First let’s briefly cover the concept of Cloud Computing. Back in the late 1800’s, companies – largely factories – were required to produce their own electricity to operate the tools and machines they used. It was very expensive and only larger companies could compete. In the early 1900’s that all changed with electricity becoming a utility just like it is today. Now anyone could “plug” into electricity at a cost that was affordable to any business. This changed the entire landscape of business competition allowing smaller companies that could not previously afford to generate their own power to be competitive. Today the same Technological Revolution is happening with Cloud Computing. Think of it this way, the web and cloud computing is to storing and processing data what the electrical grid and electric company is to plugging in your coffee maker: a more convenient, more reliable and less expensive way to access the “computing power” and resources you need. Technology analysts agree that Cloud Computing is becoming widely adapted by small, medium and large businesses.   So why are companies moving to the Cloud?

According to a recent survey

• 93% of businesses are moving to the cloud because it increases productivity outside of the office, allowing users to access information from anywhere and on any device.
• 60% are moving to the cloud because it eliminates capital expenditures for hardware, software, and networking equipment allowing you to spend that money in more strategic ways.
• 59% are moving to the cloud because it gives you built-in state-of-the art disaster recovery capabilities reducing the business risk associated with owning and managing computer technology.
• 57% of businesses are moving to the cloud because it provides a competitive advantage, allowing access to the technology and software that was just not affordable before.

Still not sure? Over just the next few years small and mid-sized businesses will shift over 2.4 million on-premise servers into the cloud allowing them to leverage more technology than most could ever image. If you think cloud may not be right for your business you might want to think about it this way, what might your competition be doing and how far behind might you be if they moved to the cloud.