5. Cloud-based Analytics for Small Businesses

                                                                        Hi everyone, welcome back to Week 5 of my series of blogs!

Following our class discussion, this week’s blog I am going to talk about Cloud-based systems for Small Businesses. Are you a small business? Would you like to learn more about the available Cloud-based systems to suit your needs? Then keep reading🙂.

 

Firstly, you may ask what is a Cloud-based system? Well, a cloud based systems are systems that use cloud computing to provide IT resources and services over the internet. Cloud-enabled systems are so important for small businesses as they have many benefits, such as scalability, flexibility, increased security and optimised performance. Along with many benefits, Cloud-based systems come with their challenges. The main challenges Cloud-based Systems bring are maintenance, data security and privacy and cost management. 

 

Small businesses need to do some research and implement a cloud-based system that is best suited to their business. Small businesses can utilize cloud based systems to optimise their performance and increase their data security.

 
There are four different types of Cloud-based systems;

1.   Public Cloud-based systems – cloud environments typically created from IT infrastructure not owned by the end user. An example of this system is Google Cloud.

2.     Private Cloud-based systems – cloud environments solely dedicated to a single end user or group, where the environment usually runs behind that user or group’s firewall. There is two private cloud subtypes; Managed private clouds and Dedicated clouds

3. Hybrid Cloud-based systems – seemingly single IT environment created from multiple environments connected through local area networks, wide area networks, virtual private networks and/or APIs

4.     Multi Cloud-based systems

 

                                   

Examples of Cloud-based systems:

·      Dropbox

·      One Drive

·      Google Drive

 

Here is a quick, informative video discussing Cloud-based systems.

Based on what you have read above, let me know in the comments below what system you think your small business would benefit from.