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Mason Degani, All Roads Lead to the Cloud
By Mason Degani, DPT Solutions
Thousands of businesses are rapidly trading in their overblown, traditional computer equipment for virtualized desktops and cloud-based servers because of the incredible cost savings in hardware, software and maintenance. Plus it offers instant disaster recovery, the ability to securely work from home or on the road and it drastically reduces the amount of power needed, making it far more environmentally friendly. A server costs around $70 per month on just electricity use. Having a cool room for a server can also cost around $250 per month.
What Is “Cloud Computing”
Cloud computing is very similar to the concept of paying for electricity as a utility rather than purchasing and running your own generator to power your home or office. Public utilities shoulder the burden of generating and delivering electricity and can provide a cheap, reliable, “pay as you go” service to anyone wanting water or power. Similarly, with cloud computing, the cost of hosting, securing and delivering network services are owned by the utility company.
What are the benefits?
Here are just a few of the reasons why you may benefit from moving your company to the cloud:
Instantly drop your overall IT expenses (hardware, software, maintenance and power) by 50% or more. Get 2-3 more years out of the hardware you DO purchase. Traditional PCs require replacement every 3 years, whereas a virtualized desktop can last up to 5 or 6. Have new employees set up within hours instead of days. Automatic disaster recovery and protection from fire, flood, theft, viruses and other natural disasters. Instant remote access to your e-mail and files from home or on the road. Save on electricity (cutting costs and going green), but also reduce the amount of equipment cluttering up your office. Easier to maintain which means lowered IT support costs.
Is This A Smart Move?
The cost savings are hard to ignore; however, there are a number of things to consider before you jump ship to cloud computing. You need to consider the reliability of your Internet connection, what type of help desk support you want, security, what other applications (accounting, CRM, property management, electronic archiving, etc.) you need and which devices (scanners, printers, iPads) you need to use.
Most importantly does the cloud provider understand Real Estate industry needs and requirements? Or it’s just a generic cloud provider and not specialised in your business? It’s very important to choose a provider who is specialised in the Real Estate industry to avoid getting stuck in a blame game between your cloud provider and other providers.
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