandemic.
Businesses will continue to use a hybrid workforce model, as many found that working from home increased flexibility and decreased overhead. 63% of high-growth businesses have already adopted a hybrid model.
Whether your workforce is more remote than your system can accommodate, or your business needs a more secure network infrastructure, migrating from on-prem servers to managed cloud services has many benefits in the modern business environment.
Here are four reasons your business needs a managed cloud service in 2023.
1. Increased Flexibility
Traditional office models were created for traditional offices. With some employees working remotely and some in-house, a cloud solution for company systems can offer your entire team a way to collaborate without restrictions due to location. Managed cloud services provide remote workers the opportunity to use the same tools and systems at home as they do at work, which improves their efficiency and lessens the load of IT professionals troubleshooting for remote workers.
Cloud services are necessary for the functionality and flexibility required to be successful in the modern business world as companies are continuously more and more collaborative. Outside experts, contractors, and other external professionals can be given varied access to cloud systems. Cloud computing also allows employees who are traveling the ability to access their files on the go. With the cloud, your team is always ready to work, no matter where they are.
2. Minimized Security Risks
Many companies allocate time and resources to cybersecurity, and with good reason. The lifeblood of modern businesses is data. Sensitive customer data, payment info, human resources, and proprietary documentation are all vital company assets that must be protected at all costs. Despite some business leaders' intuition that cloud services could leave essential company property less protected, cloud services improve critical data security.
Cybersecurity is much more secure in the cloud, as a managed cloud service has access to tools and resources for security that are far beyond the typical organization's ability. A cloud service can achieve more security for less cost and effort, freeing your IT team to work on other issues while dedicated experts ensure the security of your data. While on-prem servers have security capabilities, they cannot compete with well-designed cloud infrastructures.
3. Improved On-Demand Support
Without a managed cloud solution, your IT team likely spends much of its time troubleshooting server issues, authentication, and compatibility. A managed cloud service can free up busy IT teams to allow them to spend their time on more business-critical projects.
Cloud computing can offer a wealth of tools to make systems easier to navigate and self-troubleshoot for employees. If they have questions, expert support teams specializing in your exact cloud infrastructure are readily available. Connectivity to the cloud makes support more accessible, as technicians can quickly connect to the same network as the employee they are helping.
4. Reduced Risk of Data Loss
Physical, on-prem servers subject your vital data to the same risks that physical valuables have, including fire, flood, electrical surge, or other disasters. Cloud services remove physical threats from your data, preventing costly data loss. Cloud servers decentralize data, resulting in no weak spot in your information infrastructure for disaster to strike.
Should data be compromised on a cloud server, backups can easily be created to restore data. Cloud services ensure that even if a natural disaster strikes your physical location, the cloud will still protect your business-critical data.
Prepare for 2023 with Managed Cloud Services
The business world will only partially return to the days before the pandemic. Cloud services will become essential to companies in the future as they work to maintain flexible, secure, and convenient tech infrastructures. Implementing cloud infrastructure will help your workforce now but also help your organization adapt to the unexpected.
Managed cloud services help minimize security risks, increase mobility, and secure remote work environments. An experienced cloud services provider will conduct a robust IT assessment to determine a cloud deployment option that fits your organization’s specific needs.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on May 11, 2021, and has been updated for accuracy and current best practices
