Top 6 Cloud Services for Your Business‍

The “cloud,” once a trendy, Sci-Fi–sounding term, has become an inevitable part of our daily personal and professional routines. Due to technology advancements and the COVID-19-related challenges, the applications of cloud computing have been adopted by companies from multiple fields. Beneficial both for large enterprises and small/medium businesses, cloud-managed services optimize and automate business operations.

How your business takes advantage of the cloud technologies, and which one to choose 

If you seek modernization of your company, new ways of connecting with customers, creating business value, and reducing numerous business risks, consider adopting one or several of the following cloud services.

1.      Cloud Storage

Whether you want to keep your personal photo library at hand or provide quick access to documents and media for your workgroup, storing them in the cloud is the solution. It lets you access files from everywhere and share them with users and software/apps integrated into your business. Moreover, cloud storage and file-sharing services allow you to restore your valuable data if something goes wrong. One of the most popular cloud storage and syncing services include:

• Microsoft OneDrive (best for Windows users)
• Google Drive (best for Google Workspace users, both for personal use and collaboration)
• Dropbox (available almost on every operating system, perfect for integration with third-party services)
• Apple iCloud Drive (best for macOS and iOS users)

2.      Data Backup and Disaster Recovery

Cloud data backup solutions prevent data loss due to hardware failure or physical disasters, keeping your files accessible from any spot on the globe with internet access. Cloud-based backup services for business or personal use constantly copy your data from your device (or multiple devices) to cloud servers. Therefore, you do not need to worry about recovering your smartphone/tablet or retrieving files from an external hard drive, even if it is damaged or lost. If you care about your data, use such backup services as:

• Acronis Cyber Protect (business-grade backup and cloud storage provider that integrates data protection and cybersecurity, excellent for businesses relying on remote workers)
• Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct (full backup and easily managed direct-to-cloud toolbox for medium and large enterprises)
• IDrive (probably, the number one choice for small businesses online backup service that stores data from computers, servers, and smart devices)
• Backblaze (an easy-to-use cloud storage solution with the core features that should satisfy most small businesses)

3.      Big Data Analytics in the Cloud

Collecting and analyzing large volumes of data is associated with sophisticated business analysis. It can give companies insights into market conditions and customer behavior, improving decision-making.

Businesses dealing with large sets of data output by various programs tend to store it in high-powered cloud servers. Utilizing the features of cloud computing and the SaaS (software as a service) model allows customers to process big chunks of data in real-time. In contrast to the on-premise server, limited by its storage/capacity, the cloud provides scalability and elasticity. Cloud analytics tools can consolidate data from multiple sources, eliminating silos within an organization.

Some of the best cloud analytics platforms:

• Azure Stream Analytics (SQL-supported, includes machine learning, and doesn’t need new IT infrastructure or additional servers; suitable for midsized and larger businesses)
• Qlik Sense (self-service and end-to-end data analytics software for hybrid and multi-clouds; great for any business size)
• IBM Cognos Analytics (utilizes natural language-based virtual AI and machine learning, simplifies data discovery process through easy visualization)
• Zoho Analytics (easy-to-use interface, great for collaboration, intuitive platform with excellent support)

4. Cloud security & Compliance as a Service (CaaS)

Cloud storage solutions bring speed, agility, and flexibility to the business while raising numerous security risks. Entrusting your sensual data to third-party vendors makes you rely on their security practices and ability to manage potential breaches, dealing with the vulnerability of the data to natural disasters, DDoS, and hijacking attacks. On top of that, any consumer using cloud storage and backup services that span multiple jurisdictions faces compliance issues.

Compliance as a Service is a type of solution that helps businesses to store sensitive data following regulations and provide tools for managing and reporting compliances within the organization. Cloud-based CaaS can benefit businesses, especially smaller ones, with outsourcing issues related to the rapidly changing technology and compliance landscape.

5.      Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet through the cloud. The service offers essential computing, storage, and networking resources on demand. It has a vaster range of solutions than SaaS (Software) and PaaS (Platform).

This cloud-managed service provides cost savings, elasticity, and accessibility, which are crucial for any business nowadays. IaaS doesn’t require extra hardware purchasing, reducing maintenance of on-premises data centers. It grants real-time business insights and enables end users to scale and shrink resources on demand. For those interested in the competitive landscape, Cloud Service Market Share Data can offer valuable insights into how different cloud providers are performing.

6.      Cloud Deployment and Its Automation for Software Developers

Businesses developing software products must constantly and effectively perform the tasks, covering coding, bug fixing, and update implementation. The deployment process can be automated and simplified through cloud infrastructure services. 

Manual deployment comprises multiple steps of the complex workflow, and it’s easy to introduce errors that can lead to a failure in the process. Automating deployments gives you a repeatable and testable process to safely release the latest change to customers. Cloud deployment includes architecting, planning, implementing, and operating workloads on the cloud.

Cloud deployment is time/cost-saving, accomplished through automating builds and consumption-based pricing. And there’s no need to purchase extra hardware and work within on-premise environments. Moreover, the cloud-managed services infrastructure allows accessing applications worldwide and expands the business into any location.

Bonus: Service-Level Agreement (SLA) in the Cloud

When you adopt cloud-managed services for your business, the SLA assessment process is critical for working with cloud infrastructure, serving as the blueprint and warranty. The SLA is a guide for handling potential problems and a tool for protecting the stability of the service and the business assets. To ensure that the partnership between the consumer and service provider follows the expectations, the effective SLA needs to include: 

•     Availability of the service (uptime)

•     The response time or latency

•     Security and privacy of the data

•     Location, access, and portability of the data

•     Problem-solving and change management processes 

•     Exit strategy (e.g., in case of transition to another provider)

Hopefully, now you see how some of your business needs could be satisfied with the cloud solutions and get the full advantages of it, meanwhile avoiding related risks of the cloud as a service.

Author bio:

Valentina Synenka is a Chief Marketing Officer at Symphony Solutions, the Dutch-based Cloud & Agile transformation company that helps businesses in their path to digital transformation. Valentina has master’s degree in Economics and Psychology and, for the last 10 years, has been leading the marketing and design department at the company, always staying on top of the Cloud industry trends and tendencies.