Will the Cloud become a Dominant Enterprise Tool?

As businesses become more familiar with cloud technology, many companies are moving towards enterprise cloud solutions. Enterprise cloud solutions offer a comprehensive set of benefits for a company, and it seems as though many companies are finding these benefits very compelling. The great majority of companies that are using cloud technology expect to increase their cloud technology budgets and the cloud computing market overall is growing at a staggering rate.

What are the benefits of the cloud for enterprises?

The enterprise cloud offers scalable resources such as storage and processing speed. Enterprises can grow their cloud platform to suit them, making the enterprise cloud an extremely cost-effective solution overall. The enterprise cloud also offers elastic resources, which can be very beneficial to a company that needs a reliable enterprise system and experiences strong fluctuations in activity. Finally, storage is one of the most compelling reasons many companies move to an enterprise cloud solution. Companies today collect more structured and unstructured data than ever before, and all of this data can be safely stored in the cloud.

How will the cloud evolve in the future?

Many believe that the hybrid solution involving both public and private clouds will become the dominant form of cloud platform. Companies will need to plan ahead for this development. Already, most companies that are taking advantage of the cloud are using this type of hybrid enterprise cloud. The cloud is expected to gradually take on more computing and more storage, and projections indicate that the cloud will continue to grow as an overall enterprise solution.

Presently, the hybrid enterprise cloud allows a private and public cloud system to work in tandem and fully replicate a traditional enterprise network. In the future, this bridge between private and public cloud will likely become more streamlined and may even enter the consumer market.

Will the cloud become more popular?

All forms of cloud computing are expected to continue growing in popularity. While similar, the enterprise cloud simply offers many benefits that a traditional company network cannot compete with. The enterprise cloud even provides solutions for some traditional IT problems, such as mobile device management.

Twenty percent of all enterprise companies are already intending to use the cloud. The only area in which a traditional network has been seen to exceed an enterprise cloud solution is in the area of security, and security on the cloud can be managed in a variety of ways. With the incredible benefits that the cloud platform offers, it’s very likely that it will continue to grow and that it will eventually become the dominant tool of enterprise companies.

Will the Cloud become a Dominant Enterprise Tool?

Dedicated and cloud servers: the benefits of a partnership

The choice between cloud servers and dedicated servers is often presented as an either-or problem. However, it can be beneficial to look at this choice in terms of a blended solution. Some things make sense to run on a dedicated server while others make sense to host in the cloud. Selecting the right solution for the problem always yields better results. For this reason, we’re going to look at the pros and cons of dedicated and cloud servers before exploring the benefits of blending these solutions.

Dedicated servers

The traditional server that people think of is a dedicated server. It’s the gray box in the corner of the office or the sleek box on a rack in the server room. This computer is similar to a standard desktop, but it’s designed to run 24/7/365. It’s the computer that all the other company systems are connected to and when it goes down, the whole company loses access to data and systems.

When your systems are set up on a dedicated server, your business has complete control of all the resource on that machine. The CPU, memory and hard drive space are all dedicated to the needs of your business. Furthermore, when it’s time to upgrade, you must install new hardware or replace the entire server. This can take time, and it pushes most businesses to purchase a more powerful machine to minimize downtime from future upgrades. On the plus side, over time it costs less to buy server hardware than to rent it through the cloud.

Cloud servers

Unlike dedicated servers, cloud servers are virtual machines that run on a large network of servers pooling resources. Similarly, the resources that are provisioned to you with your cloud server are dedicated to your company alone. This is a major advantage over shared hosting plans, and it makes cloud servers comparable to dedicated servers in terms of performance. However, cloud servers go a little further than a dedicated server by allowing for unlimited hard drive, RAM, and CPU upgrades. This is because the resources provisioned to a cloud server come from multiple physical machines that make up the cloud. Since the resources for a cloud server are being rented, over time they can cost considerably more than a dedicated server.

Portions of a business IT infrastructure that are rapidly expanding can take advantage of these cloud servers by avoiding the expense of upgrading dedicated servers. As the business needs of the company expand or contract, the cloud server can also be easily configured to meet the demand. This can result in a great deal of savings. However, services that require a constant resource configuration for a significant period of time will cost less to operate on a dedicated server.

What would happen if these technologies were blended?

One of the best alternatives to simply choosing between dedicated servers and cloud servers is to create a blended network. The core of your business can be hosted on a dedicated server while cloud servers are used to scale these systems during times of peak traffic. Deploying additional cloud servers is quick and easy compared to setting up a new dedicated server. You can even take your Windows dedicated server assets and complement them with Windows servers running in the cloud, so you don’t have to switch to an entirely different OS platform to switch to the cloud. Additionally, these cloud servers can be taken offline if traffic subsides. This can provide the additional resources your business needs while keeping costs low if they are only needed temporarily.

While it’s impossible to predict the future, all signs appear to indicate that the cloud is here to stay and that it is very likely to become the new industry standard. With all the incredible benefits of the cloud platform, there simply aren’t very many things holding a company back from adopting it. All of the true downsides to a cloud platform can be protected against, and there isn’t any significant competition in the market.

Dedicated and cloud servers: the benefits of a partnership

Tools to Prepare For Your Windows Cloud Server Migration

Windows 2003 is coming off of life support in the next two years, which puts businesses in an unstable position. Until you update to a newer version of Windows Server, you will experience security, server management and performance issues that will cost you time and money. Switching doesn’t have to be painful when you plan ahead for a safe and successful migration and take advantage of utilities designed to help you migrate to the newest Windows Server.

Why now is the time to switch

If you’re still hanging onto your Windows Server 2003, put it to bed in 2014. The last service pack for Windows Server 2003 was released 6 years ago, and Windows Server 2012 has been on the market for a year already. Switching now means you’ll get in on the ground floor of the new Windows Server, while skipping the initial buggy release. Although you are used to your existing Windows Server, the fact that Microsoft will only offer 24 more months of Windows Server support should really have you preparing for a switch in the months ahead.

Windows Server 2012 offers critical support for cloud infrastructure and truly modernizes and transforms the data center for customers. Find more storage for a fraction of the cost, support for hybrid cloud capabilities, software defined networking for increased agility and flexibility, BYOD-support including a device registration process, and Java application monitoring. These are just a few of the exciting features found in the newest release of Windows Server. Windows Server 2012 truly meets the demands of a modern workplace — and if you are still scraping by on an older edition of Windows Server, you are not working at capacity.

Tools that can help you plan

If the thought of switching from a tool you may have used for the last 10 years to a new Windows Server brings on a cold sweat, don’t worry. There are many tools to help you plan the switch, including:

• Cloud Assessment – Plan for the cloud you need without running the metrics yourself using Cloud Assessment. This tool analyzes and reports on server usage and generates a custom set of recommendations for enterprise cloud resource needs.


• Website migration tools – Website mover tools simplify the migration process, saving you time and reducing your stress level. A website mover can assess your system requirements, cloud environment, infrastructure, workflow and assets, then work to ensure the smoothest migration.


• The Microsoft MAP – Microsoft offers a MAP (Microsoft Assessment and Planning) to help businesses transition to Windows Server 2012. Secure inventory, assess and report on your Windows Server environment, then use the data gleaned to prepare for a move. MAP can even assess your IT environment’s readiness for the transition, engineering a to-do list that ensures your move comes off hitch-free.

Chances are the nervousness you are feeling about migrating to Windows Server 2012 is worse than the move itself. For many businesses, winter can be a slow time. Transitioning now ensures that you can acclimate to your new computing power before the demands of the busy season tax capacity.

Tools to Prepare For Your Windows Cloud Server Migration

The Top Five Web Applications of 2013

If you want to keep up on the latest cutting-edge online innovations taking place online, one good resource is the annual Webby award, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The 2013 Webby Award for best web application resulted in one clear winner out of the five nominees, yet each one has a significant following and each offers completely different services.

5. Visual.ly

Sites such as 99Designs and Fiverr help creative people find a market for their work. These sites also help those of us who are less creative find someone who can make our projects look good. Now Visual.ly does the same thing for infographics, videos, presentations, and other interactive creations. With more than 145,000 users, Visually is the marketplace for anyone looking to buy or sell these creative services. Visual.ly is working to help the world bring its stories to life, and they’re off to a great start.

4. SeatGeek

When you’re looking for tickets to the next sporting event, concert or other big happening, you should check out SeatGeek. True to their name, this site geeks out on finding the right seat at the right price. You can search for any team, artist, event or venue to see which tickets are available and exactly where the seats are located on a venue map. The site collects information from multiple ticket outlets and even has an option to track the price of tickets for your favorite events. More than 1.8 million users already use SeatGeek to secure the best deal on tickets.

3. Squarespace

Squarespace was started in a dorm room in 2004 and they’ve grown into a team of 190 people with the goal of helping people give voice to their ideas. The site helps people to create their own website with little to no knowledge of web design. Basically, anyone that can use a word processor can create a good looking website they can be proud of using Squarespace. This has helped the company to launch more than 1.8 million websites already, and they’re poised for continued growth into 2014.

2. Grammarly

English grammar is so complicated that even the word processor on your computer is prone to making mistakes. According to Grammarly, their web application will catch “up to ten times more mistakes than popular word processors.” This has helped the site build a following of more than 3 million registered users. This application makes it easy to correct grammar mistakes, improve your writing, identify contextual misspellings (such as too versus two) and detect plagiarism. It’s like a proofreading buddy on the Web.

1. Dropbox

For many people, Dropbox winning the Web Services & Applications award is no surprise because this free service already has over 200 million users. Certain Windows cloud providers offer similar services, but with a larger amount of free storage than the 2 GB offered by Dropbox. However, Dropbox is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers in addition to all the devices running Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Blackberry. Furthermore, there are ways to increase the free storage available on Dropbox.

 

The Top Five Web Applications of 2013

Will Server Hosting Survive Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is increasing in popularity at such a rapid pace that many are wondering if cloud computing may replace dedicated server hosting entirely. Scalability is often cited as the chief reason, since cloud subscriptions allow businesses to obtain the services they need whenever they’re needed.

Most agree that dedicated server hosting isn’t going anywhere, but many feel the need for dedicated servers and appreciate the opportunity to manage and configure them as they see fit. Some of the prominent fans in this arena are open-source users. Other fans are enterprises with the need to store and process secure information, with banks and intelligence organizations falling into this category. No one expects an end to dedicated server hosting, but it will definitely be a part of hosting for many years to come.

Cloud vs. Server Hosting: Overall Strengths

The choice between cloud and dedicated server hosting is a decision closely related to business needs. For startups, smaller companies, or enterprises that have a global distribution, a cloud-based environment is highly suitable. However, owners and managers of traditional small and medium-sized businesses with old servers aren’t going to the cloud but are deciding to acquire new servers.

Business owners are alerted to the fact that they need timely upgrades when the existing infrastructure is reaching its limit and things are noticeably too slow. Many owners have put off upgrading their servers because of issues related to the slow economy. Nevertheless, these same owners haven’t made the transition to the cloud. In many cases the gating factor was cost. According to Forbes, in 2013 the cost of moving existing applications is about $100 per user per month for cloud services.

Compare this to a scenario where 20 people require computer access. Let’s say you’re satisfied with your current applications and don’t want to incur the overhead, substantial expense and disruption associated with a migration to the cloud. When smaller businesses purchase their own servers, they can easily pay for them in a 12-month period if they choose not to migrate.

Cloud and Server Hosting Positioned to Serve a Distinct Business Type

Cloud computing supports applications that run on mobile apps. Real-time asset management, immediate order fulfillment and real-time updates are just a small selection. With software services paid for by the month, applications’ costs are lower for startups. Maintenance costs are also much lower and any reconfiguration to add memory and space can be easily done. Data is automatically backed up, so the risk of data loss is minimized, and data is also accessible from anywhere in the world. Software licensing savings is also another advantage.

Cloud computing is highly suitable for startup businesses that can reap the benefits of front-office and back-office services at minimal monthly costs. Enterprises relying on a need for mobility find cloud computing the best option in terms of functionality and accessibility. When business processes require collaboration, cloud computing can be helpful with group efforts.

Dedicated server hosting, however, is excellent for small to medium-size businesses that must have strict control over security, such as for HIPAA-protected medical records. It can be less expensive than cloud computers and allows you to have tight control of configuration. Companies and organizations that make use of open-source products are especially likely to prefer this type of platform.

Will Server Hosting Survive Cloud Computing?

Understanding the Business Benefits of Windows Cloud Servers

Information technology (IT) is not the same today as it was 20, 10 or even five years ago. One of the biggest changes over the past couple of years is the utilization of cloud computing, servers and applications to streamline IT services. For a company to stay ahead of the competition, they must understand all current or developing technologies, including Windows cloud servers. Luckily, it will be easy to implement these services — in fact, a blog post by Rackspace declares it will be no harder to run Windows from the cloud than from a standalone server. Understanding some of the most important benefits of using Windows cloud servers will simplify your decision to make the leap with your company. After all, in the near future more and more programs will run on cloud servers as well.

Windows IT professionals need support

Windows Cloud Server is a more up-to-date version of the Windows Server program. The current Windows Server program is widely used by professionals in many industries. However, this program is becoming outdated. In fact, according to the Microsoft Website, the 2003 version of Windows Server will cease to be supported at all by Microsoft after 2015. Your company deserves to have tech support on its side to help it with daily functions and to assist with culture growth and change. The new cloud-based version of Windows server is well supported and ready to leap into the future.

Companies that support technology are more likely to succeed

Designing, developing and deploying applications is very important today and will likely only become more so. Companies that have the ability to support the innovative technology today as well as the technology that may become important in the future are going to experience more success over the long term.

There is a need to meet increasing data requirements

Performance requirements are always changing and companies need to be able to meet the needs of their customers as these requirements change by building scalable resources. Using a cloud server means that scalability will never be a problem, since the server can be adjusted, it will never remain stagnant. As consumers and businesses keep using more app-based programming, data requirements will continue to grow. Think about what the data requirements were when Windows Server 2003 was developed. Today’s requirements are much more intense — while there have been workarounds, a cloud server can grow and change with the needs of technology.

These are just a few of the more important reasons why a Windows cloud server is a good choice for many organizations. Spending time learning about this service and how it can work with your already established service can help make your IT department run smoothly both now and in the future. An Infographic from Rackspace states that 48 percent of SMBs anticipate purchasing cloud services in two to three years. If you are not part of this percentage, you are likely to fall further behind in the cloud revolution — making it even harder to thrive in a hugely competitive business environment.

 

Understanding the Business Benefits of Windows Cloud Servers

How to Develop a Successful VDI Strategy

Everyone wants to get the most out of every choice they make, every dollar they spend and every hour of the day that goes by. The concept of virtualization has been part of the tech field for quite a while and is essentially about getting the most out of the IT resources you have at hand.

You may have already implemented some virtualized servers and seen some improvements by consolidating your server space and reducing the amount of server-related problems. Desktop virtualization can enable some similar benefits, and a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a pathway for allowing these benefits to take place.

The benefits of VDI: Flexibility, Security & BYOD

Before embarking on any new IT plan, it’s important to become familiar with the benefits of a software or infrastructure package to assess how well it would fit with your organization. VDI provides some clear advantages to users through the company. If employees will need to access, update and share data remotely, a virtual desktop infrastructure provides users with anywhere, anytime access. This also leads to greater opportunities for collaboration across departments since everyone can view the same information and stay current on any new developments.

When it comes to an IT department, the benefits are also clear and attractive. With a virtual infrastructure, a central database is established, which means that many IT concerns are diminished or eliminated. Problem solving with only one database is faster and can be done with little to no downtime, and server management is much easier. Rather than several individual upgrades for users, a new implementation to the virtual desktop will mean an instant upgrade for everyone.

Security’s always a concern, no matter what kind of an IT infrastructure your organization may have and any means of reducing threats to your information will be welcome. With VDI, no data is stored on individual devices, as it all remains in the central database. A lost laptop or mobile device won’t mean a dangerous breach in security. Employees can also access the central database from devices of their own in a BYOD strategy. When employees are traveling, the chances of any sensitive information being hacked are much lower than in previous systems available.

Basic Assessment Steps to Take

Once you’ve taken a general view of what VDI has to offer, your company can assess if any of these benefits will be applicable to your business functions. Primary among these will be addressing the question of how this system will integrate with your existing infrastructure. With a central database, will your network be able to handle the traffic that will occur once a VDI system is in place? Your first step should be to analyze your IT processes and reach a definitive answer.

Furthermore, will the advantages be beneficial to enough employees to make VDI worth adopting? Change is not something everyone’s enthusiastic about, and unless your employees see some direct advantages for their day-to-day responsibilities, they may not be open to adopting a whole new approach. VDI isn’t cheap, so making sure that your employees’ productivity will be improved will have to be taken into account.

Beginning your virtualization strategy with VDI

If all the signs point to VDI being a worthwhile decision, the next step is finding a dependable vendor for your VDI hardware implementation. Many companies are adopting a desktop virtualization strategy and many more are considering doing so as it increases in importance for many industries. VDI can help your organization get the most out of its tech infrastructure, with benefits in security, storage and flexible access. If your company is considering a BYOD policy, VDI will be the means for implementing such a program. Once you’ve taken a thorough analysis of your company’s requirements, you may find that you’re able to achieve more with what you already have in place and reach some new levels of efficiency for both your IT department and employees.

 

How to Develop a Successful VDI Strategy

Building for the Future: IT and Cloud Block Storage

Planning is essential to determine future IT requirements

Businesses with I/O intensive databases and file systems need the freedom to move and grow within their existing infrastructure. Not all businesses have the resources to do this and conclude that they will suffer financial loss because of their inability to meet customer needs. Rackspace’s cloud block storage can provide the resources they require. This type of storage allows a business to utilize standard volumes during the times when they prefer to maintain rather than expand storage capacity. Standard volumes work well for everyday file system needs, and SSD volumes help databases and other I/O-intensive applications perform better. Both standard and SSD volumes are compatible with next-generation Cloud Servers of any kind, and payment only for provisioned block storage is required.

Delivering business optimization through cloud consolidation

IT departments are delivering services in a new way. Cloud computing has contributed to this change and resulted in decreasing operational budgets for IT. Focus has changed to designing and building apps and innovations.

There are downsides to movement to the cloud. One especially blatant example is discontinuities and disparities among systems that contribute to unanticipated overhead costs. Such situations can be avoided by creating comprehensive cloud strategies. Implementation should deliver business benefits, not business headaches. A vendor neutral consolidation of disparate cloud apps can enable business to benefit by cloud while obtaining the fastest results.

A solution like this enables businesses to define their cloud computing vision. They can incorporate an architecture, application and infrastructure management focusing on usability and customer service.

Supportive and knowledgeable cloud partners can help organizations move away from cloud sprawl and into a structured life cycle approach. A collaborative and holistic approach must deliver a consistent, flexible and managed experience. At the same time, it must provide the flexibility productive teams need. The ultimate goal will achieve the insights and cost efficiencies healthy businesses require.

Cloud computing offers business executives resources that are easier to manage

Executives recognize that cloud means very efficient IT and much more. With the cloud, it’s easy to support and manage new business models. One manufacturing CFO described its positive impact on manufacturing traceability and quality with deployment of cloud based ERP. Employees also had superior access and control with mobile and electronic workflow.

A hospitality company recommends the mobility solutions their team uses when meeting clients around the world. It has enabled their sales directors to function most effectively. Creating a cloud infrastructure to support different roles helped create successful situations team wide.

Several executives appreciated how cloud enabled them to create new information-based products and services, as well as facilitating their distribution. McNee, CTO of a large media company, indicated how cloud services distribution is as an effective solution as the post office was a century ago. Our digital delivery platforms — smartphone, web and tablet — rely on services, software and infrastructure for rapid delivery.

Users can acquire new cloud technology quickly and at a monthly fee. This technology will rapidly allow them to respond to changing customer needs while enabling them to empower a mobile workforce and deploy data wherever and whenever it’s needed.

Business Insider advises switching to management that works from the bottom up, rather from than the top down. Leadership that is focused on the outcome, decision characteristics, and the culture of the organization, rather than on specific decision-making or work review, will be more successful in today’s rapid changing environment.

 

Building for the Future: IT and Cloud Block Storage

Managed Server Hosting: Cost vs. Benefits

Managed server hosting can seem like an expensive option, but it’s a time-saving option for busy IT teams.

By taking away much of the overhead in server maintenance, managed hosting leaves the work to the cloud host’s support team. This not only means a business has virtually no delay in support if a server fails, but the IT department can focus on more day-to-day office tasks.

Scalability

Scalability is one of the main reasons to move to the cloud. The cloud offers elastic scalability, which means the IT manager can scale resources up or down, depending on the server’s current needs. Traffic spikes occur at all times of the day, and seasonal traffic means the webmaster must watch the server during busy holidays. With managed hosting, the business can let the host scale resources. A reputable host has software to detect when traffic spikes. The business gives the host a range for bandwidth and server resources, and the host IT team scales these resources as needed.

Hardware Upgrades

With dedicated servers, the business buys the servers and just uses the host’s facilities. Any upgrades or changes to server hardware are purchased by the business. With managed hosting, the business just leases the equipment. As the server ages or if hardware fails, the cloud host adds hardware. The cloud host incurs all hardware costs regardless if the hardware is a simple upgrade to new equipment or if the upgrade is due to hardware failure.

Server Support

With dedicated servers, the business is responsible for monitoring server resources, configurations and any changes that might affect the business’ web presence. If the server crashes, the cloud host helps, but typically the IT manager is responsible for responding to critical issues. With managed hosting, the cloud host support team installs the necessary monitoring software and responds to alerts. When server resources crash or any process freezes the machine, the host fixes the issue.

Security

Security is one of the biggest issues when hosting content in the cloud. Customer data must be encrypted, and any data passed over the Internet must use secured sockets layer (SSL) encryption. With dedicated servers, the business is responsible for all configurations related to security and encryption. If data is hacked, the IT team must react and secure the server.

A reputable cloud host has an IT support team well-versed in any security issue. Software and hardware firewalls alert the host if any suspicious activity occurs on the server. Alerts can mitigate any security issues, and the host support team can quickly take care of these issues before any serious breaches occur.

For busy IT teams, managed cloud hosting takes away much of the hassle associated with busy web servers. Managed hosting lets the business’ IT team take care of day-to-day office issues and leave busy web servers to the host’s IT team. In fact, managed hosting is more effective, because the host has more resources and the ability to act quickly if something goes wrong. Although managed hosting is more expensive, the cost is well worth the advantages.

Jennifer Marsh is a software developer, programmer and technology writer and occasionally blogs for open cloud company Rackspace Hosting.

Managed Server Hosting: Cost vs. Benefits

Little known benefits of managed servers

For companies with a small IT budget and limited IT staff, using a managed server may be the best option for your website and other network platforms. That was the experience of Peter Yagecic, director of technology for Situation Interactive, a digital marketing agency.

“For years we had a hybrid approach where we used a managed server provider for our production servers but kept our development environment in house,” he said of his experience. After further considering his staff’s needs, he moved to a managed provider for everything. Then it happened. “A few weeks ago one of the drives in our RAID went bad in the middle of the night. By the time I read the support ticket log at 7 a.m. the next morning, the issue was resolved with no downtime.”

Using a managed server provides many benefits for a business looking to stay current with technology, while reducing the overall total cost of ownership for technology investments, according to John Luludis, president of Superior Technology Solutions.

Turning the managing server has quite a few other benefits that you may not realize. At the top of that list is security. As The Atlantic.Net Blog stated, “The company in charge of hosting your server will continuously maintain the equipment and debug the applications as necessary in order to keep your website protected against viruses and unauthorized attacks.”

The managed server also makes the backup routine easier. In the case of a server issue, a backup of data and pertinent software configurations is necessary to be able to quickly (if not instantly) replace the physical hardware or corrupt software of the machine as required, Dan Abbate, CEO with Robotation, which helps SMBs implement technology, pointed out. With higher end managed server implantations, the network itself can also be backed up by instantly routing traffic to a mirror server (located on another network in the same data center or on another network in another data center) somewhere else in the world. Either way with proper backup systems in place when there is an issue, it has minimal effect on uptime.

Another benefit of the managed server is flexibility. Most managed server vendors will have utilities that make it easier for businesses to spin up new server/application instances than if they host it themselves, said Vann Abernethy, senior product manager for NSFOCUS, an Internet security company. “The ability to scale quickly and within a pre-determined cost range is significant,” he said. “This gives the business the ability to know exactly what the cost will be for growth and helps management plan more effectively.”

The managed server can be a budget saver, Abernethy added. “Managed server vendors utilize economies of scale to offer their services, which is generally less expensive than a business operating the server internally as it saves them from having to purchase the server, hire and train staff, and find the space for it.”

Overall, the most important – and perhaps most hidden – benefit of using a managed server is the peace of mind you’ll have knowing that your data is secure, there is a regular backup routine in place, and it isn’t a budget buster. Instead, you can let someone else manage the technical side of things while you can concentrate on managing your business.

Sue Poremba is a freelance writer focusing primarily on security and technology issues and occasionally blogs for cloud service provider Rackspace Hosting.

Little known benefits of managed servers

Database Efficiencies Within the Cloud

A primary motivator for a business is beating its competitors to market in every way: with innovation, products and customer service. As cloud computing has developed, it’s been a means for businesses to outsource responsibilities to a cloud vendor so that they can better focus on running their companies and making themselves more competitive. When it comes to storage, cloud databases, which involve storing data online instead of on physical servers, are simplifying database management and giving businesses that sought-after competitive edge.

Businesses are also embracing cloud database management because of its efficiencies in performance and cost. A cloud database allows businesses to take advantage of its architecture as a shared online resource, while benefitting from pay-as-you-go pricing. They can also utilize these services without having to constantly train and hire IT staff with the right skills, or invest in new on-site hardware. Cloud databases are becoming so prevalent throughout the IT field that 2013 was predicted as being the year of the cloud database.

The cloud strategy for databases

Traditionally, businesses have had to maintain multiple databases covering different aspects of their activities. For example, a business may handle a high volume of merchant accounts, a highly geographically dispersed sales force and a complex payments program. The weight of this database management could very well impede a company’s competitiveness.

A cloud database, however, can organize company data together on a single, uniform and scalable platform. It can help employees and management work cooperatively, reducing delays and miscommunications. Colleagues can better share information, with the end result being improved operational efficiencies.

Businesses can even choose between different types of storage, which offer distinct kinds of performance and price. Standard volumes of cloud storage target everyday storage needs, which are typically large volumes without speed requirements but with great performance demands. A strategy that uses solid state drives, or SSD, is better suited to applications with quick access as their top priority. Additionally, cloud database applications are scalable to accommodate new products and services.

Cloud databases gain strong backers

Although businesses may already be sold on the benefits of cloud database applications, they may be more willing to join in as industry giants affirm the technology with new commitments. Tech leaders Oracle and Microsoft recently gave cloud databases a strong vote of confidence by banding together to ensure Oracle’s software runs on Microsoft’s platform, Azure. Before that, Oracle put aside its rivalries with cloud provider Salesforce.com and they’ve fused the Oracle platform’s applications with Salesforce’s finance and human resource cloud-based applications.

Benefits outweigh risks

Despite all the advantages of shared Internet computing, enterprises place a premium on their data. The risk of having this data breached keeps some businesses from taking the cloud database plunge. However, certain methods can be used to secure this cloud database, and cloud hosting providers are implementing the best available security practices. To reduce the threat of risks, enterprises can use a combination of private and public clouds, using each for different storage needs.

As businesses discover the efficiencies of cloud databases, the technology will not only help them get to market faster, but create new business opportunities. Cloud-based databases mean more innovative applications that allow businesses to improve their competitiveness, and pay-as-you-go models allow businesses to start small and progress as their needs dictate. The point is to get started.

Database Efficiencies Within the Cloud