If you’re calling your IT team in to make repairs far too often; if your applications have become outdated; or if your system is running too slowly to keep up with your business, you may be thinking that it’s time to retire your current system – but with what? 

An increasing number of businesses are taking to the cloud. They’re leaving behind physical server hardware and exchanging it for greater security, flexibility, and scalability with the cloud. 

What exactly is the cloud?

‘The cloud’ is one of those terms that you hear a lot these days but few really seem to really understand what it is and the potential it offers. The cloud is a dedicated online server hosted on the internet rather than on physical hardware. Your computer systems live in a shared virtual environment managed 24/7 by your chosen cloud hosting provider like LMS Group. The main advantages of moving to the cloud are as follows:

Complete scalability

With a physical server, you’ll know exactly what the limits to your system are and, should your company grow, you may even need to buy a second or third server to provide enough capacity for staff to use your IT network. 

Even if you get a server capable of supporting a future influx of staff members as you grow, this might mean that you’re paying for a significant amount of server power you may not even need for another five years – by which point the technology could be out of date or need replacing once again. 

On the other hand, if you were to choose a cloud server, you’d only ever use exactly what you need. Cloud hosting allows you to pay per user so you can scale your IT up as needed.

Reduced risk

Having your own servers on site is a significant risk to both data security and business continuity. All of your backed-up data could be wiped in an instant given an event like flooding, a major power outage, or fire. These risks are completely preventable with cloud technology.

When you switch to the cloud, your information is stored online rather than in one physical place meaning there’s no risk of losing everything should disaster strike. We’ll even make backups of your data regularly for you so, in the very rare instance something did happen to your cloud server, an up-to-date copy of information would be instantly recoverable. 

Constantly up-to-date

The world of technology is constantly changing and it can seem complicated and expensive to make sure your company keeps up. By the time you’ve conducted all your research and decided on an upgrade for your server, a newer version will have already been released.

Unlike your physical hardware, cloud IT systems are updated all the time. Give us a call or send us an email – we can increase your storage space, add extra apps, or add another user. This is possible because we’re always investing in our IT infrastructure to make sure you get the best possible perks as part of your subscription. 

24/7 IT support as part of the package

Many businesses choose to replace their servers rather than switch to the cloud since they see it as a one-off cost as opposed to a monthly expense. When you have your own physical servers on site, you have only two options. You can either:

Hire internal IT staff full-time to keep things running smoothly. 

Outsource all problems and maintenance of your servers to a specialist IT company. 

Both of these options are expensive ways to run an IT system. It’s not just the initial cost of purchasing the servers, there are monthly costs on top post-installation.

On your cloud platform, the cost of IT support from LMS Group’s expert team is already built into your monthly price. That means you won’t need to waste your employees’ time and effort maintaining the server themselves. 

A concern many business owners have about the cloud is the security of their company’s data when stored in an online system. With us, you have your own private cloud server which is both encrypted and monitored 24/7 by our cyber security team. 

You won’t have to worry about any data breaches or security threats. Should anyone attempt to access your data, our experts notice it right away and add further protection to your information. 

Improved productivity

Because the cloud is online, it allows your staff to access their stored files from anywhere. This gives your company additional flexibility to exploit the many new opportunities presented by remote working staff. 

Your employees can connect to your IT systems and work from anywhere and from any device; meaning they don’t have to be at their desk to work efficiently. They could spend this time with clients, suppliers, and other key business stakeholders.

On a commercial level, this means that your staff are able to visit clients onsite with full access to the information they need, increasing engagement and building stronger relationships with your clients. 

Is it time to move to the cloud? Whether you’re a start-up or you run a business experiencing ongoing and sustainable growth, LMS Group designs optimal cloud solutions bespoke for the individual needs of every enterprise.

To find out more about how cloud technology could benefit your business, call us today on 0330 088 2565 or email sales@lms-uk.com