The cloud

We listen all the time to people talking about the software in ¨the cloud¨, but what is it? What is it about? Can I have it in my business? In this article, we will tell you some things about the software in ¨the cloud¨ or ¨computing cloud¨, and its advantages for an SME.

Big technology companies as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, etc. introduced the idea about the ¨software in the cloud¨ or ¨software as a service (SAAS)¨. Nowadays, it is an affordable technology for any company, regardless of its size.

The times where the programs were sold in a box with a physic license is coming to an end. The small and middle-size companies subcontract this service because of the need for change, the permanent update of the management program, the necessity to access the information from any place and time, the high cost of installation and maintenance of the IT infrastructure needed for its proper functioning. So, these companies are subcontracting this management software in the cloud even more.

Using the services in the cloud is becoming more common, and this allows us to keep the information in the web app or the ¨cloud¨. So, the things that you normally keep in your computer (programs, files, etc…) go to the server that you remotely enter through the internet. The information and the IT processes are remotely performed.

In our everyday life, we are already using ¨the cloud¨ daily. For example, when you use your Gmail account when you carry out bank transactions through their intranet, when you take notes in your google calendar or when you share documents with dropbox.

Depending on your business, you could use the apps to have more efficiency in the processes of your business. If you work remotely, you could enter the information of your company from any place and time, and with any device (PC, Mac, Tablet, Mobile phone, etc). You will only need an internet connection.

Regarding security, the suppliers normally offer encrypted connections with the server, daily backup and fulfilment of all the quality and safety international IT standards (RGPD, ISO, etc.). In general, your information will be kept in a cloud server, and it will be much safer than on the computer of your office.

Advantages

The most important advantages that the software in the cloud can provide to the management of your business are the following:

+ It is not necessary to install or have your own server.

You do not need to have your own server or to install the software on each computer. This avoids a high investment of infrastructure and maintenance (server, computers, operating systems, antivirus, backup system, etc). Once you have the software in the cloud, you should only sign in to the service and start working. The process is done quickly and with fewer costs because all the software is in one place, and it is managed by technicians specialized in the supplier company.

+ You pay for what you use

This is one of the advantages of using the software in the cloud. If you have a small company, you won´t need many users, etc. You can hire a basic plan for X price per month with this kind of software. So, you will know exactly the cost of your business infrastructure every month if you have it in the cloud. If your company necessities grow up in a time, you simply hire more users or resources in the server, in a phased manner, without having to make great investments in new computers, servers, etc.

+ High performance of the server and program

The cloud server is very powerful equipment, it is normally excessive compared to the workload that it executes. All the programs and processes are executed at a higher speed than that of normal equipment in an office. In addition, this equipment is constantly kept and supervised by specialized technicians, so you will never have problems with the antivirus, updates, incompatible programs, wrong configurations, etc.

+ Greater security

The servers in the cloud ensure a high availability 365x24h. All the infrastructure, communications and information are redundant (duplicated in real-time), and this ensures that you will never lose your information. The facilities where these servers are found are advanced data centres with a high level of physical and logical security to take care of the information. These centres are also constantly checked, 24 h, by specialized people, and they backup consistently all the information they have in their system.

Your company information will be much safer if they are on a server in the cloud rather than in the server of your office.

+ Certifications

The cloud suppliers offer SSL certifications to access in an encrypted and safe way. They have different quality certifications, like the ISO 27001 about Information Security, the UNE-EN ISO 9001 in Quality Management or the GDPR European Regulation.

If you have the management information of your company in a server with these characteristics, you are adding extra safety and responsibility to your clients. This ensures that all the confidential information they trust will be 100% safe in your IT infrastructure.

+ Access to your information from any place

One of the obvious advantages of the management system in the cloud is the possibility of acceding to your information from any geographical point and from any device, whether you are in the office or the subway, with your computer, laptop or tablet. You will always have available all the information that you need, you only need a connection to the internet.

+ Automatic and safe updates

You do not have to waste time updating information, you do not have to buy and download the last version, the updates or the modifications. These updates with the software in the cloud are completely clear and without any intervention from the company. The updates or version changes are constant, and this reduces the learning curve from one version to another because the updates are small and constant. So, the user does not find a lot of small things changed suddenly, similar to when we change from one version to another.

+ Improve the collaborative work

Collaborative work with your colleagues and/or employees can be more productive than it is now because you can access quickly to the information, and you simplify and speed up the communication of the employees.