More than Half of U.S. Businesses Now Use Cloud Computing

The cloud computing market could hit $55 billion by the end of 2014, according to a report from research firm IDC. The growth of the cloud is evident in software, infrastructure and platforms—all as services used in the world of small business. The cloud now lets outsourced IT professionals assist small businesses.

According to an article on CloudTweaks.com, cloud storage offers unlimited potential for offsite backup and retrieval that’s affordable and reliable. An IT manager can research which provider offers the best features for a reasonable price, such as cloud storage offerings from Rackspace and others.

As far as buzzwords go, “cloud computing” has transitioned from a novelty to a term that is now a solid component of the IT lexicon, says Forbes.com.

New research sponsored by enterprise-focused cloud computing firm, Virtustream, sheds new light on the adoption of cloud computing. The report findings indicate that the majority of U.S. businesses are now using some form of cloud computing for IT.

The cloud provides numerous advantages to businesses looking to simplify its IT capabilities, from security requirements to customer interactions to anytime, anywhere connectivity. Here are several areas where the cloud will give your business an advantage.

Mobility

Whether a small business has a dozen workers or just one, few employees stay chained to their desk anymore. Businesses that work entirely online can conduct their business from anywhere at anytime, if the employees are working from mobile devices in their own “virtual office.” Cloud computing allows field agents to access data and take payments with commodity mobile devices.

Security

Many small firms fail to protect their Wi-Fi passwords. The more an unprotected network connection is shared between users and servers, the more opportunities can exist for hackers to tamper with a company’s data. Plus, an unsecured Wi-Fi connection can lead to a slower bandwidth for the business’s Website. Many of the popular cloud computing services provide password encryption and other features that will ensure a client’s data is protected.

Client Services

The biggest benefit of the cloud for small businesses is it can increase a rep’s response time. Not only can agents access any needed information right away, customers can also access and edit their accounts. This feature can increase the productivity of a customer service department and maximize the business’ ROI (return on investment).

If you’ve attended a technology conference over the last few years it’s hard to avoid the buzz around cloud computing. Almost every vendor has applied the term to anything and everything imaginable. There has been some debate over the level of adoption outside of the startup scene, specifically within the larger “enterprise class” of companies. We’re now at a point where most “new software” created, is created with the Internet as a central tenant. It’s how modern software is developed, deployed and consumed. There’s little doubt the cloud has gone mainstream.

Patrick Burke is a writer and editor based in the greater New York area and occasionally blogs for Rackspace Hosting