6 Common myths about the cloud

When it comes to new technologies that promise greater enterprise productivity and cost-efficiency, there will always be a bit of trepidation and even more questions. The cloud is no exception.

There have been many doubts, misconceptions, and exaggerations about the cloud. To avoid missteps when considering the cloud for your business, understand these common myths.

Myth #1: The cloud is the answer to all your business needs

The cloud is flexible and can accommodate different business needs. However, it is not going to solve all of your business’s problems. Although there are plenty of cloud solutions that can make your life easy, there is no single cloud strategy that can solve everything.

The cloud, however, can act as a tool that can be improvised based on the services a cloud vendor offersand the services a client needs. Explore different cloud strategies and cloud models (private, public, and hybrid) before making a decision.

Myth #2: Virtualization is synonymous with the cloud.

Virtualization is the process of taking a task into the cloud, but virtualization is not the end-all and be-all of cloud computing. They are not the same. Knowledge and experience in virtualization does not equate to success in cloud computing.

Virtualization allows businesses to better consolidate servers and workloads by using the cloud’s resources. The cloud, on the other hand, offers a more diverse set of solutions than virtualization, involving several complex data and automation processes.

Myth #3: Everything runs better in the cloud

Some of the greatest benefits of the cloud are mobility and remote productivity. The cloud will allow your teams to access business applications from anywhere there’s an internet connection. However, not all applications and systems are compatible with the cloud; some are meant to run on dedicated servers. So before you choose a cloud provider and get locked into any long term contracts with one, make an inventory of applications you’ll need to migrate and and determine if they can run optimally in the cloud.

Myth #4: The cloud automatically improves business productivity

Some things are true about the cloud: It improves business productivity, streamlines communication, and enhances collaboration. But these improvements are not automatic upon switching to a cloud-based system.

Skilled employees are still the key factor. Training them to effectively use the cloud is imperative to unlock its productivity benefits. This is why an organization’s cloud adoption plan must account for support and additional applications to motivate and guide employees in integrating the cloud into their work processes.

Myth #5: The cloud lowers costs

The cost benefits of the cloud are not instant. The fact is, it may not always be cheaper to run applications in the cloud.

That said, the cloud will save your business money in the long run. By using a cloud service provider’s infrastructure, your organization saves on IT management costs, energy costs, hardware, software licensing, updates, storage space, and everything else that comes with managing your own infrastructure.

Myth #6: Security in the cloud is a big risk

Many people still think that storing business data in the cloud is highly risky. Though nothing is foolproof, the fact is that the cloud is a very safe place for your data.

For one, cloud vendors’ security measures are often more robust than their clients’. Many cloud vendors have the IT resources and expertise to fend off threats and keep up with the latest in cloud security. The cloud also keeps your data secure from natural calamities, system outages, data breaches, and other disasters. Cloud solutions can back up data to multiple locations, providing additional security.

At NetQuest, we can help you get more out of the cloud through customized solutions. We offer businesses in Baltimore, Annapolis, and Towson with IT Outsourcing and Virtual Chief Information Officer (CIO) services that streamline your technology with strategic planning and expert execution. Talk to us today.