Which form of the word “cloud” do you use most often these days in discussions with friends? The cloud of rain sitting in the sky, or the cloud of data that we all now use every day? We are using the term “the cloud” to define the global network of data stores related to internet technology.
The IT version of the cloud is the on-demand, computing systems, data storage, and computing power used without direct active users management.
The cloud has changed a lot of things in our world. The changes are especially seen and felt With Information Technology Professional world. The changes have made a lot of things easier, and less tied by space, and time. This is why most businesses are using the cloud for communication instead of PBX. Let’s talk about five awesome ways that the cloud has changed I.T. below.
1. The Cloud Enables Shared Economy
These days sharing is life. Sharing rides, sharing information, sharing files, easily sharing wifi passwords – all of these things enable us to save money, to gain efficiency, therefore saving us time. The world of I.T. has felt those changes most. Offices used to include large amounts of files, meaning paper storage.
By using the cloud to store massive amounts of data, businesses have been able to take the storage space, and use it for a more creative workspace. The cloud has changed the way we deliver paperwork to one another. Instead of having to page the errand boy, sharing a file is as easy as remembering to share a link in an email or message.
I.T. departments receive tickets for needed help and can do much of diagnostics right from their desks. Using chats or messaging to troubleshoot, means I.T. staff can spend less time running around the office. The data recording of that ticket can then be stored in the cloud for record-keeping purposes, and later use.
2. Easily Adjust For Processing Needs
Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), paired with the cloud, you can use the cloud to make the job of upgrading RAM (Random Access Memory) and processing speed much easier than in years past.
Rather than having to physically upgrade the hardware of a computer, the combination of VPN and the cloud has changed I.T. by making this process as simple as sliding a resource set to a different level.
By using this combination, companies can quickly adjust processing and data-access allowing their employees to maintain efficient work speeds and ensuring that each task has an adequate amount of storage and processing power for each task they are assigned.
3. Accessibility Means Work Keeps Flowing
Streamlined, it is how any business wants to run. If you can make a process more efficient, in general, you are saving time, and time is money. The cloud has made “accessibility” a business power word. One file can be accessible to users in multiple countries, cities, and time zones asynchronously so that work keeps moving, an audit trail is maintained, a source is trusted and collaboration happens.
Accessibility moves work along, using cloud-based technology and processes, employees are no longer tied to a single work environment. By using the cloud you can have multiple employees accessing a folder and create documents that can be edited and saved in real-time.
The cloud has also enabled a large variety of entities to make access privileges for their teams across multiple tools, and services. This means your I.T. department has to spend less time giving access to others.
4. Efficiency Is Boss In The Cloud
The cloud has enabled efficiency in almost every area of the workspace, especially businesses that rely heavily on customer service agents and call center environments. With the growth of newer collaboration and communication technologies, more businesses are turning to call center consulting firms that are experienced in cloud-based environments for multiple business cloud computing business purposes to help improve overall efficiency.
Data collection, cleansing and storage, scheduling of tasks, financial efficiency, and integration, time management and resource inventory are only a few of the high-level business and recreational items that have benefitted from the cloud.
Speaking of the flexibility the gig economy wouldn’t exist without the cloud. Freelancing is booming due to the benefits of the cloud!
Instead of printing, collating, and mailing newsletters, a business can write emails, and push a button to reach its customer base in seconds. Using the cloud, businesses can create live feeds of data while storing data in the cloud.
The cloud has changed the way people with other people, whether that is between business and customers, business to business, or even between customers, the way that we share experience and vital information has been enriched via the cloud.
5. The Cloud Demands More I.T. Security
The cloud has created a huge amount of need in the department of cloud security or I.T security. Security is a big topic in the age of technology. Cloud Security is a wide selection of policies, controls, and applications used to protect VPNs, IP’s and services associated with cloud computing.
There are a lot of ways that cloud computing and storage is offered as a service. Platforms, software, and infrastructure can all be offered as a form of cloud computing as a service and each one has it’s one security needs. A company that is offering or using cloud computing services, should offer data isolation, and storage segregation.
There are four main areas of cloud computing security controls and most of the other issues fall under one of these four main controls. A good Cloud security team will utilize all of these.
The Key Cloud Computing Security Controls
- Deterrent Controls – these reduce attack numbers
- Preventative Controls – these strengthen against attacks
- Detective Controls – these detect attacks, reacting accordingly
- Corrective Controls – these reduce the effects of an attack
The Cloud Enhances And Benefits Us All
Anything from video streaming, to data storage, photo storage, and file sharing we all use the cloud every day. We use the cloud to remember amazing trips, to remind us of appointments, and to store important data.
This list is by no means exhaustive, in fact, it only scratches the surface of all the ways that the cloud has made our lives easier and it is predicted to evolve in the future. Businesses that provide as-a-service offerings will rise, taking modules that formerly were considered custom to be easily duplicated and applied.
Even as I.T. businesses have seen the benefit of combining contract staff, and full-time staff the cloud, and rising AI technology offer a multitude of ways for the cloud to grow and continue to benefit our lives.