Is Cloud Computing in Australia ready for Small Business ?
Cloud Computing is the latest buzz word in IT, but what does it really mean for Small Business in Australia. What IT services will Small Business use? What IT support will they require to migrate and maintain their IT systems?
The reality is that cloud computing can come in a few different varieties and the chances are you are probably using one already.
- Software as a Service – this is where the software that you would use in your business are physically running in data centre and you are access via your internet connection. The advantage of this type of relationship is that the provider does all the system and application maintenance, you can generally access from anywhere on the internet and the systems are often designed for multiple users access. Most of the financial products such as MYOB, Quickbooks and Xero have this as an alternative.
- Infrastructure as a Service – With advances in virtualization technology it is now possible to have all of the business benefits of a server. With the physical server located in a data centre the provider is able to partition servers to multiple clients sharing the costs and allowing businesses to avoid the initial purchase & licencing costs, and share the running and upgrade costs such as electricity, and end of life replacement. If your current Hardware is more than 3 years old is may be worth checking this alternative.
- Platform as a Service – This is when a both the Software & Infrastructure can be provided in such a way that your business systems are located in the cloud. Increasingly software providers and integrators offer complete platform service that allows your business to outsource IT to a specialist who can run you business systems for you remotely. Microsoft Hosted Exchange email is a great example where an outsource provider can manage the administration & management of the system, while your business can enjoy enterprise grade IT delivery without the big business price!
- Hybrid Cloud – Hybrid is really a combination of your traditional on premise infrastructure with any of the 3 Cloud components mentioned above. It is not only regarded as migration strategy, but also a legitimate IT approach that allows you to cherry pick the suitable components for your business and integrate with your current infrastructure. Hybrid is a sensible alternative to gaining the benefits of cloud with the advantage of traditional on premise equipment.
Increasingly application development & Microsoft licencing is pushing all Small Business in Australia along the cloud path in one way or another. Our love of mobile and multiple devices also make the cloud approach more manageable. With soaring costs of electricity, & building of more of data centre capacity, the opportunity for Cloud services for Small Business is now a reality especially with additional benefits such as power redundancy, centralized backup, and core systems management.
Some of the downside of Cloud computing still exist, issues such as internet access speed, internet redundancy, data security, and data sovereignty (is it in Australia?) need to be understood and managed. An IT support provider such as Computer Troubleshooters have considerable experience in setting up a migration and system plans that maximises the benefits and minimises these risks.
Having an IT support expert like Computer Troubleshooters who interests are aligned with your business interests will ensure you get the best solutions at the right price. We would only suggest embarking on the Cloud journey with a guide who will help you along the way.
Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooters to see if your business would benefit from having more of it Business Systems in the cloud.
