Anthony Ricigliano – Cloud Computing Benefits and Concerns

Just a few years ago, both large and small IT departments thought nothing of purchasing expensive equipment at the drop of a hat. A healthy economy and well-funded budgets meant that additional storage space was never a primary concern. In the current business climate, the situation has come full circle. IT departments are pinching pennies just like every other business unit, and aging equipment is beginning to cause concern. Instead of purchasing or leasing new resources that could be outdated within a short period of time, companies of all sizes are considering cloud computing services as an affordable alternative. Although there are considerable benefits to taking this step, security is a major concern that can’t be overlooked.

The Need to Evaluate The Benefits of Cloud Computing

The “cloud” has definitely turned into the hot new buzzword of the IT industry. In the same way that “green” has become a standard operating procedure in other areas, an enterprise can be perceived as outdated and out of touch if it doesn’t use Anthony Ricigliano Cloud Computing in some capacity. In order to save money and stay on top of new technology, many IT professionals are being charged with evaluating the use of cloud computing in their specific areas of responsibility.

Benefit 1 – Only Pay for Actual Usage

Cloud Computing’s biggest selling point is that it reduces technology costs for IT departments of all sizes. Compared to purchasing enterprise-level servers for data warehousing, the startup costs are low, and this expenditure now moves from capital expenses to operating costs that can be charged off in the same year. In addition to these financial benefits, the pay-by-usage fee structure means that each month’s bill is as low as possible.

Benefit 2 – Scalability is Quick and Easy

In a traditional infrastructure, increasing or decreasing capacity isn’t quick or easy. If more disc space is needed, it usually means buying additional hardware or upgrading existing devices. Even if a system has extra capacity onboard that is only restricted by licensing, obtaining a new, working key isn’t always as simple as it sounds. In the meantime, most cloud computing solutions allow the IT department to instantly scale the capacity up or down within minutes using a simple user interface to modify the settings.

Benefit 3 – Reduces the Need for Upgrades and Maintenance

Similar to buying a new car, most hardware devices begin to depreciate as soon as they’re plugged in. In addition to that sunken expense, Anthony Ricigliano Upgrades and Maintenance is required on a regular basis. This drives up payroll costs and diverts attention from other projects. With cloud computing solutions, upgrades and maintenance are no longer a concern. Clients rely on the third-party service providers to handle the majority of the hardware issues without worrying about obsolete equipment.

Benefit 4 – Internet Based Means Easy Access

Depending on the application, remote access goes from complicated to simple with cloud computing. Because this technology can be accessed via the Internet, both internal and external users could be given authority to work with the company’s information from any computer with an online connection without the need for any additional infrastructure changes.

Security: The Biggest Concern

In a time when hacking and identity theft have reached historic levels, companies are more cautious than ever when in comes to data security, especially when storing their customers' or employees' personal information. A breach in this area can result in a damaged reputation, lost business, and other penalties. At first, many IT shops were very skeptical about allowing any third party to store their information on external devices, especially when access occurred over the Internet. The pressure to cut costs has forced most to take another look.

In the meantime, cloud-computing providers have reengineered their security protocols to ensure the safety of the data stored on their servers. Depending on the level of security used at the client’s location, many companies find that their enterprise-level data is safer and more secure in the cloud than on their own servers.

Of course, all third-party providers of cloud computing services don’t offer the same security measures. As part of the evaluation and selection process, every IT department should take a close look at the security features in addition to pricing and storage capabilities before making a final decision when choosing a cloud-computing vendor.