What is ‘The Cloud’, and why should you care?

SMB’s – this one’s for you. You hear about ‘cloud’ all the time.  Apps in the cloud.  Movies streaming from the cloud.  Coffee makers in the cloud. Ok, that last one is a bit of a stretch, but with IOT (Internet of Things) gaining so much popularity, anything is possible.

So, What is the Cloud Anyway?

“The cloud” is a virtual repository for your website, business data and applications.  It consists of a cluster of off-site servers in a data center.  These servers operate in sync.  If one fails, another is set up to take over.  The technology is phenomenally reliable.  Piqued your interest? Wait, it gets better.

If you’re a small business with limited to no resources, migrating to the cloud means that you don’t need to buy hardware and software, or worry about costly expansion plans. Sounds great, right?

WHY DOES THE CLOUD MATTER?

If your website is down, you can lose sales and look unreliable. If your data isn’t available when you need it, customer support becomes impossible, and you get bad public reviews.  Bottom line: when your data isn’t available, your brand suffers.

WHAT IS THE CLOUD USED FOR?

Cloud computing enables a number of types of services, including:

  • Remote working: right now there’s an uptick in employees who are working from home
  • Online storage: Stores and backs-up files, making them accessible for sharing and synch across devices.
  • Data backup: Stores data online, allowing files to be quickly recovered after a crash, attack, or other disaster
  • Web-based applications and services, such as Office 365
  • Cloud hosting: Facilitates information sharing, from email, application hosting, phone systems and data hosting.

HOW DOES THE CLOUD BENEFIT SMALL BUSINESS?

Cloud computing can give small business owners and their employees access to business data and applications from any mobile device at any time – and at a reasonable price. This type of access was previously restricted to much larger businesses, based on cost alone. The cloud provides small businesses with the same advantage of their larger peers, without breaking the bank.

READY OR NOT – LET’S EXPLORE MOVING TO THE CLOUD, TOGETHER

Did you know that when your data is stored in the HostedBizz Cloud, it remains in Canada? Additionally, your critical data is protected by the highest security standards, and we’ve got an entire cloud team that will work with you to ensure you have the solutions you need in order to keep your business running smoothly.  The best part? You get all of that for one low monthly price, without crazy commitments and hidden charges.

If you’re ready to consider online data backup services and migration to the cloud, HostedBizz offers step-by-step planning and support. Get in touch to learn how we can help your business with cloud hosting in Canada!

About Shannon Peck

Hello! I'm Shannon. Nice to meet you. If you're already a HostedBizz partner, we've likely worked together creating custom collateral, or building lead generation campaigns.

I have been working in the tech marketing industry for well over 15 years, and love helping small and medium businesses reach their full sales potential.

To learn more about how I can help you grow your cloud-based offerings, sign on as a HostedBizz partner, and ask to speak with me! If you're already a partner, feel free to reach out. I'm looking forward to chatting!

- Shannon