Article provided by: CMIT Solutions, Charlie Reese / Your Technology Team
CMIT Solutions of South Brevard
| Last week, The New York Times gave prominent placement to an article called “The Era of Cloud Computing.” Of all the statistics presented, this one stood out the most: “Industry analysts at IDC figure that if largely cloud-based things like mobile apps, big data, and social media are counted, over the next six years almost 90% of new spending on Internet and communications technologies… will be on cloud-based technology.”Now, every business owner has heard about “the cloud” and how it’s supposed to revolutionize the technology industry and change the way we interact with computers, networks, and data. But until very recently, the cloud was a nearly inexplicable entity — “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,” as Winston Churchill famously said in 1939.
That’s all changing now that consumers are beginning to understand the function of the cloud (Google, Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook all rely on it), the price of cloud storage tumbles (the cost of a gigabyte on Amazon Web Services is now 1/100 of what it was a few years ago), and the use of smartphones and tablets (which, with limited local storage capabilities, live and die by access to the cloud) skyrockets. So are small to medium-sized businesses really being empowered by the cloud? As the aforementioned New York Times article stated, “Without the cloud, it would be almost inconceivable to fund a start-up like… SynapDX, [which looks] for clues about autism in 880 children across 20 states… ‘Without the cloud I’d need $1 million, plus staff, just for the computer,’ said Mark DePristo, a vice president of SynapDX. Instead, his company spends $25,000 a month on computing,” adding computer power when necessary — and employing 22 people who use a handful of laptops and an Internet connection. Yet questions about the cloud still remain? Can it really deliver a boost in productivity? Is it easy to leverage in the right way? Will an upgrade in Internet connection speeds be required? Will that negate any cost savings? CMIT Solutions understands that the cloud is not a one-size-fits-all solution — and in many cases, it doesn’t fit at all. Consider these points before you consult an IT professional about exploring the cloud further:
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