In 2016, cloud technology hit a tipping point in Australia. A bold statement yes, but a true one. At the start of 2016, according to a recent report by Frost & Sullivan, over 95 per cent of Australian businesses were connected to the internet and 70 per cent were using cloud based services.
Okay – so a lot of businesses are using cloud but aren’t they just the big end of town? No, to put it simply.
The real growth in cloud is in the SMB market. According to the ABS there are over 2 million SMBs and it is this huge market that has rapidly bridged the gap in cloud usage. The market is clearly maturing as cloud has shifted from an innovative technology to standard practice.
But why this explosive growth? Simple. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are realising that your ability to scale shouldn’t be hamstrung by the technology services you use.
Cloud’s most powerful benefit is this growth capability. Here are four key reasons why:
1) Ramp up and ramp down – instantly
Any growing business knows the importance of being able to scale quickly. If you have key customer services in the cloud, the moment you hit increased demands you can increase your capability – all without having to purchase or install any more tech. For example, this means that in peak periods such as Christmas, a FMCG business can instantly scale up their capabilities to meet consumer demand, and then ramp it back down post-Christmas when shopping habits slow down – all without spending any more on cloud services.
2) Track and measure smarter
For any business, big or small, when looking to implement new technology the ability to prove not only ROI on the product, but ROI on service delivery is crucial. Many cloud systems have been established in a way that allows them to track all activity with inbuilt measurement systems. With this, showing ROI becomes as simple as a few clicks.
3) Get agile
One of the true values of cloud based technologies is that it enables businesses to become more agile. The nature of cloud business technology means that your office can be anywhere. This lets you work remotely in the same capacity as if you were in the office, or even move offices without reinstalling technologies and systems. It’s ultimately about flexibility on what your company needs, and when it needs it, not what your technology services let you do.
4) Get it early, get it cheap
Cloud technology allows users to have a pay-use-model, which eliminates the risk of over or under investment. In short, pay less and never more than you need to. This helps a business to grow quickly and have sophisticated services in the early stages without spending a lot up front, and reduce IT budgets, while still maintaining quality of service. True cloud services empower businesses of any size to have services previously only available to big business.