An IBM global study states that, “One out of five organizations has discovered a secret source of competitive differentiation. It allows them to serve customers in new ways and reimagine their business models. It can help surface valuable insights from their data and transform how they make decisions. It enables them to tap expertise from across their entire ecosystem.”
Most technologies offer competitive advantages to companies both small and large. However, cloud computing solutions seem to top the list due to lower cost of operations, speed of adoption, scalability, collaboration capabilities, and productivity enhancement.
In a survey by 451 Research, underwritten by Microsoft, over half of the respondents cited their principal reasons for moving to the cloud as improving technology quality, helping grow the business, and adding capabilities that couldn’t be built internally.
And this list merely scratches the surface.
We polled several cloud experts who shared their thoughts on the different ways cloud solutions give organizations a competitive advantage. Here’s what they had to say…
Jamie Stafslien, President, Complete Technology Resources, Inc.
“Moving our clients to the cloud has been met with great success. For example, moving key servers to the cloud has allowed our clients to have the reassurance their servers are always available and the peace of mind their applications, data, and services are available to them 24/7. They no longer have to worry about a disaster disrupting their technology. In the event a disaster strikes, they simply grab a new workstation, connect to the cloud, and start working again.”
Jon Matero, President & CEO, Network Heroes
The old saying, “Cash flow is king,” really holds true here. Going with a cloud solution, like dinCloud, not only provides cutting edge technology, but allows the end user to bear the cost as an operating expense rather than a capital expense. Once you purchase equipment you are essentially stuck with it. However, a cloud solution can scale much quicker and easier. And, if you decide you don’t need it any longer, you cut the cord and are done with that expense. The same cannot be said if you buy the equipment outright.
Additionally, the added protection that dinCloud offers cannot be ignored. Contrary to what some believe to be an unsecure solution, most cloud servers are far more secure than the hardware sitting in a typical office. Cloud servers reside in climate controlled environments, protected by armed guards behind state-of-the-art surveillance and security systems, which incorporate multiple failover systems, and usually replicate to datacenters in different regions and on different power grids. There really isn’t a more secure place to hold your data.
Armando Chéverez | Director of Client Services, Netcom Solutions
Cloud computing provides the scalability that any growing business requires to expand as needed while removing capital expenditure. This ensures that you only pay for what is required, without fear of a complete system upgrade if or when you decide to further develop your company. Our company, Netcom Solutions, with dinCloud’s support, is able to add servers in a matter of hours, cutting any delays on shipping, price, and software implementation. dinCloud’s customer service, combined with exemplary SLA, provides us with support that is always available, whether it’s answering questions regarding implementation or help desk ticket requests. All of this ensures optimal performance, low cost, and maximum productivity.
dinCloud’s Take
David Graffia, VP of Sales at dinCloud says that, “The cloud is undeniably leveling the playing field, allowing smaller firms to compete with their much larger competitors. It’s disrupting the competitive landscape and occurring across all verticals.”
As an IT Manager, if you’re still trying to accommodate the shifting needs of the business in the traditional way, then you already know there are a lot of moving parts:
- First, you have to order new and approved end-points (e.g. laptops, desktops, tablets, etc.).
- Next, you must deliver all ancillary services surrounding imaging, configuring, asset-tagging, on-site installation, data-migration, maintenance, and support, etc.
- Then, you must acquire infrastructure and licensing to host a multitude of point-solutions (e.g. anti-virus, malware protection, encryption, backup, monitoring, patch management etc.).
The associated time, effort and cost will put you at a clear disadvantage from competitors leveraging cloud automation.
Take for example, the automated approach of dinCloud. By leveraging our cloud-automation portal, dinManage, clients can streamline the deployment of their applications. They can provision Hosted Virtual Desktops (HVDs) in real-time, and by utilizing their existing group-policies within Active Directory, the user community is presented with only the applications they have rights to access. This enables our clients to securely extend their infrastructure and solve for the changing needs of the business in a fluid manner – whether it’s expanding resources to accommodate new employees with a merger/acquisition, or scaling back resources after the holiday or tax season passes.
