Cloud technology has brought a paradigm shift which has helped small business enterprises to change their approach and to operate more like a large firm. Today, this technology is being adopted and incorporated by business houses who are excessively leveraging it for their benefit.

Adopting cloud technology is highly advantageous but there are certain things that need to be considered to ensure that the migration is successfully done. Poorly planned or haste cloud adoptions can pose security risks or may disrupt the whole business process. According to Forbes Technology Council (FTC) member Tyler Shields, “When it comes to cloud adoption, the biggest challenge isn’t technology — it’s the people and processes that must change and adapt.” So, migrating to cloud is a challenge in itself.

To avoid unnecessary hitch and snag, here are some things to consider for the enterprises progressing to cloud –

• Choose The Correct Cloud Option - The best cloud option is the one that suits your needs and budget. It should be secure, scalable and flexible.
• Viability Of The Vendor – Consider the viability of the cloud vendor before adopting the cloud technology. Check out for the financial capacity of the vendor to ensure his ability to grow when your organization needs expand with time. Also check the facilities and options provided by the vendor.
• Plan In Advance – As often quoted, “Failing to plan, is planning to fail.” So plan out the transition well in advance. An informed decision regarding what to migrate and when to migrate is crucial. Companies should carefully examine their IT infrastructure, systems, needs and usage to determine the best cloud services as this helps in saving time and money by reducing the unnecessary burden of offloading. Businesses that plan out their activities can experience a better and smooth cloud adoption.
• Data Back-Up – Once it is decided what and when to migrate, the next important thing is to back up the data before the actual migration starts. This is vital to avoid any loss of important information and easy recovery. 
• Consider The Challenges – The Company must consider the challenges that pose a threat to security. They must determine the security layers that exist and how can the cloud vendor protect the data from viruses, hackers and theft. If the data is not secure then it would ultimately lead to wastage of time along with added costs. 
• Ensure Necessary Infrastructure – Prepare for the necessary IT infrastructure at the workplace to make the cloud adoption and migration process smooth and easy. 
• Performance Check Before Transition – Before the business transits the data, it is important to check how apps will perform in their new environment.
• Co-Existence – It is important to consider the impact of migration as it might result in downtime and disruption. To reduce the risk, Co- Existence must be ensured as a gradual shift is more beneficial, that leads to increase in productivity particularly avoiding any problems and disruptions.

So before the business decides to progress towards cloud adoption, the above mentioned factors must be considered to experience a smooth cloud adoption. For more considerations , contact Centex Technologies, call at (972) 375 – 9654.

Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud storage solutions have offered numerous benefits for the business owners. By simplifying access to technological resources, reducing delivery times to clients and giving employees the freedom to work from anywhere, cloud applications play a major role in increasing business productivity. However, with all critical information stored off-premise, data loss remains a constant concern.

Here are some of the common causes of SaaS data loss:

• User Deletion: This is one of the biggest reasons of data loss in the cloud. The registered users may accidentally overwrite a shared file or delete a scrapped document, just to realize later that the data was important.
• Phishing And Hacking Attacks: Cyber criminals may launch a hacking or phishing attack to gain unauthorized access to data stored in the cloud. By tricking the users to click on a spam link or download a file, the hackers may be successful in stealing their cloud login credentials and manipulating the data stored therein.
• Data Corruption: At times, the data center of the SaaS cloud provider may be unable to retrieve the stored data. Without proper backup solution, important information may become inaccessible or corrupted.
• Third Party Applications: Using a third party application can put SaaS data at risk. These apps may contain viruses that overwrite or delete the information stored in the cloud. There are higher chances of data loss if emails, documents, contacts etc. are stored in multiple devices.
• Closed Accounts: Considering the employee turnover in a company, the SaaS accounts may also be closed or deleted. This may lead to the loss of important data stored by the former employee.

Tips To Prevent SaaS Data Loss

• Identify Important Information: Firstly, you need to identify the sensitive information stored on all the computers connected to the cloud. The data may include client names, personal details of employees, salary information, credit card information, social security numbers etc.
• Prevent Document Sharing: You should implement strict policies that prevent accidental or intentional sharing of files outside the organization. Restrict access to the sensitive information and block file transmission to email addresses that do not have your company’s domain.
• Backup Your Data: There are many cloud backup applications that allow you to store a secure and easily retrievable copy of your data. The information is stored in an encrypted form and can be accessed only by the authorized users.

For more tips on preventing SaaS data loss, you can contact Centex Technologies at (972) 375 – 9654.

Simply put, cloud computing refers to computing based on the internet. This eliminates the need to run programs or applications downloaded on a personal computer, since the same applications can be accessed through the internet. Not only does this help in the optimal utilization of computing resources, but it also enhances management by converging the software and hardware needs. Small businesses are predicted to spend over $100 billion on cloud computing by 2014, and with good reason, considering all the benefits it has to offer. Here are the top benefits of cloud computing:

• Flexibility: With the vast capacity available on the remote servers of the cloud computing service, it is possible for the service to instantly meet the company’s demand for more resources than usual.

• Quick disaster recovery: Cloud computing eliminates the need for complex disaster recovery plans. According to a survey by the Aberdeen Group, businesses that used cloud-based systems were able to resolve issues 4 times faster as compared to those that didn’t.

• Decreased costs: The “replacement” capital expenditure incurred updating obsolete resources is eliminated with the use of cloud computing services. Costs are further reduced through the centralization of power, bandwidth, and real estate.

• Location independence: Cloud computing makes it possible for SMEs to set up multiple redundant sites to establish business continuity during disaster recovery.

• Quick deployment: A cloud computing system typically takes lesser time to go live, as compared to an on-premise application. In addition to this, the IT resources required for a cloud computing service are also minimal.

• Automatic software updates: Cloud computing suppliers provide security updates and server maintenance, which helps to save time as well as resources.

• Pay as you go: Businesses need absolutely no capital expenditure to invest in a cloud-computing service. The start-up costs are also minimal, since these services are typically pay-as-you-go. In addition to this, the ongoing expenses are predictable, which is beneficial from the business point of view.

• Increased collaboration: Cloud computing encourages collaboration among employees by allowing them to sync up and work simultaneously on documents, despite their location. Colleagues can also share apps, follow records, and receive critical real-time updates. This form of collaborative technology results in a significant boost to the return on investment of companies.

Cloud computing is a technique that is rapidly gaining popularity with SMEs, with an estimated $100 billion predicted to be spent on cloud computing services by 2014. Put simply, cloud applications are software apps that are based on the internet, as opposed to conventional applications that users would access through software downloaded or installed on to their computers. Cloud applications extend from software like Google Apps, Salesforce, etc., which are basically service providers, to everyday applications of common use, like Microsoft Office or accounting software.

Here’s a look at some of the major benefits offered by the use of cloud applications:

• Cloud services are very easy to manage for businesses providing applications to number of users across different locations.

• Another advantage offered by cloud computing is the simplified disaster recovery that it offers. While the average disaster recovery time for businesses that did not use the cloud was 8 hours, this was reduced to 2 hours through the use of cloud applications.

• A significant amount of time and resources spent on managing on-line security can be saved through the use of cloud computing. This is because cloud hosting companies carry out automatic security updates and server maintenance.

• The start-up costs involved in cloud computing are minimal, since this is essentially a pay-as-you-go service. Switching to cloud applications is a quick process with predictable ongoing expenditure, making these ideal for SME projects.

• These applications offer an increased amount of collaboration and coordination among employees. It is possible for workers to sync the data they are working on, and work on apps of documents simultaneously. This form of collaboration technology is found to boost productivity at the workplace by a whopping 400%.

• Through the use of cloud-based applications, employees can work from anywhere where they have internet connectivity. This helps businesses to offer flexibility in work schedules, and work-from-home options, which are desirable to achieve a work-life balance and hence have higher productivity.

• Cloud applications make it possible for people in different time zones and locations to work on the same document simultaneously. It eliminates the need to send the document back and forth through email, with a different name each time. Instead, the document is stored at one central location, helping in a higher level of collaboration.

• All the data remains stored in the cloud, which means that businesses do not have to worry about losing important data if the device on which it was stored gets stolen.

Centex Technologies develop cutting edge software applications for its clients. For more information, call us at - (972) 375-9654