Cloud computing. Software as a Service (SaaS). Virtual computing. You may have seen one or more of these buzzwords in a business magazines recently trumpeting a new computing environment where your data lives in a cloud, a virtual world to be tapped into as needed. So what are these terms and, most importantly for you, how do they impact your business?

We are entering the third phase of computing, having first transitioned from mainframe to client-server. With the prevalence of high speed internet, there now exists the ability to utilize resources hosted on remote servers on an “as needed” basis. No longer do you have to purchase dedicated machines or install software. You can now run business software via the browser as well as hosting data.

For an example, think of an online photo hosting service. Using just you browser, you can tap into the hosting capabilities of a site such as Snapfish to store your photos on their servers. You can also access their software, such as photo editing and make changes via the browser. No need to install software on your computer or buy a server.

As you can imagine, being able to tap into secure, “as needed” resources for your company can be incredibly efficient and important. However, it is also critical to ensure that these new tools work as intended and can meet future needs. That is where we come in. We can work with you to identify which web based software and data storage can create the best fit for your business, both now and in the future. Most importantly, we will ensure you have the insight you need to evaluate the incredible computing options that now exist.