Cloud based technology, whilst being a reasonably recent concept, has quickly become a popular solution for many companies.

With many businesses being forced to switch to remote working for the last 6 months, cloud solutions and cloud back-up solutions have seen a staggering increase during lockdown. Combined with the fact that remote working is becoming more and more popular as a long term solution this will only continue.

In fact, Microsoft Teams reported that in April 2020 their active users had increased by an impressive 55 million compared to a mere few months prior to this. It has now surpassed many other cloud-based communications platforms to become the go-to web conferencing application. This shows how much cloud solutions have grown during this pandemic.

How do cloud solutions work?

For many people, the phrases cloud working or working from the cloud is becoming ever more familiar. For those that are new to it, cloud solutions are a new way of accessing data and software.

Instead of retrieving a programme or document from your hard drive or USB drive you are accessing it from the cloud. These are online platforms which securely store a large number of files, tools, documents, and much more.

In this digital age where the demand for storage is increasing, cloud solutions are easier and more efficient as you don’t need to keep upgrading your hard drives or invest in stronger, more updated servers to store all your data.

There are two main types of cloud solutions:

  1. There is cloud working where you are using applications such as Office 365 directly from an online source.
  2. Cloud storage solutions, these are becoming increasingly more popular and thus there are plenty of choices, including Microsoft’s Onedrive and Sharepoint.

Instead of saving a document or file onto your computer’s hard drive you are saving it in a digital, online folder to be accessed whenever and wherever you like.  There are great benefits for both cloud working and cloud backup solutions.

Benefits of cloud back-up solutions

There are many companies out there offering cloud backup solutions. These digital platforms will store your data, from files and folders to images and personal data in a secure, online environment.

There are many different benefits to using these back-up solutions which include:

  • You can access your data anytime, anyplace, anywhere that you have a network connection
  • Your data isn’t stored on a physical device so no risk of servers or storage devices overheating or becoming damaged
  • They provide extra security and back up if your physical storage fails
  • If your data is lost elsewhere you can recover it quickly and easily from the cloud
  • You can set your systems to automatically back up to the cloud so you don’t need to remember to keep backing up
  • Most platforms have their own strict security processes to ensure your data is safe, encrypted and GDPR compliant making it exceedingly difficult to be hacked into.

Benefits of cloud working

Unlike cloud back-up solutions, cloud working is more about working from programmes or applications directly from the cloud. You would still be making use of cloud back-up solutions to store your document or file, so the two solutions work hand in hand. Here are some of the benefits of using cloud solutions:

  • Saves on storage space as no bulky installation or programme files on your hard drive
  • You can access the application/file wherever you have a network connection from whichever device – giving you full mobility
  • Applications can be shared across the company and their clients
  • Folders can easily be shared with other team members – great for projects
  • You can send documents to clients safely and securely for sign off, amends etc
  • There are different packages and storage sizes to suit your business requirements
  • No need to carry around USB or portable hard drives which can easily be lost or stolen

Right now, cloud solutions are a great way of safely working remotely but they are also just as beneficial when you are in the office.

Here at Minerva, we can offer advice and provide you with the best cloud solutions for you and your company. No matter what size your business is, we can find you the right tools and cloud solutions to support you and your company on a day to day basis.

To find out more about our range of cloud solutions contact us today.