Hosting software applications in the cloud has become a key business driver in modern times, especially during COVID-19. But there are many options available when migrating to digital platforms with even more technology explanations for all the various deployment models. To help you answer what is the best form of cloud implementation for your business, it is best to look at one of the most flexible configurations offered by SWK – application hosting.
Known also as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), hosting your software through a cloud service provider (CSP) allows you to deliver your IT resources remotely while still granting direct user access. You retain control over your system applications while the digital infrastructure is managed by a vendor such as SWK Technologies – and in the case of SWK’s Secure Cloud Hosting, your network’s cybersecurity is persistently monitored as well. Cloud hosting and IaaS enable you to shift your business to a whole new paradigm, one that empowers your team to work from home with the right CSP.
Here are seven key points that help define cloud application hosting and illustrate the value it can deliver to your business for working remotely:
Hosting IT Infrastructure as a Service
Traditional software and IT deployment models revolve around maintaining rooms full of servers and static desktop workstations onsite, replacing these machines as they age out. Hosting your application infrastructure as a service, however, migrates everything but the bare user devices to the digital space. With the network resources being delivered through the cloud, your system becomes as easily accessible to your employees as any Internet webpage.
Removing the Cost Burden of On-Premise Servers
Without the burden of cumbersome onsite equipment, your business will save a significant amount of time, stress and – most importantly – money with cloud application hosting. Replacing on-premise servers is cumbersome and costly, and even when they are not being phased out, they require constant maintenance and upkeep. Yet leaving these machines be creates serious risks for your operations, in slow processes and cybersecurity backdoors.
Hosted software cuts down all these expenses to only the cost of implementation and service from your cloud provider. You will no longer have to pay to keep hardware in shape or to replace it with even more expensive upgrades, or have to engage multiple vendors for every product that contributes to your technology stack. Your applications and IT resources are consolidated to one streamlined bill without all the extra pieces to make your system work.
Cybersecurity with a Secure Cloud Platform
The security of the cloud is the driving concern of skeptics, but outdated conventional thinking is the true danger when it comes to any modern software. While some may believe keeping their systems analog will protect them, but this approach is often ignorant of where hidden vulnerabilities may appear. Modification or integration can create new endpoints for a legacy application that it was never prepared to have, exposing your network to cyber attack through undefended channels – not to mention the already existing remote code gaps in on-premise solutions.
While some may see constant connectivity as a threat, in the hands of dedicated IT and cybersecurity experts, a cloud-hosted infrastructure can provide a much more secure platform. Consolidating all of your application security controls under one roof makes it significantly easier to monitor your network activity and watch for malicious behavior. CSPs familiar with hacker footprints can quickly identify and isolate suspected bad actors within your system, allowing you to keep your software technology stack up and running smoothly.
Real-Time Data Security Compliance and Protection
Another advantage of real-time cloud security is the access to continuous updating, patching and upgrading for your software system. Hosted applications are always connected, and constantly kept up to date with the latest regulations. As information security becomes a greater factor in the digital era, all software databases will gradually be tasked to stricter data privacy and protection compliance – migrating to a cybersecure IaaS service allows you to stay ahead of the curve with around-the-clock cybersecurity and regular file backups.
Staying Connected to Technology and Cyber Threat Updates
Hosted applications not only receive the benefit of continual security updates, but also technology upgrades. Staying connected through the cloud gives your business software access to the latest improvements to functionality, yet without the downtime associated with on-premise solution development. Hosting your infrastructure lets you keep your system running while updates are delivered seamlessly in the background, preventing them from interfering with your ongoing processes.
Digital Application and Network Scalability for the SMB
Digitally hosted applications provide a new level of flexibility not granted by traditional solutions, allowing for much greater scalability. Cloud networks can be expanded and contracted according to need, making way for shifting numbers of users and streamlined resource deployment much more quickly than with on-premise servers. Hosting your software affords your business greater agility and the ability to adapt your digital processes to the speed of your value chain.
Work Remotely from Home or Anywhere Else During COVID-19
The most obvious benefit of cloud application hosting is also ironically the easiest to overlook – all the models of as-a-service software deployment enable you to work from home more easily. Besides eliminating the need for physical equipment, SaaS and IaaS allow you to avoid the cyber threats that target remote code backdoors that your distributed workforce would otherwise be reliant on. However, only a hosted service hardened with cybersecurity protections will give you all the benefits of working from home securely during these uncertain times.
Migrate to the Cloud with Low Cost Secure Hosting
COVID-19 has created a new normal for all businesses, but cloud infrastructure has been critical in allowing operations to continue amidst nationwide social distancing demands. Don’t let your business be held back by outdated technology models – learn how to migrate to cloud application hosting with little to no upfront costs and position your business for success in this crisis.
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