Why More Companies are Opting to Manage IT in the Cloud

Cloud computing provides many companies with the ability to reduce IT infrastructure costs while improving productivity and responsiveness.  This allows company staff to focus on getting results instead of monitoring and maintaining the infrastructure that supports critical business applications.

According to Gartner, an IT technology research and advisory company, cloud revenue is expected to increase by more than 150 billion within the next two years.  This is an increase from $46 billion during the year 2009.  Gartner’s prediction indicates that more companies are embracing the benefits of managing IT in the cloud.  Here are some of the reasons why:

Reduced Hardware and Maintenance Costs

Cloud hosting services can be delivered in increments on an “as needed” basis.  The result is reduced hardware and maintenance costs since the cloud service provider oversees all operational aspects of the underlying infrastructure.  If the company opts to run onsite servers as a private cloud this increases efficiency and utilization of existing IT infrastructure.

Flexibility and Scalability

A cloud hosted environment is scalable and offers the flexibility to add business applications as needed.  In addition to this advantage, new applications can be deployed within a short period a short period of time without having to be concerned about compatibility or added hardware.

Automated Updates

Depending upon the size of the organization, keeping software and security patches up to date can be an ongoing and daunting process.  Cloud computing alleviates this concern through highly automated systems that maintain software updates and patching.  This allows IT personnel to focus on other company innovations and strategic initiatives.

Increased Data Storage Capacity

By tapping into cloud hosting services companies can significantly increase data storage capacity without having to implement additional infrastructure.  A cloud hosting environment also reduces the amount of data stored on private computer systems.

Reduced Energy Consumption

Many companies are deploying green initiatives by finding ways to create IT resources that are energy efficient.  Cloud computing solves this issue by providing an infrastructure that reduces energy consumption while also reducing emissions from cooling components which are harmful to the environment.

Increased ROI

Managing IT in the cloud means you are eliminating the large investments in infrastructure in exchange for reduced recurring expenses over a longer period of time. This increases return on investment since the financial resources can be used toward your marketing initiatives.  Additionally if you are spending less on large investments this also substantially increases the company profit margin.

Security

By moving IT resources to the cloud you reduce the possibility for human error and security breaches.  Most cloud hosting services provide vaulting services at many different levels to ensure your data and underlying infrastructure remains secure.

These primary benefits are the reason many companies are opting to manage IT in the cloud. If you want to learn more about cloud hosting, contact Thrive Networks to discover ways to reduce costs while improving company productivity.