With Server 2003 coming to an end, many business owners and managers are wondering if now is a prime opportunity to consider a hosted cloud server. We’ve spoken with many of our clients affected by the end-of-life of Windows Server 2003 and the response is is fairly positive. Most of our clients welcome the idea of migrating to a hosted cloud server and are happy to ditch their clunky on premise servers. However, before you think about moving your business into a cloud environment, there are a some things to consider first.
If you’re not familiar with cloud computing, checkout our post on the best cloud services for small businesses.
What to Consider Before Moving Your Business Into The Cloud
Before you ditch that clunky server, there are some things to consider first to be sure your business can float comfortably in the cloud. First, you’ll need to have the network infrastructure to support a high traffic environment. With a cloud server, your devices, computers, and users will now be accessing a device in the cloud so you’ll need to be sure your network is capable of handling this increase in traffic. Ensure your network components support gigabit speeds and upgrade your Internet speeds to be sure you receive at least 10Mbps download.
Checkout this website to perform a speed test on your network.
How to Find a Cloud Service Partner
Once you’re sure you have the network infrastructure to support a cloud environment, you’ll want to do some shopping around with cloud computing providers in your area. Do a Google search for cloud IT providers, cloud computing services, and cloud services in your area. Example would be Cloud Computing Austin – this Google search will bring up all cloud providers in your city. Call around and talk to the provider about their service offering. Hire a local company and meet with them. You’ll need to hire a managed IT support company to be sure you’ll 24/7 support coverage of your new hosted server.
Best Cloud Services for Small Businesses
Now that you’ve confirmed you have the network, and you’ve chosen a cloud computing partner, think about what services you’d like host. Having a cloud server opens up many possibilities for your business. For instance, you can setup a client/server domain network to organize and manage all users of your network. Also, you can host a program like Quick Books Enterprise to your team. Most business owners like that they now have centralized data and an amazing backup solution. Cloud servers are hosted in data centers; some of the planet’s most reliable and safest environments. Whatever you decide to host in your new cloud server, be sure to speak with your IT partner to learn more about how you can improve efficiency, network stability, and make doing business all easier with moving your serer into the cloud.
If you’re considering moving your business into the cloud, contact our team to learn how we have helped many small businesses migrating and implementing cloud services in Austin, Texas.
