Google Enterprise has put together the following 10 things to consider when getting started in the cloud so I felt like a bit of devil’s advocacy …
1. Moving to the cloud is easy:
The transfer of business information into the cloud is very straightforward. There is no need to install new hardware or software as everything is run by the cloud provider.
W2&M: This is true if you have a reliable broadband connection but you have to remember that not everyone is lucky enough to have a landline that can accept the sorts of speeds needed to work effectively on the net. The fastest landline connection in my village is 200kbs – I receive my broadband by radio and get a 2mb download and 1.5mb upload.
2. Cost savings could be higher than you anticipate:
Businesses that move to the cloud can make savings on many different levels – IT hardware and software expenditure is cut dramatically and fewer staff or support resources are needed for IT maintenance. Last September, analyst group IDC estimated that business can instantly reduce their IT spend by approx. 54% by moving to a cloud based solution.
W2&M: I think this is a bit simplistic. If you are a small to medium sized business then the odds are that you have stand alone, non-networked computers. Setting up a wireless network to access the web isn’t overly expensive but it is an overhead you need to build into the budget.
3. Improved productivity:
One of the key benefits of cloud computing is that employees can access documents and emails while away from the office.
W2&M: You will need to give some thought to an acceptable use policy to ensure staff do not spend too much time on Facebook and the like. You also need to bear in mind that staff using Facebook is the pleasant face of web usage or abusage. Where I work the IT security staff had the task of tracking down someone who used the web to search for necrophilia and bestiality! Apart from the jokes about necrophilia being dead boring, the web can reveal the dark side of human nature.
4. Greater level of security:
Cloud computing can be more secure than traditional IT. It’s all about economies of scale – many established cloud suppliers employ leading security experts, invest vast amounts of money into securing their applications and develop technology beyond the means of any small business. In addition, the risk of losing confidential data on a laptop or a USB stick is also diminished, as everything is stored in the cloud and not on your devices.
W2&M: It’s pretty hard to argue against this. I forget the times I have gone into the day job early and found the exchange server down or net access off and not been able to do any work until the IT department rolled in at 9am! Google and Zoho have never let me down and I was not affected by the two Gmail outages as I could access my mail via IMAP using Thunderbird.
5. Manage the cultural adjustment:
Today’s employees expect to have the same technology at work that they enjoy at home. Google designs its applications with users in mind and many staff will already be familiar with Google Mail and Google Docs. However, internal communication about the change of service and in-house training sessions will help staff to feel more comfortable using the new technology.
W2&M: Bear in mind that switching over to cloud based working should be totally transparent and staff should not notice the difference but this isn’t the case. If you go down the route of using Google Apps the minimalist interface it can take some time for workers to get used to it. Investigate Zoho, the GUI is very much more like Microsoft Office.
6. A more collaborative way of working:
Using cloud computing applications, people can work more closely together, accessing and working in the same documents in real time – without the need for hundreds of emails with attachments. Improved knowledge sharing and communication encourages creativity amongst your employees which can help drive the business forward.
W2&M: No devil’s advocacy needed here. Agree 100%
7. Flexibility to scale up or scale down your business:
Cloud based “pay as you go” style services allow you to easily increase your use of cloud services as your business grows, or decrease your spend if you need to temporarily scale down.
W2&M: At the moment providers are falling over themselves to get people to use their cloud based services and access is very cheap. What happens when cloud computing becomes more mainstream – changes in contracts, MOUs, stronger tie-ins – see 10 below.
8. Employees of tomorrow:
Look at how teenagers interact – on Facebook, Bebo or MySpace – all cloud environments. These teenagers will soon become employees, accustomed to collaborating online and accessing their data from any mobile device at hand, not expecting to work in one location and from 9 to 5.
W2&M: Working with younger people I find this statement a bit optimistic. Just because people are young it doesn’t mean that they are tech savvy – they can be as thick and luddite-ish as older people are alleged to be!!
9. Your business resiliency can be improved:
Cloud computing providers should not only offer 24/7 support but also the increased resiliency and redundancy afforded by multiple data centres to ensure your information is always available. This means that you experience less downtime than when managing IT in-house, and any problems can be solved far quicker by being fixed centrally. IDC estimates that businesses operating in the cloud achieve 97% greater IT reliability.
W2&M: Again, not a lot to argue with here. However, think long term about terrorism. If I wanted to cripple the world’s leading economies and strike at my enemies I wouldn’t faff about with building nuclear weapons I’d take out the data centres!
10. More choice:
In contrast to traditional IT models which can involve expensive software licenses and long lock-in contracts, the cloud model offers far more flexibility. You can switch provider far more easily and regularly in order to get the best experience and value for money. However, it is important to check with your cloud provider as to how you retrieve data from their cloud should you choose to switch in the future.
W2&M: The last sentence sums it all up so always have this in the back of your mind – Caveat Emptor!
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