The cloud has found its way into nearly everything and that trend is sure to grow as the flexibility and security of the cloud becomes more prevalent.  What your business uses the cloud for will depend heavily on the needs of your organization.  Some businesses use the cloud simply to store data, while others are leveraging it to develop and house powerful software and applications.  Here we take a look at five primary functions of cloud technology.

Mobility

The mobility that the cloud provides has come into greater focus over the past year with droves of employees being sent to work from home.  Being able to access software and data from any location has never been more important.  Those who have housed their essential tools and data on the cloud have had a much easier transition to the work from home model and have been able to sustain a greater level of business continuity.

Data Storage And Backup

Being able to store all of your data in one place without having to continuously purchase pricey servers and other complementary equipment is a major benefit of the cloud.  Not only does this save money, it can save a great deal of space in your server room.  This also ensures that your most valuable data will not be lost in the event of a malfunction or security breach.  In most cases you only need to pay for the storage you use, which is another way the cloud saves you money.

Development And Testing

Being able to develop and test your applications on the cloud gives you a great deal of flexibility and with most providers offering a pay as you go model, this is yet again another way the cloud saves you money.  It reduces the amount of stress these types of processes can cause on your system and gives developers the option of taking their work home with them.  With environments available that can be tailored to your needs, it is a time saver as well.

Big Data Analytics

The cloud allows you to analyze large quantities of data and extract business intelligence that can help you to develop products, position your brand and ultimately make more sales.  This can give you valuable insights into consumers buying habits and help you to better identify your target audience.  This is all without having to add additional infrastructure or weighing down your current system.

IaaS, PaaS and SaaS

This is another area where the cloud’s pay as you go model can greatly benefit your organization.  If you’ve housed these services in the cloud, the majority of your costs will occur when yourself or a customer has signed on with you and is using your service.  This means you’re mostly only paying for your storage and infrastructure when your business is making money. 

The uses of the cloud are innumerable, with new functionality and concepts being developed every day.  Download the Alto9 Cloud Consulting Solution Brief to get more information about how we can help transform your business.