There are many ways in which businesses of any size can begin to utilise cloud services. Cloud computing is generally considered a more modern approach than traditional options, and thanks to how connected our world is today, these services are far easier to adopt than they were in the past. Cloud services offer many benefits to small and large businesses, and they can help to streamline your work processes and secure your data. In this article, we will look at some of the most popular cloud services that could benefit any type of organisation this year and beyond.
Types of cloud services
When discussing cloud services, there are three main options within cloud computing that you can use within your business; Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). They all offer something different to companies, and you can easily start using all three. Regardless of what service or product your company offers, you’ll notice benefits from each of these cloud computing options that can make your work processes smoother for your whole team.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
When it comes to cloud computing, this is the most commonly used option. Acting as a virtual network, server, operating system, and data storage solution, this is what you often think of when discussing the cloud. For smaller businesses who are looking to scale up, you’ll find this solution offers you flexibility and scalability within your company. Instead of relying on hardware within your office, you’ll find this to be a much more cost-effective solution. You can choose between public and private services or a hybrid of the two, and the rate you pay will depend on how much storage you use.
When choosing IaaS, you’ll find you have plenty of options available to you today. These are some of the most popular cloud services businesses are opting to use:
- Amazon Web Services – This simple IaaS solution offers companies a huge range of tools. It’s affordable and flexible and is ideal for smaller companies who are considering scaling up in the future.
- Microsoft Azure – Microsoft Azure can fall under all three of the categories we are discussing today and is one of the most popular cloud services out there. It’s a very versatile service, and it offers businesses the chance to use various types of managed infrastructure.
- Google Compute Engine – This is the IaaS part of the Google Cloud Platform, which enables companies to launch virtual machines as and when they need to. Google is hoping to offer companies increased security using layers to help build a more secure solution.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
With PaaS, cloud computing allows businesses to run and develop applications. Cloud computing offers the infrastructure and software you need to get started, and then you can quickly create your own applications. As with IaaS, these services are scalable and are perfect for companies who are looking to build an application with multiple different teams of developers. You can also use CRM or another data source within your project with ease when using PaaS.
As far as PaaS, there are many great options available to you as a business owner. These are some of the most commonly used cloud services that your company may want to adopt this year:
- SAP Cloud – SAP Cloud is an open business platform, which helps businesses build applications with ease. It offers you the option of integrating your on-premise and cloud apps and also has a huge library of apps that were created on the platform.
- AWS Lambda – AWS Lambda is part of the Amazon Cloud and offers support for managing AWS resources. It is ideal for any development project and is multi-code capable.
- Dokku – While Dokku is certainly one of the smallest PaaS options, it is a completely free solution, making it ideal for small and mid-sized businesses. It allows you to adjust your business model as needed, as you have a reduced chance of vendor lock-in.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Finally, SaaS allows you to pay a subscription or pay-per-use fee to develop software via the internet. For businesses that use mobile sales management software or CRM, this is an excellent tool. It allows you to work efficiently on short-term projects without having to maintain everything yourself as it’s all in a central location.
Examples of SaaS that you may want to consider adopting within your business include:
- Salesforce – Salesforce is a customer relations solution that allows you to collect your customer information within one platform. This allows employees to view this data as and when they need to and usually increases sales for companies when used effectively.
- Microsoft Office 365 – The cloud-based Microsoft Office 365 suite offers you all of the signature tools you would expect, plus much more. You can share your work in real-time to any type of device and connect with colleagues around the world on collaborative projects.
- Box – Another great tool for collaboration is Box, which allows you to connect with team members located anywhere in the world. It offers secure sharing solutions thanks to the password protection and permissions it uses. It can also help with the customisation of contracts and onboarding processes, saving you time and energy in the long run.
- Concur – If your employees regularly travel for business, consider using Concur. It helps to streamline expense management for travel and offers mobile and web-based solutions. Employees can book their own travel within a set budget, offering more flexibility and an improved experience for everyone.
Why choose us?
As you can see, the options to begin using more cloud services within your business are endless. While we’ve highlighted a few of the key players in each of the three categories of cloud computing, this is only the beginning of the options available to you today. Companies who leverage these solutions often enjoy improved productivity, efficiency, and cost savings, so it’s something you’ll want to consider using if you aren’t already this year.
Contact the folks at BSPOKE Software today!