Why Cloud Services Are No Longer Risky Business

Companies and employees are embracing remote work arrangements more and more often. The reasons could include opening a new business location, changes in lifestyle that require a telecommute, or simply a cost-reduction measure or way to improve productivity. And, many employees appreciate having the ability to make additional contributions to their work outside of normal business hours. Whatever the reason, you need the right environment and cloud services to make working remotely “work” for your business.

Different Types of Cloud Services

Whether your employees are working in another office or from home, they must have access to the necessary cloud services and applications in order to be productive. Depending on your industry, tools in the following categories are a great place to start:

• Communications. Instant messaging tools like Skype for Business, Google Talk, or Jabber; video teleconferencing apps; and voice communications technologies like voice over IP will keep all your employees, regardless of where they are, in the loop and on the same page. For remote employees, especially, it’s important that they feel part of the team.
• Productivity and collaboration applications. Collaboration tools like Microsoft SharePoint or Basecamp and cloud-based office productivity software such as Microsoft Office 365 let employees remain productive on the road, at home, or in the office.
• Cloud-based storage. Collaboration applications enable employees to work together in real time, but those same employees will have their own work-specific documents, spreadsheets, and the like, and you must have a secure cloud-based location in which they can store them. These solutions include simple sites such as Microsoft OneDrive or more sophisticated options such as Amazon Simple Storage Service.
• Remote administration. For your employees to work remotely, you must be able to support them remotely, too. If you have your own IT staff, they’ll need unique tools to manage remote systems and software, such as server-virtualization technology (e.g., Microsoft Hyper-V or Remote Desktop Services, VMware vSphere) and the ability to wipe mobile devices remotely.

Securing Sensitive Data

All businesses rely on data regardless of the industry, so it should always be a top priority to secure the exchange of sensitive business information. Protection begins with a secure connection to the data-storage solution you use. A virtual private network (VPN) is a great place to start; however, you also need a trusted antivirus/antimalware solution. It’s also critical to use measures such as multifactor authentication to manage and verify user access.

The Business Case for Cloud Services

Don’t forfeit the benefits associated with a remote workforce. Remote workers used to pose significant security risks; however, many of those risks have been eliminated with the development of new technology available to IT professionals. Businesses that allow workers to operate remotely need to secure multiple devices and ensure secure communications—both voice and data. Fortunately, cloud services help alleviate many of these headaches for business owners and IT professionals. With the right combination of cloud services and on premises solutions, your business can reduce costs, ensure the security and privacy of your company’s data, and enjoy increased productivity from a remote workforce.

All Phases IT can help your organization design and implement the IT infrastructure required to support your remote location needs. We’ll help keep you and your employees happy, connected, and productive. And most importantly, we’ll help keep your company’s reputation and data, safe and secure. Contact us today and speak with one our experienced IT consultants. Our cloud service experts will evaluate your current environment and prepare a solution that best meets your needs—on premises, hosted, or hybrid.