Do I need a server in my office anymore?

Image by Michael Giuffrida about progressCloud! Cloud! Cloud!  It’s the buzz word of the times but is it really right for my business?  Let’s start by defining it. In short, when something is “in the cloud” it is simply on a server which is sitting somewhere else as opposed to in your office, and it is accessed over the internet. Depending upon what your business does, how much data you have, and where your employees and clients are located, having some or all of you data and server resources located in the cloud could be right for you. There are pros and cons to cloud based resources.

Pros

– Resources are equally accessible from anyone anywhere as long as they have sufficient internet access speed

– Data backup and redundancy can be made much simpler if configured properly

– You can have the ability to add resources such as memory, disk space and processor at the touch of a button when necessary

Cons

– If you work with large files such as CAD files, traversing them over the internet can be time consuming and will be limited by your internet bandwidth instead of your local network bandwidth

– If most of your employees are located in your office, accessing server resources can require a very robust internet connection

– If most of your employees are located in your office and the internet connection goes down, your office productivity could come to a halt

Determining what is right for your business requires an analysis of your work patterns and load.  often the right answer is a mix of cloud and local based resources called a hybrid approach.  Reviewing these facets of cloud based computing can help you make the right decision for your organization.


Mike Giuffrida from Southington CT has been helping organizations prosper through the use of properly implemented technology since 1997.  As an experienced entrepreneur he has built and grown businesses using his skills in management, profitable growth, business valuation, mergers and acquisitions, and information technology managed services.

 

3 thoughts on “Do I need a server in my office anymore?

  • I work in education and our district is in the process of removing our server and going to all storage via Google Drive. Although I appreciate the convenience of being able to access files from anywhere, it is proving challenging in some ways as well. I agree that unreliable internet connection can create complete chaos.

  • As you mention there are pros and cons but as the cloud has matured I am slowly coming around myself. Finally the cloud in some cases is getting serious about security. I feel like if I were starting a business my thought process for the first time would be cloud first. But I would use a name brand cloud, amazon, azure, or google and would make sure I don’t use the budget tier.

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