This week cloud business news roundup highlights more findings that promote the fact that cloud computing is helping businesses to do more for less.
Let’s take the manufacturing industry as an example. Managers in manufacturing companies are having every reason to be optimistic these days – more revenue and better profitability – all thanks to the adoption of technologies and implementing lean organization structures. The driving force behind all this optimism is cloud computing.
According to an article by Craig Hodges published on IndustryWeek.com, the cloud enables manufacturing companies to gain competitive advantage via strong innovation and growth. The claim is based on a new survey conducted by Microsoft on 437 IT decision makers in US manufacturing companies.
Some interesting stats: 59% are planning to or have already implemented cloud collaboration tools, such as document sharing and web-conferencing. 57% are planning to or have already implemented cloud productivity applications, such as cloud-based word processing tool and cloud-based email tool. 49 % are planning to or have already done e-commerce in the cloud.
The reason why many manufacturing companies embrace the cloud is due to the fact that cloud computing helps them to be more productive and save money – thanks to the scalability of the cloud services they use and the ability to access cloud-based business solutions on demand. Referring to the Microsoft’s survey, 44 percent said that cloud computing saves costs and improves their companies’ bottom line. One example: Sensata Technologies, a supplier of sensing, electrical protection, control, and power management solutions, moves the company email messaging into the cloud, saving $500,000 in 4 months period, while allowing Sensata’s IT Staffs to focus on more important tasks.
Not only the manufacturing industry, other sectors and business activities are also enjoying the same benefits from the cloud:
HR and Payroll benefit from the cloud
The cloud computing and its benefits are often intangible. However businesses do think that – despite they are not trusting the cloud entirely to take their business operations onto the cloud – the benefits of cloud business services outweigh the drawbacks; they are thinking that businesses should put Human Resources and payroll on the cloud for better flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.
Cloud computing reduces carbon footprints
Not only saving costs and increasing productivity, the cloud is also friendly to the environment. Cloud computing allows higher hardware utilization. Applications can be run on less equipment; less equipment means less energy to power and for cooling the equipment. Less energy means a happier mother earth.
Cloud computing saves 40-80% of your money?
Migrating to the cloud is said to be able to save your business 40 to 80 percent, but is that really the case? Is that really realistic? Some people don’t think so. Some others do think the cloud could save costs, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Cloud computing adoption means the whole organization needs to change the way of doing business. But if you are ready to do all of those, the cloud can do your business good. First thing first, you need to do comparative analysis, and THEN you may see the benefits of cloud computing.
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