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Home : More : Business Blog

Head in the Cloud

Dan Matthews Cloud computing for small businesses is so hot right now. Erm, what exactly is it again?

It’s all very well me gassing on about tie etiquette, Barack Obama and the business merits of New York, but it’s high-time I wrote a practical blog. So, to fulfil this pledge, I’m going to describe how Cloud computing can benefit small businesses.

Having consulted our friends at WinWeb, who provide cloud-type software to small business customers, I’ve established the following:

Cloud computing refers to a ‘cloud’ of applications you can download from the internet, which often mimic the functions of existing ‘hard copy software’, but are cheaper and more easily accessible.

Companies such as Yahoo!, Google and Amazon are producing software alongside traditional vendors such as Microsoft and IBM. According to WinWeb, another purveyor of cloud technology, the main benefits for small businesses are these:

•    No software installation, no upgrade hassle, live support 24 hours everyday, and you can use it anywhere at anytime.
•    Compatibility benefits, making your IT transparent and less hassle and saving you money and time in the process.
•    Data security and business continuity benefits, as they will keep your business going even after a disaster in the office.
•    The collaboration and networking benefits are often not spoken about, because most vendors only want to sell software and not real solutions.
•    Then there are the environmental benefits, which help you to reduce your carbon footprint in your business and home.

For a bit more info, check out the WinWeb website.

Why not sign up to our small business newsletter and learn more?

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By Dan Matthews on Nov 10,2008

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