When the pandemic wreaked havoc in the first quarter of 2020, various organizations and enterprises had a unique set of challenges to deal with. They needed to operate their businesses through Covid-19 while their workforces telecommunicated. This is where cloud computing came to their rescue, helping them sail through the difficult times.
Tech giant Microsoft noted over a three-times surge in the usage of Windows Virtual Desktop. The usage of Power BI shot up by 42% as a dashboarding tool by the government agencies.
These stats are proof of how cloud computing can help companies sail through the pandemic (and even afterward).
How can Cloud Computing Help Companies Sail Through Covid-19?
What does a remote team need to work without hurdles?
A good infrastructure with a secured network that allows them to log in to the applications, servers, and databases. Additionally, they need a set up that leverages collaboration.
But what goes into running a project apart from its coding, delivery, and communication? It includes the support that IT teams render while maintaining the hardware and software, and backup and archival of data, apart from building top-class security.
So, to run a remote project, you should have the above-mentioned facilities in place. If you don’t want to run to the office premise often to set the things right, run your applications with the help of cloud services.
Let’s see how the cloud can sail your ship through the hard times of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the New Normal.
Infrastructure
Virtual machines allow you to create Windows and Linux OS drove machines to develop and execute your code or store data. With autoscaling and high availability, you don’t need to worry about the sudden expansion of your project demands.
Serverless architecture allows you to focus on the application you are working on. Hence, maintaining the storage, server, and hardware rests upon the vendors. You don’t need to depend heavily on your IT team and avoid physical meetings. This also erases the need for physical server rooms.
Cloud platforms like Azure provide scope to deploy your own VM image apart from the ready-made images. You can choose an apt VM for your project from Azure offerings and get started.
Pricing
In the case of on-premise infrastructure, you need to bear the cost—often in disaster recovery set up and unused resources—even when they remain dormant. But cloud wipes off this investment.
With a pay-as-you-go and monthly subscription with the cloud vendor, you pay for what you use. If you are not using any resource, you wouldn’t need to pay. These pricing models save a lot of expenses.
Microsoft Azure allows you to reuse your on-premise licenses to run on the cloud. You can take advantage of spot pricing and RIs to obtain maximum benefits on Azure VMs over the pay-as-you-go model.
Mobility
The most significant advantage of a cloud network is the mobility rendered to the users.
From the ease of your laptop—or even mobile, if permitted—you can work on-the-go. You can access all the servers, databases, and applications available on the cloud through any device if your security features allow BYOD (bring your own device) concept.
Because cloud applications are web-based, you only need a secured device to work with, which shouldn’t necessarily be your company procured. Microsoft Azure comes with a high-security network, and remote users can use Azure Bastion to access VMs.
Maintenance
With cloud computing, comes the relaxation in maintenance. All your servers, network, and security care are the responsibilities of the cloud services provider.
You don’t need to worry about pushing a security patch or an OS update. The vendor hosting your data and servers takes care of the same: no more IT interruptions and extended outages.
With cloud-based services, the outages have lesser turn-around-time and are often seamless. Your workforce won’t face any interruption most of the time.
Availability
With any cloud platform comes the advantage of round the clock availability. Whether your servers are located in another country or state, the vast number of interconnected data centers and the fallback mechanism cater to the indispensable availability.
Even if your city suffers from a power outage or a calamity, your applications and backend are in safe hands. Running mission-critical applications such as telecom, banking, and government projects usually need round the clock connectivity. A cloud platform is best suited for such applications.
Microsoft Azure covers 60+ regions with over 160 physical data centers distributed across the continents. Thus, proves to be a reliable cloud vendor.
Scalability
If business expansion is on the cards or downsizing is your next move, your infrastructure should be able to accommodate the changes. And what if the traffic fluctuations are unpredictable? You can’t simply add or remove resources while working remotely.
Cloud can rescue you with just the right solution for scalability. You can approach your vendor or cloud partner to scale on demand.
Azure provides autoscaling features to expand or condense your applications according to your needs that is cost-effective. You can set scaling limits and schedule them based on the triggers. Also, Azure assists scaling within minutes, not hours or days. These scaling benefits don’t demand any hardware assistance from your end.
Want to test a new code version before deploying to the production? Azure facilitates the process without impacting your customers. And while moving the tested version to production, swap it with the live copy. That should do the trick.
Storage and Recovery
Archiving, or backing up the source codes and data regularly while you are away from the office should not be your worries anymore. Cloud infrastructure can cover backup, archival, and even disaster recovery management.
Because your data centers are located on a different site, quite possibly in another country, none of the intentional or accidental events can cause a wipeout. And unlike an on-premise DR facility, all the replicated hardware is on the cloud, which gets activated only in the event of the mishap. This brings down your investment cost as compared to on-premise DR set up.
With simplified data recovery using VSS Snapshot and freeze from Windows and Linux respectively, Azure assures smooth and seamless backup and recovery.
Its backup is automatic and driven with a single click. MFA protects your data from malicious theft or overwriting. Any accidental deletion can be recovered within two weeks too.
Before You Plan to Transform Your Company into Cloud Business
Now that you are convinced that the cloud is a sure bet to safeguard your business execution from remote locations, you might want to explore the right vendors. A vendor dealing in cloud-based computing services would be able to shift your projects to Microsoft Azure. Such cloud partners add value with their cloud computing services and can help you understand why, how, and when to use cloud services, too.
If you have planned to shift your on-premise resources and applications to the cloud, your search for a cloud partner ends with Logesys that has carved a name with its multifaceted services. Contact us today for scheduling a demo.