Cloud Computing Lowers SME Business Entry Barrier
March 8, 2012
Cloud computing is changing the way that midsize enterprises do business, says John Engates. In a recent interview on BBC News, Mr. Engates described some of the ways in which small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) have used this technology to their advantage. Some of the key benefits of the technology include enabling midsize businesses to compete effectively with even bigger businesses, thanks to the ability to harness increased computer power. This, he says, has both industrial and economic benefits…
Outsourcing IT to the Cloud
One of the key benefits outlined in the BBC interview is that midsize businesses can avoid licensing costs for hardware and software. Keeping licenses up to date and rolling out new versions of software can be a drain on finances and needs large up-front payments. Instead, businesses can work on a pay-as-you-go basis, disbursing funds only for the systems they actually use. While it is possible to pay annually, many of these operate on the basis of monthly payment plans and allow you to scale plans up or down according to business needs.
Benefits of Business in the Cloud
There’s an endless array of cloud-based software and services for business. These include applications for invoicing, payroll, accounting, project management, collaboration, customer relationship management, email management, communication, online backup/storage, and web hosting. Using these services and not their brick-and-mortar alternatives can result in savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year…