Get Your Head In The Clouds

Were you forever being told as a child to ‘get your head out of the clouds’? You may well have just been preparing for your startup… Cloud computing is a relatively new development. It was seen as crazy a few years ago to set up a business based around this type of computing. The cloud method wasn’t deemed as reliable as other more traditional systems and was brushed aside as a new age gimmick. There was very little clamour for larger businesses to switch all of their systems over, whilst barely any companies totally embraced the vision behind the cloud. blur Group and Parallels were two who instantly embraced the trend: the majority of businesses were short sighted. The benefits of cloud computing are clear. Tunning computer programs from remote servers – is a much more cost effective, accessible and efficient way to run your businesses systems and applications. It saves on space, running costs and provides an interchangeable platform in which to work. There are no Windows to Mac issues with the cloud, you can use any computer, anywhere, without hassle. Imagine packing up a traditional computer system’s servers when moving office. Imagine the maintenance costs of running those servers and the cost of buying them in the first place. These problems are no more; replaced by immense opportunities for new businesses. According to U.S. venture capital pioneer Alan Patricof, of Greycroft: ”In 40 years in the business, I’ve never seen such a vibrant startup environment. There’s a lot of money around and there’s an enormous increase in startup activity. Cloud computing eliminates capital expenditure so you can go global very quickly. You don’t have to have extensive servers in every country.” As a result, “more firms are downsizing or coming up with a strategy of how to separate private equity, large investments from earlier investments for startups.” In the same way that social media and crowdsourcing have revolutionised marketing and consumer outreach, cloud computing is now being recognised as the emerging new development for creating a thriving startup. In an age where startups are more careful than ever to maximise expenditure and cut waste, it would now been seen as crazy not to use cloud computing. Quite a turn around over the last few years. With world-renowned companies like Apple, Microsoft and particularly Google, embracing the cloud, the future of business computing is definitely in the cloud. If you’re a new startup, you’d better get your head in the clouds. How much of your business model is cloud-based?