“Be an angel, take a look at my laptop – it’s not working.” If you are a Business Admin, I bet you have heard that before. What that statement really means is drop everything else! This is a priority because this laptop belongs to my boss, who happens to be an Executive and is about to embark on a journey to New York to present to a great prospect. Unfortunately, the PPT presentation is sitting on his Laptop desktop (so that he can find it), therefore, it is unlikely to have been backed up and the laptop isn't booting because a Windows update has decided to apply itself, and it was probably turned off in the process. Great – suddenly your role is now IT Manager. This is a very real scenario for many Business Admins working for small to medium sized businesses. You all know who you are, I was one too!
Of course, taking a closer look the reality is that your business needs to upgrade its Windows XP/7 PC’s; as they are hanging off a network which barely copes with the capacity it is expected to deliver. If you are really lucky you may have an old server which is on its knees, being backed up but praying to heaven that it doesn’t go down because you have no idea if you can retrieve anything from those backups.
Your management realizes it’s time to upgrade with some new technology to match their forward thinking business model. Looking for change? Miss a Step, Take a Leap! Cloud technology is the perfect way to off-load the responsibilities of SMB IT management. Below are 10 outstanding reasons why Business Admins need the cloud, and 10 reasons that will convince your management to look beyond your space and to cloud computing.
- Enterprise environment: You don’t have to be “BIG” to enjoy enterprise applications. Buy the license and you can have the same advantages as those corporate workers!
- Mobility: Have the same applications synching with your desktops, your mobiles and tablets. Travel anywhere in the world – your boss will be able to login, providing they can access Internet (with cable or wireless).
- Response times: No more lag time. Cloud applications are super-fast!
- Centralized storage: Benefit from being able to store and quickly find your files and documents in a safe secure environment. Easy to access applications like “SharePoint” offer amazing keyword and tag search criteria.
- Desktop not workstation dependent: If your boss has a problem with their laptop – although inconvenient, it’s not the end of the world. Give them a spare laptop, login to the cloud via a web browser and retrieve that PowerPoint. Crises Averted.
- IT management/updates and new revisions: Make no mistake, the amount of time to roll out new revisions of software and installing updates is under-estimated. Cloud platforms eliminate your need to manage this process. It’s done for you. Granted, you need to choose a good cloud provider – choose wisely, they will do the rest.
- Backups: No need to worry about backups – cloud providers offer great backup solutions of varying levels and security. You will find the best solution to match your business needs. No battery backup required either. Thunder and lightning – not your problem.
- IT Support: You will still need a company contact to manage Tech Support, but virtual access to cloud based applications greatly reduces the amount of downtime on a PC or Laptop.
- Communications/Collaboration: Cloud environments allow groups to work together by enabling applications to be designed to encourage group collaboration and enhanced communications. Great tools for projects and workgroups.
- Simplify Vendor Relations: Cloud providers provide one-stop shopping. One company, one bill, less complicated to manage.
Me, well I had my head in the clouds for way too long. I’m now working for a cloud computing company! So, be an angel, spread your wings, and look to the cloud.
Written By: Hazel Watkinson
Senior Executive Assistant
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