The Big, Bad Cloud

September 19, 2019

When you envision migrating workloads to the cloud, it can seem overwhelming. One of the primary reasons it’s usually done is to reduce in-house operational overhead. In today’s workplace, SMB’s have stringent requirements (think compliance such as HIPAA, or PCI) that often require dedicated system administrators, network engineers and other IT staff but typically don’t have abundant budget dollars to bring in an internal team to manage them. Enter All Covered. We provide a Single Source Solution for leveraging cloud services, while delivering a comprehensive suite of Managed IT services.

Cloud-based solutions are ideal for businesses with growing demands. If your business’ needs increase, it’s easy to scale up. Similarly, if you need to scale down, that flexibility is also available. Security is paramount and moving to the cloud offers enhanced levels of security for sensitive data.

Clearing up the Cloud

Though the idea of the cloud has been around for decades, for some, plenty of confusion remains as to what it does and how it works. And it isn’t only due to questions about security, but also to do with uncertainty.

In actuality, you are likely already using cloud in some fashion, but may not even realize it. In fact, everyday activities such as checking your email (Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo!), listening to music (YouTube, Spotify and Pandora), and shopping online (Amazon, eBay and Walmart) all use some form of the cloud. Still people continually ask, “What IS cloud?”

The terms “cloud” and “cloud computing” are used all the time. Cloud [storage] is used to save and keep data and is used for both professional and personal reasons.  Cloud computing requires higher processing power than cloud storage and is geared towards businesses storing and accessing data and programs off-site. Whether that’s through a private, public, hybrid, or multi-cloud; it’s on the internet instead of on a computer’s hard drive, and it’s there for recall purposes. These cloud storage environments can be thought of as different “flavors” of cloud computing.

Cloud Flavors

Private clouds are dedicated to a single organization where IT services are provisioned and managed internally. In contrast, public clouds store your data for you on the internet, eliminating the need to manage your data onsite. A mixture of both is often referred to as a hybrid cloud model, and many organizations have a combination of both. Multi-cloud refers to having multiple public clouds, but it’s not the same as hybrid, as it doesn’t combine a private and public cloud.

Furthermore, even within these types of clouds, the specific features, options, billing model and availability differ significantly.  Some cloud environments are best for organizations developing new applications, others for organizations running traditional third party licensed applications. Some cloud flavors are geared around content management and ECM services. It is important to understand which cloud environment best meets the needs of your business and what you will be trading of in return.

Thus it’s true, the learning curve to understanding all of these variations can seem daunting, but eventually moving to the cloud will be paramount for business success. In fact, according to a recent study from IBM, by the year 2021, 98 percent of companies plan to use multiple hybrid cloud models.  Meaning if your business isn’t in the cloud yet, it may be very soon.

What’s Best for You?

Moving to the cloud doesn’t have to be scary. Start small, and scale up from there. When considering a managed IT services provider, look for flexibility, scalability and anywhere-anytime access from any device.  As workforces become more globally dispersed and user devices more diverse – BYOD in some cases – cloud solution adoption offers significant advantages, all within a predictable cost model.

All Covered allow businesses to move their workloads to a secure cloud environment where they can easily scale as their business grows, paying only for what they need, when they need it. In turn, making data available to customers anywhere, at any time.  We don’t leave you with a “self-serve” approach.  We help design the solution and can perform the migration project for you.

Ethel Klein
Sr. Marketing Manager

Ethel Klein is a Sr. Marketing Manager responsible for marketing communications for All Covered, the IT Services Division of Konica Minolta. She brings with her more than seven years of marketing experience, specifically focusing on cloud marketing strategy and technology services and solutions.