Who is the Typical DRaaS Client?

who is the typical draas client
4corner-IT-Disaster-ONTO-Blog
IT Disaster Recovery as a Service

There’s no doubt that the benefits of disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) are geared toward small businesses. By using DRaaS instead of managing their own data center, small businesses can enjoy the same benefits while paying a fraction of the cost. This allows them to reduce expenses while simultaneously ensuring the future of their business operations. The question now is if small businesses are actually signing up for the service that’s designed for them?

According to recent research, the answer is yes. A recent Cloud Wedge article provides data about small businesses using DRaaS:

“As many as 90% of DRaaS set-ups are for organizations running just 3 to 6 enterprise applications, with between 2 and 5 terabytes of associated data storage. While it’s better to think out your own solution rather than just copying what other SMBs are doing, statistics like these suggest it’s worth taking a look at DRaaS.”

According to the article, the typical DRaaS user is a small business, based on their equipment and hardware. This is a good indicator that small businesses are learning about the benefits of the service and spreading the word.

But the article makes another good point as well. Just because other small businesses are signing up for the service, doesn’t mean that you should too. There are different factors at play that will determine whether DRaaS would be beneficial to your business. For example, if your business already has purchased a data center, chances are it’ll be cheaper for you to stick with it unless you can recover most of that cost.

In most cases, however, small businesses benefit from DRaaS. It ensures the continuity of their business operations without requiring a large upfront investment or monthly expenses. This is why thousands of other small businesses have already signed up for the service and many intend on doing so in the foreseeable future.

If you would like more information about disaster recovery, contact us.

How Cloud Computing Can Improve Your Bottom Line

how cloud computing can improve your bottom line

Taking your business to the cloud is an easy and effective way to cut costs while increasing your efficiency. Cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular among businesses of all sizes. These solutions have made it possible for commercial organizations to go paperless, establish disaster relief plans, reduce their teams and simplify their operations among other things.

What Cloud Computing Is

Cloud computing allows companies to move various aspects of their operations to virtual space. Files, programs and even entire desktops are stored in digital format where they can be accessed by approved system users from any computer or device that has a functional internet connection. This allows workers to telecommute, increases data security and prevents data loss as the result of technical malfunction or other expected events.

How Cloud Computing Can Save You Money

There are many ways in which cloud computing can save companies money.  If you are ready to make your business a paperless one, this is the best way to do it. Your files can be archived in virtual space. This will make them far more secure and much easier to manage. For most businesses, this eliminates the need to have a full-time file clerk on board. Companies can cut these positions or they can divert this talent to other vital areas of their operations. Cloud-based computing can also reduce the need for massive amounts of commercial space by eliminating the need for file cabinets and off-site storage for archived records.

Access To Innovative Software

There are a number of innovative, cloud-based programs that can help companies improve their efficiency and increase customer satisfaction levels. Software as a Service or SaaS solutions are taking the world by storm. They are increasing the efficacy of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) campaigns, allowing for greater levels of data integration and improving  knowledge sharing systems.

The major benefit of using solutions that are cloud-based is simply the fact that these services are so affordable. Large companies with greater needs can opt for managed services. Developing businesses can use services that are better tailored to their more modest needs and budgets. 

Contact us to find out how cloud computing can work for your business.

The Long-Term Benefits of Cloud Computing as Your Company Evolves

the long term benefits of cloud computing as your company evolves

Cloud computing could easily fall under the analogy of evolution when it comes to how things change in businesses over time.

And because businesses are always evolving, the investment in going to the cloud may be one that’s designed as much for the future as it is helping you in the immediate term.

In the realm of evolution, how does getting into cloud computing place you on an evolutionary scale? If you use the analogy of biological evolution, you have some interesting comparisons going from the primitive to the supreme.

The Early Evolution of a Business

Those who have yet to join the cloud may be considered the prehistoric life still residing in the swamp where using one’s own server makes them more vulnerable to falling behind. In this instance, it’s the expense of maintaining a server, the security threats, plus the chances that a third-party server may lag beyond one’s control to a point of lost productive time.

Up on ground are the ones who use the cloud where they have a vast set of intelligent features, security, and an assurance of fast-running computer systems. There seems to be a clear difference, yet those ones still in the swamp probably don’t make the leap for one reason: They aren’t sure the ones on the ground are safe either.

What those in the swamp don’t understand is that the best cloud services have 24/7 monitoring to assure safety at all times. Plus, there’s the assurance of the future where evolution in this case truly blossoms.

The Future Evolutionary Path of a Business

All businesses are going to grow over time, some to massive heights. Consider the evolutionary timeline of Amazon.com and how they went from a fledgling little online store to buy books and CD’s to a behemoth corporation revolutionizing technology and shopping experiences. In just 20 years of their existence, that’s an extraordinary leap forward.

You can look at your own business in the same light and envisioning where you might be in a decade or two. When you use the cloud, you already have features that enable instant access to information anywhere there’s an Internet connection. Down the road, though, cloud services will automatically upgrade their features for you so you’ll never have to buy new equipment. Features like Software as a Service and Hardware as a Service automatically upgrade over time so you’re gaining the latest features without needing to invest a cent.

As your business evolves, the cloud can also accommodate that growth instantly so you won’t be stuck on how to proceed. That’s evolution at its greatest when you can evolve without getting stuck in place and not knowing how to move forward.

Here at 4 Corner IT, we provide a comprehensive cloud computing service that gives you everything you need to function in the now and in the future when exponential growth occurs. We also provide other comprehensive IT services to help advance you and keep you safe for years down the line.

Contact us to find out more about how we can evolve your company and keep you evolving on a level that goes beyond just survival of the fittest.

Should You Migrate to a Private Cloud? Ask an Experienced Managed Services Provider

should you migrate to a private cloud ask an experienced managed services provider
Private Cloud Drive

Many businesses are opting for cloud computing solutions to run applications and manage and store various data. The cloud may be more cost-effective and allow you greater flexibility and efficiency in your day-to-day business operations.

When you make cloud computing decisions for your business, you’ll have to consider whether you want to use public or private cloud computing, or perhaps some hybrid of the two.

With a public cloud, you’d typically be sharing server space and other resources with multiple organizations or individuals.

With a private cloud, you’d be using a system that’s been set up for your business only; maybe you’d be using your own servers, or drawing on a dedicated server offered by a third-party provider.

What Might Lead You to Consider Private Cloud Solutions?

A private cloud is more secure. If you have serious concerns about data security, or you are required to maintain a certain level of privacy about your data (e.g. you’re in the healthcare field) you may not want to have your information stored on or shared across a public cloud; for some types of information, you may be legal restricted from doing so. A private cloud may also be more reliable, particularly if you have experienced IT professionals manage it for you, making it less likely that you’ll struggle with lapses in service.

However, if you choose the right public cloud service provider, you could enjoy top-notch security on a public cloud network (and, with some service providers, compliance with HIPAA and other regulations as needed). Public cloud solutions are also generally more affordable, an important consideration particularly if you’re a small-to-midsize business.

What Decision Should You Make?

It’s best to contact an experienced managed services provider to come up with cloud solutions that are tailored to your business. If you decide to go with private cloud solutions, a managed services provider will be able to configure them for you and perform monitoring, maintenance, upgrades and other adjustments when needed. You need the guidance of IT experts to make sure your cloud computing solutions are as secure and effective as possible for your business.

Why Cloud Services are a Good Long Term Investment for Backup and Disaster Recovery

why cloud services are a good long term investment for backup and disaster recovery
Clouds

Typically new technological advancements and innovations are more expensive than the older technology. In terms of backup and disaster recovery, however, the opposite is true.

There are numerous cloud backup plans that are designed to accommodate any business, no matter what their price range is or what kind of technological resources they have.

In addition, the old data backup method of using hardware is expensive because it’s not scalable like cloud backup. If a company uses hardware to back up its data, the only way to upgrade and have access to more data is to purchase more hardware. Hardware is expensive and it doesn’t get any cheaper as businesses buy more and more of it.

A recent Channel Web article discusses the differences between old and new data backup methods. According to the article, virtualised systems are cheaper because they are scalable and do not require physical space.

“Virtualised systems are also often cheaper, partly because companies do not have to invest in their own physical space and hardware to store data. They can simply rent cheaper space in someone else’s cloud.”

When backing up data with hardware, there are no special trade in deals that brings the cost of your investment down over time. Purchasing hardware remains expensive and there are no breaks along the way.

Cloud services, on the other hand, are scalable. This means that when a firm wants to back up more data, a company representative just needs to get in touch with the cloud service provider and discuss changing their plan.

This process is simple so that even with short notice, businesses can back up their data relatively soon. Cloud service providers also price their plans accordingly so that businesses can continue to afford their services. This important distinction between cloud backup and old data back up method saves businesses money over a long period of time.

If you would like more information about backup and disaster recovery, contact us.