Many businesses are realising the benefits that cloud computing offers. According to survey conducted by Inc. for IBM, close to 6 in 10 mid-size businesses are already opting for cloud solutions for some uses, 23% have migrated most or all of their IT functions to the cloud and 34% are moving some of their IT functions to the cloud. There are many reasons why cloud platforms far outperform traditional IT infrastructure, and in this article, we’ll go through some of the most common ones.

Easier to manage, greater mobility

Cloud platforms and models are often easier to manage than on premise solutions. Mobility is also a huge benefit moving forward for a lot of businesses, since ubiquitous access to information assets has become standard business practice these days. Users can start working at home, on the way to work, from airports or even when they are with a client on site. Long gone are the days of having to wait until you get to theoffice to work on a project. Today’s users require 24/7, secure access to more business applications, on more devices, wherever they are – and cloud platforms speak to this demand rather fluidly.

Stay relevant and competitive in today’s marketplace

Cloud platforms are absolutely critical to staying relevant in today’s marketplace because they allow end-users and customers to stay completely current on whatever software or applications they’re using. With cloud computing, you’re not purchasing products that will become obsolete by the end of the financial year. Your investment in a specific application will always allow you to benefit from the latest features being made available by the software vendor. In addition you only pay for what you use and are freed from lengthy, complex and expensive software license agreements, moving your expenditure from a CAPEX (capital expense) to an OPEX (operating expense).The cloud gives you true software ROI, since it is the perfect assurance that all your users are using the most current and latest version of a system or application – and when they no longer need it, you don’t have to keep paying for it.

Eliminating barriers

Gone are the traditional IT bottlenecks, which means no more waiting. Gone are the multiple computer rooms with servers and associated infrastructure , with the teams needed to monitor and maintain these systems and applications on a daily basis. Instead of hiring and training new IT staff or sourcing specialist consultants, you can get instant access to the support and expertise that you need, which is paid for as a service. What makes the level of support you get from cloud providers so preferable is that you get access to the specialists who know the application intimately and understand your business needs.

More reliable, secure and scalable

Security is often cited as a major concern for businesses who are considering cloud computing. People mistakenly think that there’s a security risk involved in putting their data in the cloud, even though cloud solutions are up-to-date with the most current encryption and security measures.

According to Google’s enterprise security director, Eran Feigenbaum, cloud computing can provide higher levels of security than most in-house IT:

“Cloud computing can be as secure, if not more secure, than what most organisations do today in the traditional environment,” said Feigenbaum on a visit to London. Cloud computing also becomes more scalable, reliable and cost-efficient when considering iPaaS (integration platform as a service), which enables businesses to integrate their existing IT infrastructure with cloud applications as they continue to migrate to new applications in the cloud. There are cloud service providers, such as Mandant, who can help your IT managers overcome the challenges involved with the complex integration of managing both cloud and on premise applications.

Need more information about cloud based integration solutions? Want to explore more about SAP integration options? Download Mandant’s Whitepaper entitled Why your organisation needs a cloud-based integration solution now.