1. What are the specific challenges that my business is facing? The cloud is increasingly customizable as businesses of every size and type begin implementing a cloud strategy. There are many cloud providers that will give you the tools necessary to make your operations faster and more deliberate, but rely heavily on the user to determine their best use. This is much like the roofer who sells you his tools and says, “Have fun!”
Christopher Stark, President and CEO of Cetrom, says, “We start off the relationship by listening [and] finding where the pain is.” This detailed, tailor-fit process has been the hallmark of Cetrom’s cloud solutions for the past 13 years. Approaching a new client in this manner allows them to diagnose and prescribe the appropriate fix for their specific problem, whether or not the client knew it existed.
TIP: Call a meeting with your company leadership, and make a list of the overall strengths and opportunities facing you today. That way, when you are ready to get started with a cloud computing model, it will be much more productive.
2. When will I need to access data? Do you need access to data outside of the office? The current economic environment, among other factors, has dramatically changed the way and place in which we conduct business. Virtually (pun intended) every business and association has implemented some sort of mobile capability into their IT environment. This could be for a number of reasons, but the most common is to boost flexibility. Flexibility and adaptability are the cornerstone tenets of cloud computing. In fact, many firms will migrate to a cloud solution based on this capability alone. Check out this link for more information on mobile cloud computing.
3. What problems are you currently experiencing with your software? This is very much related to the first question, but pertains to the application layer. Problems with software are usually the first to surface, well, because they are the surface. What many business leaders do not realize is that these issues could run much deeper than what meets the eye. Unlike in most traditional IT environments, software problems that occur in ‘the cloud’ are dealt with proactively, long before they reach your doorstep. Furthermore, Cetrom supports a wide variety of software solutions that could mean greater cost efficiency and effectiveness.
4. Do you need a tailored solution or a scalable solution? The answer is probably both. The good news is that adopting a cloud strategy will provide enough flexibility to match up perfectly with even the most complex environments. Whether you are a small college startup or a 30-year-old company with over 9,000 users, the intrinsic benefits are the same. By its very nature, Cetrom cloud computing is scalable and customized to fit the needs of each specific client.
5. What could cloud computing provide my business that on-premise cannot? The benefits of cloud computing versus in-house infrastructure range from added mobility, reduced costs, enhanced security, and cutting edge software, to name a few. Many more are derived from the reputation and service offering of the provider with which you decide to trust with your data. That is why Cetrom offers its clients options for data storage. Check out Cetrom’s section on hybrid cloud computing to learn more.