Simply put, cloud computing is computing based on the internet. So why are so many businesses moving to the cloud? It’s because cloud computing increases efficiency, helps improve cash flow and offers many more benefits.
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Move Your Business to the Cloud
1. Move Your Business to the Cloud
Are you ready for the cloud?... Let WT Designs help you!
2. Wizzard Technical Designs
• WT Designs was created in 1998 to provide web services to local businesses
• We changed direction several times offering IT and Web
• The current business model has stayed the same for 8 years
• We provide IT Hardware, IT Support, Web Development, Web Hosting and
SEO services.
4. Why are Businesses moving to the Cloud
• Maximise your IT return on investment
• Reduced Cost
• Flexibility and Scalability
• Mobility and Agility
• Easier upgrades
• Business Continuity
• IT Security
5. 10 Benefits of Cloud Computing
• Flexibility
• Disaster Recovery
• Automatic Software Updates
• Cap-Ex Free
• Increased Collaboration
• Work From Anywhere
• Document Control
• Security
• Competitiveness
• Environmentally Friendly
6. Introducing Inner Circles
• Work from anywhere
• Work together
• Simplify everyday tasks
• Protect your business
7. Inner Circles Free 30 Day Trial
http://www.inner-circles.co.uk/free-trial.html
Our business model has continually changed over the years following our start, we have scaled up and we have scaled down. We have provided IT only, we have provided Web only and we have provided IT consultancy services. I have a great deal of IT knowledge, and an explanation in simple terms with an Irish accent is always a very easy prospect for any customer to listen to.
The present business model has remained unchanged in the past 8 years; we provide IT Hardware, IT Support, Web development, Web hosting and SEO services. The mix of IT services has come about through the business relationships we build with all of our customers. Simple IT or web jobs can lead to further work and continual business which is great for us as we move forward.
IT business accounts for 80% of our daily business, the bulk of calls and queries we handle relate to user IT support and IT site support; whether that is a remote access firewall, a server, a shared drive or a printer. We talk to users in a friendly simple manner and use remote access software to directly log in to their PC’s as we are talking to them. Our user’s love this feature, and normally we hear the phrases; are you there yet, can you see me, or let me just show you this! This is what makes our IT support easy, we involve the user and understand where they are having the issue, before working on their PC or their network to resolve the issue.
Talk about the cloud is becoming commonplace. The term itself invokes images of a remote place in the sky where people put their precious data, out of reach, and that makes some folks (and companies) downright nervous. It's human nature to want to keep stuff close and the thought of letting go and storing it somewhere "up there" is daunting for some. Truth is, fearing the cloud is unnecessary, especially considering most people have been using it for years.
Thinking about the cloud invokes an image of a giant nameless place far away where data is stored until needed. It's controlled by faceless people keeping the data safe, only allowing owners to access it when everything goes OK.
The reality is far different. The cloud isn't a single place or entity way up high, it's a bunch of computer servers both big and small spread all over the globe. These servers are special data farms that exist to hold on to all kinds of data large and small that belongs to lots of people and companies. The data just sits there until individuals want to use it or modify it.
You may not know it but you're already using the cloud. While it may seem that email has always existed on individual computers, the fact is it's really based in the cloud.
The advantages of storing data in the cloud are numerous, not the least of which is protecting the data from loss due to machine or human failure. In the old days when an individual's hard drive failed it took all the data with it. The lack of a recent backup meant the data was lost forever.
With data in the cloud that's not a concern. The operators of individual "clouds" or servers keep everything backed up just in case, and often they employ storage redundancy for an additional level of recovery in the face of disaster. This makes the cloud far more secure for precious data than local user storage.
Simply put, cloud computing is computing based on the internet. Where in the past, people would run applications or programs from software downloaded on a physical computer or server in their building, cloud computing allows people access the same kinds of applications through the internet. It is a solution growing in popularity, especially amongst SMEs.
But why exactly are businesses choosing to spend on hosted services, delivered remotely by a third party, rather than investing in their own on-premise infrastructure? Here are some of the main benefits of cloud technologies:
Reduced costsWith businesses able to source IT services on-demand according to need, there is less of a requirement for capital expenditure. Cloud vendors are responsible for managing the majority of servers and connections, and for ensuring the security of IT hardware - whereas cloud subscribers are merely consumers. They do not physically own the IT solutions they use, but they have no need to do so since services are provided online at a fraction of the cost.
Flexibility and scalabilityCloud subscribers can increase or decrease their use of cloud services according to demand and how much they want to spend. There is no longer any need to pay for services you do not require - businesses merely sign up for the specific IT functions they require. If needs change over time, they can simply pay more or less each month for access to cloud services.
Mobility and agilityCloud computing empowers professional people to work from a variety of locations, from a variety of devices. They can sign in to their cloud account - for instance, through Office 365 - on a PC, laptop, smartphone or other mobile device, and pick up where they left off earlier on a different platform. This is because files, documents, software and locations are available online, with no physical tie to the system being used. They are technology-neutral, meaning that - so long as you have an internet connection with sufficient bandwidth - you can work from almost anywhere.
Easier upgradesThe cloud vendor is responsible for upgrading cloud solutions, meaning subscribers do not need to worry about keeping up to date. When new solutions become available, cloud computing providers will invest in them and then make them available to subscribers. Failing to keep up to speed is bad business for the provider, since they are likely to be competing against various other broadband vendors for work.
Business continuityWith cloud services enabling employees to work from almost any location, an on-premise IT disaster will not have the severity of implications it could otherwise. Many employees will be able to carry on working from another location, given that they can access the tools and solutions they need over the internet. So even if there is a fire, flood, theft or technology outage, it should be possible to keep functioning normally.
IT securityCloud computing providers' reputations are built on providing secure, constantly available services to their customers. As such, they invest significant amounts of money securing their servers, data centres and connections, which has a positive knock-on effect to other users. Individual companies may not be able to spend thousands of pounds on IT security, but as a cloud user, they benefit from economies of scale.
Simply put, cloud computing is computing based on the internet. Where in the past, people would run applications or programs from software downloaded on a physical computer or server in their building, cloud computing allows people access the same kinds of applications through the internet. It is a solution growing in popularity, especially amongst SMEs. The CRN predicts that by 2014, small businesses will spend almost $100 billion on cloud computing services.
So why are so many businesses moving to the cloud? It’s because cloud computing increases efficiency, helps improve cash flow and offers many more benefits.
1. Flexibility
The second a company needs more bandwidth than usual, a cloud-based service can instantly meet the demand because of the vast capacity of the service’s remote servers. In fact, this flexibility is so crucial that 65% of respondents to an InformationWeek survey said “the ability to quickly meet business demands” was an important reason to move to cloud computing.
2. Disaster recovery
When companies start relying on cloud-based services, they no longer need complex disaster recovery plans. Cloud computing providers take care of most issues, and they do it faster. Aberdeen Group found that businesses which used the cloud were able to resolve issues in an average of 2.1 hours, nearly four times faster than businesses that didn’t use the cloud (8 hours). The same study found that mid-sized businesses had the best recovery times of all, taking almost half the time of larger companies to recover.
3. Automatic software updates
In 2010, UK companies spent 18 working days per month managing on-site security alone. But cloud computing suppliers do the server maintenance – including security updates –themselves, freeing up their customers’ time and resources for other tasks.
4. Cap-Ex Free
Cloud computing services are typically pay as you go, so there’s no need for capital expenditure at all. And because cloud computing is much faster to deploy, businesses have minimal project start-up costs and predictable ongoing operating expenses.
5. Increased collaboration
Cloud computing increases collaboration by allowing all employees – wherever they are – to sync up and work on documents and shared apps simultaneously, and follow colleagues and records to receive critical updates in real time. A survey by Frost & Sullivan found that companies which invested in collaboration technology had a 400% return on investment.
6. Work from anywhere
As long as employees have internet access, they can work from anywhere. This flexibility positively affects knowledge workers' work-life blanace and productivity. One study found that 42% of working adults would give up some of their salary if they could telecommute, and on average they would take a 6% paycut.
7. Document control
According to one study, "73% of knowledge workers collaborate with people in different time zones and regions at least monthly".
If a company doesn’t use the cloud, workers have to send files back and forth over email, meaning only one person can work on a file at a time and the same document has tonnes of names and formats.
Cloud computing keeps all the files in one central location, and everyone works off of one central copy. Employees can even chat to each other whilst making changes together. This whole process makes collaboration stronger, which increases efficiency and improves a company’s bottom line.
8. Security
Some 800,000 laptops are lost each year in airports alone. This can have some serious monetary implications, but when everything is stored in the cloud, data can still be accessed no matter what happens to a machine.
9. Competitiveness
The cloud grants SMEs access to enterprise-class technology. It also allows smaller businesses to act faster than big, established competitors. A study on disaster recovery eventually concluded that companies that didn’t use the cloud had to rely on tape backup methods and complicated procedures to recover – slow, laborious things which cloud users simply don’t use, allowing David to once again out-manoeuvre Goliath.
10. Environmentally friendly
Businesses using cloud computing only use the server space they need, which decreases their carbon footprint. Using the cloud results in at least 30% less energy consumption and carbon emissions than using on-site servers. And again, SMEs get the most benefit: for small companies, the cut in energy use and carbon emissions is likely to be 90%.
Work from anywhere
With Inner Circles your office is available wherever you go.
Access your contacts, emails, calendars, files and more from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection.
No matter what device you are using, as long as it is browser enabled and you have an Internet connection you and your colleagues can continue to work and collaborate on projects from the office or on the road, regardless of your geographical location.
Work together
Inner Circles helps you and your colleagues work better, together.With Inner Circles you and your team can collaborate on multiple projects in real time from anywhere with an Internet connection. Share and edit notes, files, contact details, assign tasks, record time and see your projects through together, from conception to completion.
Simplify everyday tasks
Inner Circles integrated applications help speed up everyday tasks such as scheduling appointments, responding to emails, recording time and more.
Upon logging in to Inner Circles you can view everything that your day has in store, including tasks, appointments, emails and more. Using the systems automated reminders you can ensure that no tasks slip through the cracks.
Protect your business
Secure your data with Inner Circles. Every Inner Circles portal is hosted on a secure server in a location that is protected from both physical and virtual attacks. Comprehensive anti virus scanning protocols are used to monitor traffic coming into all Inner Circles servers and data is backed up on a daily basis.Upon deploying your portal, Inner Circles will also work closely with you to scope the level of access that you wish to provide the users of your system with. All data is protected and your colleagues will only see the things that they are authorised to.