The Pros and Cons of Cloud Reliance

Rarely is there a problem that a cloud solution cannot fix, and as such, businesses are more often turning to the cloud to find ways to handle the many challenges presented to them on a daily basis. Is this reliance on the cloud a good thing, or does it hold businesses back? Let’s take a look at what can happen as a result of overreliance on the cloud.

Pro: You Have Anytime, Anywhere Access

Thanks to the cloud, many solutions that businesses tend to rely on can be accessed anytime, anywhere, and on any compatible device. Cloud solutions can be accessed through an Internet browser or an application on a smartphone or tablet, making them great solutions for taking work on the go.

Con: You Need an Internet Connection

What happens when you don’t have an Internet connection or mobile service, though? Access to important solutions can be cut off. Take, for example, when the Internet in your office cuts out. If you host your productivity suite in the cloud, and your productivity suite doesn’t offer offline functionality, then you are out of luck until your Internet connection is restored.

Pro: The Cloud Offers Scalability and Flexibility

Purchasing software licenses for every single employee within your organization can be costly, especially when you consider how many services your team needs access to on a daily basis. The cloud offers a great alternative in the “as a service” model, where all you do is pay per user per month for your various cloud-based applications and services.

Con: Cloud Sprawl Can and Will Happen

What happens when you have loads of cloud-based applications and services? That’s right—you tend to create accounts for all of them, and data can get spread out amongst them if you don’t have a centralized location for everything. Cloud sprawl is something that can be incredibly frustrating to deal with if you’re not careful.

Want to Implement Better Cloud Computing Solutions?

Cloud computing might have its ups and downs, but the downs are much more manageable than you might expect while the upsides to utilize the cloud are far too good to pass up. Depending on the level of control you need over your data, you can go with either a public, private, or hybrid cloud, so you have no shortage of options that are customizable to suit the needs of your organization.

Washington Works can help you find the cloud solution for your business, and we can even help you manage your cloud in a more efficient way. To learn more about how we can assist your business’ mission, reach out to us at 301-571-5040.