Travel and Leisure

It seems that the term "Cloud" is thrown around by just about every type of application hosting company these days. The overuse of the word can make it difficult for the average business professional to truly understand what cloud hosting is, and to understand how it can form a part of a whole business solution for the company.

Here are some basics of cloud hosting, also known as application hosting or managed hosting, so you can form a solid idea as to what it is.

Application Hosting - Off-Site Solutions

Cloud hosting really refers to the concept that your business application is hosted at another location, using servers not in your facility. Cloud hosting also means that your systems can be accessed from just about any internet-enabled device.

There are a number of key benefits to offsite managed hosting, with the primary reason being that offsite hosting can help to ensure the security of your sensitive data. Cloud hosting takes advantage of cutting edge security systems that will encrypt your data to the point where it is a lot more secure on the remote servers than it would be on your own. Even if you were to install good encryption tools, the reality is that the combined resources of an application hosting company is that they can afford to invest in better and more secure solutions.

Resource Elasticity

What would happen if your servers were to start to run out of available space? You would have two solutions, essentially.

1. You would need to start deleting data somewhere in order to make room for the newer incoming data.

2. You would need to spend money to either add memory to the server or consider the purchase of a larger server.

Cloud hosting allows you the ability to adjust your needs for added resources almost immediately in order to meet the demands of your business. Business productivity doesn't need to slow down just because you don't have all of the resources that you need.

Instant Updates - Without Added Cost

When updates to your application are released, you may need to ordinarily spend a bit of money purchasing the updates in order to ensure that your business is using the latest versions. Cloud hosting will typically have your hosting company taking care of any updates or patches that may be needed to ensure that the systems are operating as efficiently as is possible.

When your users log into the system they will automatically be using the most current version of the software, without the need to make manual updates.

Flexibility in Location

With the ability we all have to sit down and work from virtually any area, cloud hosting takes things one step further and allows you ready access to your hosted systems. You could be on a train, on a plane, or sitting in your living room. So long as you have a web-enabled device and an internet connection, you will be able to quickly access your business data when you need it.

This type of flexibility can prove to be hugely valuable to those who travel extensively for business, or for those who offer flexibility in work location for their employees.

There are so many benefits to cloud hosting, including many methods of being able to slash your IT budget. Take the time to find out if managed hosting is just what your business needs in order to succeed in today's competitive business market.