It Cloud Solutions To Accelerate Your Digital Transformation
A 2018 study by International Data Group found that 89% of organizations had adopted or had plans to adopt a digital-first strategy. At the time, only 7% of companies reported having fully implemented their digital transformations, but since that time, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it a pressing priority. Cloud solutions have helped many organizations accelerate this process.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet. Services can include
- Servers
- Storage
- Databases
- Network solutions
- Software
- Analytics
These resources are delivered on demand, and you pay only for the services you need.
Cloud computing can deliver numerous benefits for small and mid-sized businesses. It can help modernize infrastructure, optimize resources, and build agility and resilience. A variety of cloud solutions are available. We’ll look at three different models to help you determine which might be the best fit for your organization.
Benefits of Cloud Computing for SMBs
Cloud solutions have several benefits that can be especially useful for small and mid-sized organizations.
Data and Workforce Mobility
Storing information and applications in the cloud allows users to access it from anywhere with any device; all they need is an internet connection to process, store, retrieve, and recover resources in the cloud.
Flexibility
Cloud computing responds to your constantly evolving business needs by giving you the flexibility to increase or decrease computing power or storage as needed. Cloud computing can be configured automatically to scale up or down based on the demands of the cloud resources.
Reliability
Cloud computing services are very reliable, making downtime rare. Additionally, cloud solutions can provide various options for disaster recovery and business continuity. You can have multiple redundant storage sites on a cloud provider's network and access the data from anywhere at any time in the event of a disruption.
What Risks Are Associated with Cloud IT Services?
Security is the main concern for most businesses considering migrating to the cloud. The security risks of cloud computing are similar to those of traditional on-premise or data center environments. Cybercrime is focused on finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in systems and software.
Maintaining strict security controls is in the best interest of reputable cloud services providers. Regular security and maintenance checks help them keep and attract clients. Most large cloud services providers devote more resources to security than the average small business could afford. Many hold security compliance certifications like SOC2 and ISO 27001. You can verify that any provider you're considering has data security and regulatory compliance measures that meet your needs.
3 Types of IT Cloud Solutions
Three types of cloud solutions are hybrid cloud, cloud servers, and a serverless environment. This cloud infrastructure supports the implementation of cloud services.
Hybrid Cloud
A hybrid cloud approach is one of the most common infrastructure choices. A hybrid cloud combines public and private clouds, allowing data and applications to move between these environments. Third-party cloud service providers own and operate public clouds, while a single organization has exclusive use of a private cloud. You can either build and maintain private cloud infrastructure yourself or pay for a third party to host it for you.
A massive shift toward hybrid infrastructure services is underway as businesses start implementing digital transformations. This model allows you to continue using your on-premises servers while getting the benefits of a public cloud.
Benefits of a Hybrid Cloud Environment
Integrating public cloud resources with your existing infrastructure introduces scalability. You can run mission-critical or sensitive applications on the private cloud and use the public cloud for workload bursts or spikes in demand. You can also use a hybrid cloud environment as a transition to a fully cloud based environment, allowing you to use both on-premises and cloud servers for different workloads to see what works best for your organization.
Cloud Servers
A cloud server environment removes all on-premises servers, so applications run fully in the cloud. Two categories of cloud services fall under this type of solution: infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and software as a service (SaaS).
Infrastructure as a Service
IaaS provides the basic infrastructure for cloud IT. The cloud provider hosts and maintains infrastructure such as
- Servers
- Virtual machines
- Storage
- Networks
- Operating systems
IaaS models are very flexible and similar to traditional IT. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud all provide IaaS options.
Software as a Service
SaaS is a complete web-based software product. The service provider hosts it and handles maintenance like updates and security patches so you can focus on using the software to fuel your business. Microsoft 365 and HubSpot are examples of SaaS products.
Serverless Environment
A serverless environment is the most advanced cloud environment. It's a cloud-native development model that provides backend services on demand, allowing developers to write and deploy code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
Despite its name, serverless computing still uses servers, but the cloud provider handles the server infrastructure. In a standard IaaS model, the cloud infrastructure is active even when you're not using an app. With serverless architecture, however, the cloud services provider manages the cloud infrastructure and scaling the apps, so apps launch only when you need them. A serverless environment can be more efficient and cost-effective because you pay only for the time the code is executing.
Platform as a Service
Platform as a service (PaaS) overlaps with serverless environments. PaaS provides an environment that makes creating web or mobile apps easier for developers. As with the other models, the services provider manages the underlying infrastructure. Cloud solutions from Microsoft include the PaaS Azure Active Directory.
Is It the Right Time to Migrate to the Cloud?
Cloud solutions can bring many benefits to your digital transformation. Cloud computing is cost-effective, scalable, and reliable, and you can choose the model that best fits the needs of your organization. Small to medium-sized businesses can maximize the benefits of cloud computing with a fully managed solution. Pendello is dedicated to providing comprehensive, customer-centric IT services.
A 2018 study by International Data Group found that 89% of organizations had adopted or had plans to adopt a digital-first strategy. At the time, only 7% of companies reported having fully implemented their digital transformations, but since that time, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it a pressing priority. Cloud solutions have helped many organizations accelerate this process.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet. Services can include
- Servers
- Storage
- Databases
- Network solutions
- Software
- Analytics
These resources are delivered on demand, and you pay only for the services you need.
Cloud computing can deliver numerous benefits for small and mid-sized businesses. It can help modernize infrastructure, optimize resources, and build agility and resilience. A variety of cloud solutions are available. We’ll look at three different models to help you determine which might be the best fit for your organization.
Benefits of Cloud Computing for SMBs
Cloud solutions have several benefits that can be especially useful for small and mid-sized organizations.
Data and Workforce Mobility
Storing information and applications in the cloud allows users to access it from anywhere with any device; all they need is an internet connection to process, store, retrieve, and recover resources in the cloud.
Flexibility
Cloud computing responds to your constantly evolving business needs by giving you the flexibility to increase or decrease computing power or storage as needed. Cloud computing can be configured automatically to scale up or down based on the demands of the cloud resources.
Reliability
Cloud computing services are very reliable, making downtime rare. Additionally, cloud solutions can provide various options for disaster recovery and business continuity. You can have multiple redundant storage sites on a cloud provider's network and access the data from anywhere at any time in the event of a disruption.
What Risks Are Associated with Cloud IT Services?
Security is the main concern for most businesses considering migrating to the cloud. The security risks of cloud computing are similar to those of traditional on-premise or data center environments. Cybercrime is focused on finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in systems and software.
Maintaining strict security controls is in the best interest of reputable cloud services providers. Regular security and maintenance checks help them keep and attract clients. Most large cloud services providers devote more resources to security than the average small business could afford. Many hold security compliance certifications like SOC2 and ISO 27001. You can verify that any provider you're considering has data security and regulatory compliance measures that meet your needs.
3 Types of IT Cloud Solutions
Three types of cloud solutions are hybrid cloud, cloud servers, and a serverless environment. This cloud infrastructure supports the implementation of cloud services.
Hybrid Cloud
A hybrid cloud approach is one of the most common infrastructure choices. A hybrid cloud combines public and private clouds, allowing data and applications to move between these environments. Third-party cloud service providers own and operate public clouds, while a single organization has exclusive use of a private cloud. You can either build and maintain private cloud infrastructure yourself or pay for a third party to host it for you.
A massive shift toward hybrid infrastructure services is underway as businesses start implementing digital transformations. This model allows you to continue using your on-premises servers while getting the benefits of a public cloud.
Benefits of a Hybrid Cloud Environment
Integrating public cloud resources with your existing infrastructure introduces scalability. You can run mission-critical or sensitive applications on the private cloud and use the public cloud for workload bursts or spikes in demand. You can also use a hybrid cloud environment as a transition to a fully cloud based environment, allowing you to use both on-premises and cloud servers for different workloads to see what works best for your organization.
Cloud Servers
A cloud server environment removes all on-premises servers, so applications run fully in the cloud. Two categories of cloud services fall under this type of solution: infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and software as a service (SaaS).
Infrastructure as a Service
IaaS provides the basic infrastructure for cloud IT. The cloud provider hosts and maintains infrastructure such as
- Servers
- Virtual machines
- Storage
- Networks
- Operating systems
IaaS models are very flexible and similar to traditional IT. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud all provide IaaS options.
Software as a Service
SaaS is a complete web-based software product. The service provider hosts it and handles maintenance like updates and security patches so you can focus on using the software to fuel your business. Microsoft 365 and HubSpot are examples of SaaS products.
Serverless Environment
A serverless environment is the most advanced cloud environment. It's a cloud-native development model that provides backend services on demand, allowing developers to write and deploy code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
Despite its name, serverless computing still uses servers, but the cloud provider handles the server infrastructure. In a standard IaaS model, the cloud infrastructure is active even when you're not using an app. With serverless architecture, however, the cloud services provider manages the cloud infrastructure and scaling the apps, so apps launch only when you need them. A serverless environment can be more efficient and cost-effective because you pay only for the time the code is executing.
Platform as a Service
Platform as a service (PaaS) overlaps with serverless environments. PaaS provides an environment that makes creating web or mobile apps easier for developers. As with the other models, the services provider manages the underlying infrastructure. Cloud solutions from Microsoft include the PaaS Azure Active Directory.
Is It the Right Time to Migrate to the Cloud?
Cloud solutions can bring many benefits to your digital transformation. Cloud computing is cost-effective, scalable, and reliable, and you can choose the model that best fits the needs of your organization. Small to medium-sized businesses can maximize the benefits of cloud computing with a fully managed solution. Pendello is dedicated to providing comprehensive, customer-centric IT services.
At Pendello Solutions, we turn technology hurdles into powerful assets. Our technology solutions fuel growth, productivity, and efficiency, through continuous innovation and strategic solutions, empowering your business beyond the imaginable. Contact us today to discover the Pendello Method.