Five Misconceptions of Cloud Computing

The cloud is consistently growing with many public and private sector companies using it in some form or another. Whilst some may see it as a way to solve all of their IT issues, others find it a source of worry. As with many new technologies, there are sometimes myths and inaccurate information being spread about them. Here are some of the top misconceptions of cloud computing.

The cloud will guarantee money-saving on IT
Although cloud computing is a great and effective way to reduce costs, a company needs to bear in mind that this will not happen instantly.
Cloud computing offers flexible options based on your budget. However, a business should not focus on cost alone. The cloud enables a company to quickly adjust the computer power they need which is extremely useful if the team gets smaller, as you do not have excessive computer capacity that is being wasted.

Although switching to the cloud gives companies the flexibility to adjust it to their budget, they need to consider the additional investment to train staff to use the technology correctly. Once all staff are well versed in the new way of working, cost reduction can eventually be seen. Especially if cloud computing reduces the time it takes for certain jobs to be carried out. This time saving can quickly add up and make a big financial saving. Companies may also have to invest in better broadband services, ideally multiple services because if the broadband goes down, they will lose access to their data. Cloud services also generally require a fast, reliable fibre broadband to run efficiently.

When you add up the costs of IT management, energy consumption, hardware, software licensing, storage space, and more, it is clear to see the financial benefits in the long term for switching over to the cloud.

Cloud computing is not secure
A major concern of many companies, and rightly so, is cybersecurity. Privacy is high on the priorities for many companies and some believe that cloud computing places this privacy at risk. However, this is not the case. Providers are actually building security mechanisms to guarantee that even themselves cannot access the data to provide customers with peace of mind. Cloud security is improving all the time and in most cases, cloud vendors will have data encryption and security procedures in place that are much more advanced than those that clients will have in-house. Cloud computing allows companies of all sizes benefit from the experienced staff that takes care of updating and improve their security measures.

Using the cloud does not automatically mean your data is backed up. It is often the responsibility of the end user to ensure data is backed up. However, smaller companies will still find cloud computing more secure. Whereas before they would not have been able to afford an IT department, cloud technology means that can benefit from a wealth of expertise without paying them a salary.

There is a one size fits all approach to Cloud computing
Businesses should not think of cloud services as “one thing”. A great benefit of cloud technology is the fact that it is flexible and can accommodate the different business needs of all businesses, regardless of their size.

Cloud technology is modular, meaning that companies will only pay for what they use which gives them greater control and offers the ability to scale up and down when needed, depending on the business’ current needs.

It is also important for businesses to know that although cloud computing is extremely flexible, companies do not need to use cloud computing for everything. Cloud computing is not an either-or thing. Not all systems are compatible with every cloud vendor, so businesses need to consider carefully which aspects are best suited to the cloud and which aspects may not be.

Cloud computing improves business productivity
This misconception is a bit more complicated to address. Although using the cloud definitely has the potential to enhance business productivity, this improvement will not happen automatically. Once a business has moved over to cloud computing, they need to ensure that all members of staff are trained properly to effectively use this tool. Once this happens, better collaboration can take place and this is when companies will see an improvement in business productivity. But it can take time. Businesses must provide the support and additional applications necessary for employees to successfully do their job and ensure the transition is smooth.

Cloud computing gives you less control
This is not true. Businesses will get more control as cloud computing allows access to data at any time and from anywhere in the world. Some believe that because they cannot see where their data is being stored, this means they will have less control but this is not the case. Having stored in the cloud gives businesses access to it whenever they need it as long as they have a good enough internet connection. All without the hassle of having to maintain it, as this is done for them by the cloud vendor,

As you can see, there are various misconceptions surrounding cloud computing technology. It is important for these misconceptions to be addressed head-on so that businesses are clear on how cloud computing can successfully work for them,  can embrace using cloud computing and the innovative technology is brings along with it to enable businesses to get the maximum value out of it.