A view from the UK is interesting.
In a piece posted on Thisismoney.co.uk, reporter Helen Loveless notes that cloud computing is growing among small firms, but also is limited as many business owners want to keep systems in house or deal with a website company they know personally.
Loveless reports:
According to Robert Epstein, head of small business at Microsoft, the number of smaller firms using cloud computing services has risen by 30% year on year. ”The movement of IT to the cloud has the potential to be a huge leveller for small and medium-sized enterprises that can now have access to IT systems that were previously only available to large companies,” he says.
“Storing information on the internet allows firms to operate at a much lower cost, work more efficiently and from any location at any time. The increase in firms effectively moving their office systems online will also help them to avoid the negative implications of external factors such as swine flu, office theft or fire.”
Ultimately, it comes down to what the individual business owner views as the positives and negatives. Some will venture deeper into the cloud, while others will stay in house.
Any thoughts on the plusses and minuses, and what makes sense for your business?
Raymond J. Keating
Chief Economist
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
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