Three Ways the Cloud Can Work For You

The cloud is all the rage these days; you can’t read a business or tech article without hearing about cloud computing, cloud storage, or cloud phones. But what, exactly, is “the cloud”? Simply put, when someone refers to the cloud, they are referring to the Internet. However, it goes a little deeper than that. The cloud is a way of describing web-based services that are hosted outside of your business. Essentially, when you store something online, you’re storing it in the cloud.  What are some ways that you can harness the power of the cloud for your business? Read on to find out!

Phone Systems

As far as business phone systems, using a cloud phone system ensures that you can take calls anywhere, anytime – even outside of the office.  Further, if you have multiple office locations, you can make them all feel like one, cohesive unit with a cloud phone system from providers like Broadview Networks. This can increase employee mobility and productivity, as they’re able to access their office phone lines from anywhere.

Document Storage and Sharing

If you use a webmail service like Gmail or Hotmail, all your mail is stored in the cloud and therefore easily accessible from anywhere – your office, home, and even while traveling.  If you save documents to Google Drive or upload large files to services like DropBox, your materials are also in the cloud. This is actually a much easier (and smarter!) way of storing important documents and files than the old system of saving to a hard drive, disc, or CD-ROM.  These can easily be destroyed or lost, but the cloud is here to stay.

Working Remotely

Additionally, the cloud allows your employees to work remotely if need be. With internet-based phone systems and the ability to access documents from anywhere, you can offer employees the flexibility to telecommute as necessary.  Whether you want to give employees the flexibility to work from home occasionally, or need to hire someone who can only telecommute due to location or distance, the ability to work remotely is one of the most useful elements of the cloud.

It’s clear that using cloud phones, storage, and sharing can help make your business more productive and much more mobile. Additionally, using the cloud is safer than storing files locally or relying on landline telephones. But as the cloud grows and becomes more ubiquitous, even more uses and features may crop up. How else can you make the cloud work for you? Please comment!