Cloud computing has actually been around for a couple of decades at this point. Obviously when it was first developed, it wasn’t available to the mainstream. Since then technology has grown in leaps and bounds, whilst computer/internet accessibility has become widespread.

These days cloud computing is a buzzword that gets frequent mentions, yet few explanations. Simply put, cloud computing is the act of accessing applications/data/servers through the internet instead of having them on your physical hard drive.  This can mean the applications you’re using are hosted on the cloud server, and that your work itself is stored on that server too.

So why would you want to use this method instead of just getting by with a hard drive and file transfers? Well there’s a whole bunch of reasons, but today we’ll look at the 5 best ones.

1. Improved Security

Cyber-crime is a serious danger, with the U.S. alone losing almost one and a half billion dollars in 2017. Criminals of this type are generally opportunists and will go for the easiest target. Consider that your home PC, or even an on-site business server system is likely to be a lot more vulnerable than a professional cloud service provider.

Top providers not only have state of the art online security, they also cover physical security by placing your delicate information behind several layers of locked doors, often requiring biometric data and passwords to be accessed – not to mention the data itself is well encrypted.

2. Collaboration is Made Easier

Collaboration used to mean two people (or more) sitting side by side in an office. With cloud tech you can collaborate on the same piece of work, using the same application. Updates are often made in real-time so you can get a lot done as a team whilst being in separate places. This is a great way to collaborate with contractors too, give them the right access and they can work with your applications too.

3. Accessibility Leads to Better Organization and Oversight

A centralized location means data, software and work is accessible from anywhere. This type of accessibility can be essential if you need to quickly pull up some files for a meeting or some data for a business partner.

Alongside this, being able to check work progress and co-ordinate in real-time helps you to keep things organized and flowing well.

4. Software is Always Installed/Updated

Perhaps an obvious one, but having your software installed on the cloud is not only more secure, but also eliminates the need to install or update the software elsewhere. Having your software and tools immediately available at all times is a real game changer.

5. Mobility

Mobility is the obvious advantage. As has already been mentioned in previous points, you can access your software/files from anywhere and at any time. This means you can work in the field and be extremely mobile without any penalty. A simple laptop or even a tablet/phone is often enough to use the cloud technology, as the processing and other heavy lifting is done on the server side. If you’re interested in learning more about cloud computing solutions, take a look at https://atisolutions.com/practice_areas/washington-dc-area-data-centers-and-colocation-facilities.cfm