4 Reasons to Get Excited About Cloud Technology in the Workplace

Cloud Technology. It’s quickly grasping a foothold in the workplace and in the way we do business. “Finally, we live in a world today where truly for the first time, business leaders are not afraid of technology,” wrote Eric Savitz in his Forbes.com article, HR In The Cloud: Allowing For a Connected Workplace.

According to a poll taken by the management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, 80 percent of large North American companies are either looking at or are currently using cloud services. This means big money for the cloud market, but it also could mean an exciting and profitable future for your business. Here are four reasons why.

Since information is no longer limited to a main frame or a centralized location, the possibilities for accessing needed materials becomes limitless. Literally, any location can become a virtual office.  This means cloud technology could transform the workforce structure and the way employees accomplish job responsibilities.  My office really is wherever my phone is, so I am able to be productive no matter where I am or where I am traveling.

As an entrepreneur, you want to be sure you have the most innovative people as part of your staff. At one time, a business owner’s ability to access talent was limited geographically. Cloud technology opens up a new perspective on recruiting.

“As the workforce becomes more dispersed,” wrote Savitz, “the need to provide systems to encourage and facilitate true collaboration and connection becomes critical for HR and the business. Here, cloud technology has the potential to bring a consumer-grade experience to the business.”

Cloud technology provides an entirely new angle for a workforce since information can be accessed by a globally positioned staff on an unprecedented international level.

Not long ago, a crashed computer system could bring a company to its knees. Many companies tallied hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost productivity as a result of a fried server or compromised hard drive.

“In the simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer’s hard drive,” wrote Eric Griffith in his PCmag.com article, What is cloud computing?

While this doesn’t prevent your computer system from crashing, it does eliminate the risk of losing valuable information as a result of malfunction since information isn’t localized onto a physical server. Instead, your information is stored in a format that is easily accessible and not prone to loss.

Cloud technology has changed the way information is stored, but it has also helped business practices evolve into a streamlined process. Information is centralized and easily accessible. This invites collaboration among employees and other departments who can share ideas on how to stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.

There are a number of reasons to get excited about cloud technology. Its presence redefines how entrepreneurs define the workplace and the people who personify it. It also renews a confidence in the security of information and ideas and streamlines how those ideas are implemented.

In an era where a business must show signs of agility in order to survive, cloud technology enables an entrepreneur to focus on what he desires most: business growth, profitability, productivity, and innovation. It’s worth getting excited about.