The term cloud computing technology is one that gets mentioned a lot in today's business world but is it a technology that is suited to your business and one that you should employ? Cloud computing can be hard to quantify if you are new to the concept and it can be a struggle to get your head around what the term really means. In basic terms cloud computing means that all your computer power is managed through an imaginary space called "the cloud" and that all users within a company have access to this cloud. Through "the cloud" users will be able to access the company's software, applications and data at a shared location. What this means is that a company no longer requires physical storage as the cloud ensures that multiple users can access what they require in a secure open environment.

There are many reasons why companies should look to cloud computing technology and five main reasons which illustrate why you should be considering the technology are as follows.

Firstly, there is the cost saving potential of the technology. Employing cloud computing technology will ensure that computer hardware costs are reduced within an organisation. The more software, applications and data used within a company mean more resources being used. By using a cloud platform you can achieve better economies of scale as you can access a cloud provider's infrastructure which has already been developed for such economies. Also it is like a utility as you only pay for what you use, therefore your company no longer has to buy physical IT assets and make large capital investments.

Secondly, cloud computing gives your company flexibility as it allows your data to be accessed from anywhere and through different devices such as a mobile phone. This allows your company to be flexible as employees can connect to the cloud from anywhere and have access to the same features as if they were in the office.

Thirdly, cloud technology ensures that you have a central and reactive infrastructure. It ensures that data is located in a centralised location ensuring an impressive up-time level that with physical onsite technology is hard to achieve.

Fourthly, the security of the technology is renowned for being of a better standard than the network security measures that companies would have employed in the past. If your company depends on the security of your data and applications then cloud computing will ensure reliability.

Finally, by employing the right cloud computing technology and the right provider management becomes easy for your company. Cloud hosting providers will ensure there is no down-time (many through rigid and competitive SLA's to give your company peace of mind) and ensure that your physical data is organised and secure.

As you can see employing this technology has many advantages. The main advantages are the cost savings, the security and the ability to put the management of the cloud into a providers hands to manage and ensure up-time and standardisation for your company. It is little wonder that companies are harnessing the power of cloud computing and it is only a matter of time before this technology becomes common practice.

If you are interested in cloud computing the next step will be to talk to some experts to ensure that your company is suitable to move to a cloud-based environment. It will be understandable that you will have lots of questions and will want to speak to a company with renowned industry knowledge. The Cloud Computing Centre is a company that can help as they have helped hundreds of companies move into the cloud and can provide you with a fully functional environment to evaluate and check that moving to the cloud is for you.