Cloud 101 by Kelser in the Hartford Business Journal

Not too long ago, I contributed an article titled “How to tell if the cloud is right for your business” to the Hartford Business Journal. The goal was to help readers understand a few key concepts about the cloud:

• The cloud is a “way,” not a “place.” Some describe the cloud as “someone else’s computer.” That’s an oversimplification, but it’s a place to start.
• For most small and medium-sized businesses, cloud-based email is a no-brainer. That is, unless you enjoy being in the data center business in addition to whatever business you’re in. There are exceptions, but mostly on the enterprise scale or in cases where significant email server investment has already been made.
• Cloud can truly be a business enabler if flexible capacity and working remotely could help your team achieve objectives.

A few months ago, Kelser CTO Jonathan Stone contributed to a CIO.com article exploring common misconceptions about the cloud. It’s an excellent piece breaking down myths that many tech professionals buy into. When I read it, it occurred to me that there was a need for a similar article on a more basic level.

The very name “cloud” is amorphous and ethereal. I find that people often aren’t clear about what the cloud is or how it could serve their business—even if they use the cloud every day (which most offices in any industry do). The HBJ article is intended to be a jumping off point for a conversation about how a particular business can leverage the cloud.

One common area of interest that didn’t make it into the article is cloud security. Having your information on servers inside your office IT closet provides a certain intuitive satisfaction. Trusting your data to the cloud may feel more vulnerable. The opposite couldn’t be truer. Cloud-based email is in most cases more secure than on-premises email servers.

Cloud email providers, such as Microsoft Office 365, have very strong built-in security features available to help protect your company from hackers if an employee clicks on a malicious link. When you think about it, the physical security of the cloud is obviously superior. Videos like the one below from Microsoft mention how Microsoft “invests over one billion dollars in cybersecurity to defend against evolving threats” and shows what appears to be the use of security cameras, access cards, fingerprint scanners, and all sorts of sci-fi security measures your average IT closet simply doesn’t have.

While there are a range of priorities and concerns each business has to weigh when forming their cloud strategy, cybersecurity is one area that is cut and dry.

If you’re looking to optimize the way your business is using cloud technology today (or to start taking advantage of it), please feel free to reach out and get the conversation started.