SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE ENTIRE IT:
To be sure, IT in midsized companies is often sparse. Administrators generally have complete sovereignty over the entire technical infrastructure. They can quickly and easily test and implement new applications.

The hardware in many companies is outdated and it is becoming more expensive to keep it up-to-date. Failures due to old hardware can cause high investments to replace outdated components. Administrators have an easy equation to evaluate: investment costs plus work time and continuous maintenance on one side, a cloud provider with a fee on the other.

While own hardware and software always require continuous investment, cloud solutions are transparently calculable. Fees are often accrued per month and workspace. The continuous cash flows are easier to integrate into cost planning. Management is able to plan long-term.

Every company has peak and low times, like summertime for tourism and Christmas for trade. With cloud solutions, capacity can be used to the full and actual need can be adjusted at any time. The solutions are scalable: the “Pay per Use” principle ensures that costs are only accrued when resources are actually needed.

Cloud applications are not cure-all remedies, but it is worth it to test some applications. Tests don’t cost much and the risk is low, especially in comparison to the potential that working with the cloud offers.

Cloud applications are the foundation for modern, flexible work. Companies gain increased appeal for new, young professionals. Working from home is possible. Efficiency is increased, as access to files is possible while traveling or at client locations.

Fires and water damage occur again and again. What kind of damage would a flooded server room generate? Can a company preserve continuity if the entire IT is destroyed? If not, cloud applications are an integral component of emergency planning. Cloud providers use their large server parks to automatically absorb failures. Creating such failure security within your company would be extremely expensive.

At first glance, cloud solutions seem to offer less data security. However, every successful midsized business has the potential to be on an economic criminal’s hit list. How well are you prepared for possible attacks? Regardless of where data is stored, complete security can never be guaranteed. Cloud providers’ computing centers can be extremely secure. This should be looked into while selecting a provider.

If a failure occurs, the administrator’s first reaction is to sound the alarm. Almost every administrator can tell the story of how a hard drive crashed at the worst time, either on the weekend or even during vacation. Being on-call 24/7 is a huge burden, which can be absorbed by the cloud.

Administrators spend a good chunk of their time doing maintenance work, like installing local software. These routine tasks take up a lot of time, whereas with the cloud, updates can be rolled out across the entire company with a single click. New workspaces can be prepared more efficiently.

Cloud computing is ultimately an efficient, inexpensive alternative to an independent IT infrastructure. Outsourcing also means that the company can invest its resources into its core competencies, instead of investing money in – from the management’s perspective – “general” operational costs.

Many administrators have a difficult position in their companies. Management and other departments usually only have a rudimentary understanding of technology. If the IT works ostensibly, most see no reason to change anything. Our advice: become a good salesperson! First, avoid getting caught up in explaining technical details. Begin instead with the central question: What are the advantages of cloud applications?

Less maintenance, less emergencies, less costs: are you flinching yet? Are you dissolving your own job by introducing the cloud? On the contrary: you are reinventing your role in the company. The cloud will come sooner or later, but you still have time to control how and when – and to prepare yourself for the change. What can you do with the extra time? How can you make yourself indispensible to your company?

You were in a difficult position. The management barely understood technical connections – and maybe didn’t even want to understand them, because they had no direct impact on the business. Now you are the driving innovative force in your company. You show management how the company can be digitalized and more efficiently structured.

Your position has changed to an interface function. You have closer contact to the various departments and understand which processes run in each as well as their importance to the company. You gain important insight and understanding of the entire company.

Have we convinced you yet? Then let’s start making your roadmap!