In this article, we look at how cloudware can help you accelerate your business growth.
Cloudware is software that runs on a remote Web server rather than on a mobile computing device, personal computer (PC) or traditional on-premises application server.
With the right strategy, cloudware means low costs and high returns
When cloud technology is used for the right reasons, it can enable business to run applications and store vast amounts of data securely for minimal cost. Owners can significantly reduce their overheads and invest more money into maintaining and expanding the business itself.
With more money available to inject to other areas of the business, you can keep up with your competitors and put more investment into activities such as marketing and product development. With more businesses choosing cloudware, you may find yourself in a compromised position if you’re still spending your money on in-house IT services that cloudware can do for you.
Microsoft have launched their own Cloudware platform, Microsoft Azure, which allows developers to build and deploy cloud-based apps and services through a network of Microsoft servers.
An enhanced business infrastructure
SMEs have access to computing resources and support that would be almost impossible to afford in a physical setting. For example, it is feasible to dramatically increase capacity and trial new apps in ways that would be economically and logistically impractical with a physical network.
No longer are SMEs disadvantaged by a lack of access to top-of-the-range technology and resources – now they can operate with the same high quality infrastructure as some of the world’s biggest corporations, and maximise their long-term growth prospects. You don’t have to spend time manually updating your systems, because cloudware will do this for you automatically, ensuring you always have the most up-to-date technology during those crucial periods of commercial growth.
Save money
Because you don’t have to purchase an expensive physical server and software, cloudware can be very affordable from a maintenance and administration perspective. For example, start-ups can easily subscribe to a monthly cloudware package and unsubscribe if necessary. With physical software, however, it gets much more complicated, because the hassle of applying for and negotiating refunds can eat way a lot of valuable business time.
More flexible working arrangements
You can get the best-performing IT software wherever you want, whether you’re working in an office, at home, or at a hotel thousands of miles away. Indeed, according to research from the British Chambers of Commerce and BT Business in 2015, the increasing popularity of remote working has strengthened the demand for cloudware among SMEs in the UK.
The harmony of cloudware and remote working
Already, more than two thirds of business use cloud technology, and nearly a fifth have at least 50 percent of their employees working out of the office. By renting less office space, or office space on a part-time basis, businesses can reduce their overheads even more – such arrangements would be much more difficult without cloudware.
The research also found that just over half of businesses believed cloud technology was critical in ensuring remote working arrangements are successful, and the overwhelming majority (91 percent) had at least one employee working remotely.
New EU rules could encourage more investment in cloudware
With the European Court of Justice recently ruling that the time taken to travel to and from work should be considered working time, employers may be under greater pressure to conform to the EU’s 48-hour-a-week limit for staff. Investing in a reputable, local company specialising in cloud development for SMEs will help you to realise the potential of cloudware and how it can help you to better understand your customers.
About the Author
Karen Harding is the marketing manager at Objective IT, one of the South East’s leading web and software development companies.
Photo credit: Jinho Kim
