Jumpstart Your IT Infrastructure with the Cloud

“Efficient use of technology is essential to running a successful business. By leveraging technology correctly entrepreneurs will be in a position to scale and grow in a more efficient manner – and in many cases, with limited upfront investment required,” says Padraig Healy, executive director global for Dell Limerick.

Infrastructure investment may be the single largest investment a small business can make. Beyond the initial purchase cost, maintenance and updates throughout the life of the equipment and software will need to be planned into the budget. That’s a big pain in the wallet.

As business grows, infrastructure expansion to accommodate demand for content storage and computing power will take up even more resources. Along with this comes the need to hire someone to watch over your expensive equipment. Luckily cloud computing is on your horizon.

According to Gartner, an information technology research firm, by 2016 cloud storage is expected to increase to 36% of all storage, up from less than 8% in 2011. Adoption of cloud storage will be spurred by the increasing use of mobile technology and the idea of working anywhere anytime. Accessing the cloud is much less cumbersome than arranging for access to your own infrastructure. As an entrepreneur you are sure to appreciate the need to keep moving and computing as you build your business.

The cloud can replace your infrastructure with a virtual network that is every bit as secure as an on-premise platform. This virtual network is not only maintained and updated by the cloud services company rather than you, it is inherently more flexible. It can scale up and down to your needs and offer reporting, storage, and services to a geographically disperse workforce.

The biggest advantage to cloud computing is that you don’t need to invest in a vast array of infrastructure just to get your IT needs covered. More business applications are offered in the cloud each and every day with future updates and maintenance as part of the package. This leaves you free to invest your resources in other parts of your start-up.