Due to changing work style business enterprises are motivating BYOD (bring your own device) policy. According to a research conducted by a firm in Boston, 7 out of 10 U.S. SMBs make their employee use their smartphones for professional purposes. This ratio is expected to increase in near future due to Cloud Computing technology.

BYOD is preferred because it helps employers in cost cutting as they don’t have to purchase phones and computers. Employees also don’t mind it as they get the convenience of using device they are comfortable with. This results in better productivity.

The issue occurs when employees use different types of devices. It becomes really difficult to provide security to business critical data and communication, providing tech-support and handling compatibility issues. Here cloud services helps to manage tasks and processes across all the time changing device types and platforms. Many cloud computing service providers offer free trial opportunities to small and medium sized business enterprises. After that they charge either on monthly basis or at times set-up charge.

Many SMBs get their applications and data hosted via cloud hosting service provider. This includes installation and administering of software on cloud host’s server. Thus user needs to pay only for the software and may be tech-support if necessary. Expenses and tedious tasks of setting up and maintenance get eliminated.

Tech-support for hosting services is provided by
application hosting service provider. Generally, tech-support is available 24/7/365 and is free from any types of charges. For most of the small and medium sized businesses expense of shifting main business processes to cloud can vary from nearly $50 to a few hundred dollars on a monthly basis. Being strategic about things like the departments or applications that need to be shifted to the cloud server, number of users you need to support, you can control prices, while grasping productivity benefits.

You need to be sure about the type of systems your employees need to use and access from anyplace at anytime. Enlist business software your employees are already using and also the software and tools you might need to provide in future. Note down type of personal devices they will be using because many cloud hosting service providers offer accessibility from specific mobile gadgets only.

Data security can also be an issue which can bother you. Although Cloud Computing service provider offers stringent security services you can still ask them about the security procedures. Most of them use most advance techniques and arsenals to keep the data secure. Techniques like 256 bit data encryption, intrusion detection system, SSAE No.16 compliant data centre, etc. are usual procedures used by cloud service providers.

Users receive simultaneous multi-user access to data which helps them to collaborate and improve team-efficiency. To ensure data security, accessibility to data is restricted by login ID and password. Another useful feature that you can demand from your application hosting service vendor is to tailor access to hosted data and application according to your requirement. Particular user will be able to access the data and information as much as you want him/ her to do. This really increases the expediency of work and also keeps the confidentiality of classified data intact. You cloud service provider should be able to expand and shrink the resources and services you are demanding according to your/ your business’ demand. This facility of on demand scalability helps to use resources more effectively.

Author's Bio: 

James Watson is an IT analyst at Real Time Cloud Services which is a leading Cloud Computing and Application Hosting company. The company specializes in hosting many software including accounting software (QuickBooks Hosting, Peachtree), QuickBooks add-ons, (Fishbowl Inventory Hosting), (eBridge, SourceLink Hosting), Tax software (ProSeries, Drake Tax Software, Lacerte, ATX), (ACT! Hosting), Windows Server, MS office Server, CRM software, MS Project, MS office, MS SQL Server (SharePoint, Exchange), and also hosts many other software.