In business, it doesn’t usually pay to have your head in the clouds. However, there is one time when you really should do it – when you’re storing your data.

Cloud computing isn’t new. It’s been around for a good few years and has shown itself to be more than a simple passing fad. Companies in every industry of all sizes are flocking to embrace cloud-based technology to store their data because of the benefits it offers.

Flexible convenience

One of the handy things about cloud storage is that it can flex to your needs. So, if you hammer your usage one month then take it a bit easier the next, you’ll only pay for what you use. If you prefer paying upfront, so you always know where you stand, like with a broadband or mobile phone contract, you can do that too. It’s up to you.

Maintenance free

If you hold all your data on a regular server, it’s usually up to you to keep it maintained. With a cloud system, it’s the provider that does it all for you. There’ll be no extra costs or interruption to your service, so you can keep your business running smoothly.

Improved connectivity

All you need to access a cloud-based network is an internet connection, the right software (in some cases) and the right security clearance (passwords etc.). That means anyone you want can work from anywhere. All documents, files and secure sites will be available to employees once they’ve logged in to the network no matter where they are.

Greater collaboration

It’s not just your employees who can log in from anywhere, your partners and clients can too. Working together on projects can be done across numerous sites, so collaboration and teamwork becomes much simpler.

Less chance of data loss

Once a traditional server or other device is damaged, it can be impossible to extract data from it. Could your business cope if you lost important data because something broke? It’d probably be very costly. Situations like this are impossible with cloud technology as it’s automatically stored in several places and is regularly backed-up.

More secure

This is the big issue for all business owners. And the one that sometimes puts them off moving data to the cloud. There’s no evidence to support cloud computing is any less safe than any other kind, as long as you stay vigilant. Some experts believe having information stored on the cloud could actually be more secure as you can access it from other devices, and everything can be encrypted as another layer of security.

Is it affordable?

Obviously, this depends on your budget and exactly what you need. As mentioned earlier you can opt for a pay-as-you-go model, which can keep costs down. Less hardware’s needed too, so there’s further savings there, along with the reduced maintenance costs. Productivity often increases as cloud technology is easier to use and more flexible for your employees.

So, if a system that’s adaptable, easy to look after, keeps you connected, safe and reasonably priced sounds like your kind of thing, maybe it’s time to put your head (and your data) in the cloud.