Why SMBs Are Flying to the Cloud

Head in the Cloud These days, it seems like everyone is talking about the cloud and what it has done for their business. This isn’t an illusion, either: between 2008 and 2014, the global cloud computing industry grew more than 300%, from $46 billion to $150 billion in just six short years.1

The growth in cloud usage has not been confined to one industry or type of business. Enterprises and organizations ranging from large corporations to small businesses, from financial institutions to state and local governments, have all begun using the cloud for one or more essential services. 91% of all businesses are expected to have begun using the cloud by 2017.1

Widespread Cloud Adoption

When the benefits of the cloud are examined, it’s easy to see why so many businesses large and small have embraced it so enthusiastically. 82% of businesses report that the cloud has enabled them to save money, and 80% of cloud adopters have reported improvements in their operations just six months after moving their operations to the cloud.2

Efficiency and Savings

Cloud Security Efficiency and savings aren’t the only benefits of switching to the cloud. More than half of IT professionals have said that improving security was their main concern for moving operations to the cloud.1 Of the businesses that have switched to the cloud, 94% of them reported an improvement in online security after making the move.3

The benefits of using the cloud are especially obvious for small and medium-sized businesses. Because moving IT infrastructure to the cloud allows enterprises to save money while also improving performance and online security, cloud adoption is a relatively easy way for businesses to increase their profitability and competitiveness without having to make major overhauls to the rest of the business.

SMBs and the Cloud

Like the cloud, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are only becoming more ubiquitous; mobile traffic in 2013 was 18 times more than all internet traffic from 2000 combined.4 Many small businesses have begun using mobile devices as part of their normal operations, increasing their need for cloud storage. Data stored in the cloud can be more easily shared across mobile devices, and makes it easier for information to be accessed securely by a remote workforce.

Mobile and the Cloud

Some of the essential services that small businesses can use the cloud for include:

• Data storage

• Document sharing

• Workflow approvals

• Billing

• Customer service

• And more

Essential Cloud

Services

• Amazon Web Services – for computing, storage, and database services

• Freshbooks – cloud-based bookkeeping, invoicing, and billing

• Google Docs – easily sharable cloud documents and spreadsheets

• frevvo – online workflow approvals and business mobile forms, including expense sheets, order processing, e-signature collection, and more

Recommended Cloud Services

frevvo provides small and medium-sized businesses with reliable, secure online workflow approvals and easy-to-build mobile web forms. For more information about how frevvo’s cloud-based business documents can save your business money and increase productivity, visit www.frevvo.com today.

About frevvo

Sources 1. http://www.syntax.com/20-cloud-computing-stats-want-know/

2. http://siliconangle.com/blog/2014/01/27/20-cloud-computing-statistics-tc0114/

3. http://smartdatacollective.com/connectriahosting/191656/running-software-cloud

4. http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/mobility/300071779/mobility-revolution-8-shocking-stats-from-ciscos-2014-mobile-traffic-forecast.htm/pgno/0/1

Summary

Use of the cloud by small and medium-sized businesses has increased exponentially in the last few years. The reasons for this include improved security, lowered operational costs, and increased productivity from using cloud-based applications and services.