Top reasons to move to the cloud

Moving your IT infrastructure to the cloud is gaining popularity, but some companies remain on the fence whether to make the switch or continue with an on-premise system. There are many benefits to consider that may tip the scales in favour of migrating to the cloud, especially now that the power of Sage 200 Professional is available on the industry-leading Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure.

According to the Cloud Industry Forum research, customers sited the following benefits:

1. 1. Invest in your business, not hardware. 72% of UK companies surveyed saw decreases in operational costs*. When you have a traditional, in-house data centre, you become beholden to maintaining hardware. While updates will help keep everything current for a short time, eventually the hardware will become too aged to continue. Replacing hardware gets expensive, and there will be a need to budget for new equipment on a regular basis. The result is, you must balance investing in hardware versus other areas that could grow your business.
   2. Focus on growing your business. Managing existing IT infrastructure is time-consuming, at times unpredictable, and requires specialised personnel to manage it. With cloud computing, you enable a trusted cloud service provider to manage the complexities of security, upgrades, and maintenance for your business critical applications, such as Sage 200, freeing your team up to run and grow the business.
   3. Respond for business continuity. 65% of businesses surveyed believe cloud working offers them the agility to seize opportunities, and respond to risks*. For a business to grow it must be flexible, agile and have the ability to respond and react to market opportunities, as well as threats. With cloud computing, business leaders can access vital business intelligence in real-time. Data-driven decisions from anywhere, at anytime is a distinct business advantage, as managers can explore new opportunities and/or mitigate risks.
   4. Leverage the latest technology. 70% of UK companies surveyed believe by accessing critical business applications in the cloud, anytime, anywhere offered them financial stability* – which in turn, offered a greater competitive advantage. As the company grows, a traditional system can be difficult to expand as needed. You may not have the storage capacity, available users, or even new functionality and compliance that the latest release offers you. Moving to the cloud better enables the scalability that you will need to keep up with the network growth demands. A cloud-based system eliminates that problem by offering scalability in a flash.

Making a move like this is a lot to think about for your business and your customers, but we’re here to help. We can answer any questions you and your team may have about the transition.

*Research from the Cloud Industry Forum (https://www.cloudindustryforum.org/content/uk-cloud-adoption-rate-reaches-88-finds-newresearch-cloud-industry-forum)