Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing?

The concept of Cloud Computing, in a nutshell, is that the traditional, local server is replaced by an online service and users connect to it via internet/broadband rather than via the traditional local network.  Rather than connecting to a server in your office, you connect to a server at the end of the phoneline.

Some of the advantages of the Cloud Computing model are:

Scalability – your online server can be scaled up or down depending on your requirements without the cost involved with upgrading local equipment.  This can be really advantageous if you experience seasonal spikes in your business.

Security – most hosted service providers will operate multiple backup procedures and their servers will be housed in well protected datacentres

Access – due to the nature of cloud computing it should be easy to access your workplace desktop from anywhere in the world, as easily as if you were in the office.

Labour Resources – you will probably not need to employ in-house technical staff. Businesses don't have to worry about maintaining and upgrading software, as all maintenance is done by the cloud service providers.

Environmental - many businesses choose cloud computing because of its green credentials. It is claimed that cloud computing can reduce a business's carbon emissions by as much as 30%, as businesses don't need to power an entire server, they only use what they need as and when they need it.

Some of the disadvantages of Cloud Computing are:

Availability – if your broadband connection is slow or goes down completely then you have no access to your workspace

Reliability and Security – as you do not have physical access to your data, you are entrusting its safety to another person.  Although cloud computing is relatively new, there are already horror stories about data being lost and systems being ‘hacked’ into.

Cost – cloud computing can be expensive.  If you need significant server resources then your monthly subscription costs could be far higher than leasing the equivalent hardware and accessing it locally.  You will also almost certainly need to invest in a more expensive and reliable broadband connection – and we would always recommend that you have a back-up or fail-over broadband connection in place.

Speed – Even the fastest broadband connection won’t be a patch on a high-speed local network.  If you are manipulating large image files for example, this can be painfully slow with a hosted system.

If you think a Cloud based solution might work for your business, then we would recommend that you try Microsoft Office 365 as a starting point.  If you are interested, we can arrange a free trial of this service.

For more information about Cloud Computing or to arrange a no obligation quotation, please email us here.

Micro Plus Computers is a well established IT company based in Oswestry, Shropshire and operating throughout the UK. We supply complete IT systems and a wide array of technical services to businesses and educational establishments, providing excellent levels of service and reliability in all areas.

Established since 1991 and with 25 full time staff and a multi-million pound turnover we have the stability, depth of skills and experience to give our customers the best possible service, and support.

We regularly supply and maintain computer equipment in Oswestry, Wrexham, Chester, Shrewsbury, Whitchurch, Wem, Telford and throughout Shropshire, Cheshire, Mid Wales and North Wales.