According to Statista, 94% of businesses worldwide in 2022 used cloud computing in one form or another. Although that number is higher than might be expected, not every company uses the cloud for all potential applications.
These businesses, as well as the 6% that don’t use cloud computing at all, often hold misconceptions about the cloud that prevent them from embracing it either fully or even in part. Let’s take a look at three of the most common misconceptions that these companies might have.
1- It’s Insecure and Easily Hacked
Perhaps the most common misconception about cloud services is that they can easily expose proprietary company data to hackers or other bad actors who could hold the data for ransom or, perhaps even worse, give that information to rival companies, which could result in massive damages and lost revenue. They feel that their time and effort would be better
However, this is often not the case. First, a company’s protection from hackers is only as good as its cybersecurity. Most cloud service providers will have better cybersecurity measures in place than the average small business. Making sure that passwords aren’t easily guessed and limiting access to those passwords are much stronger ways to combat hacking than keeping all data storage in-house.
2- It’s Too Expensive
Another common misconception is that cloud services cost too much money, as most of these programs require monthly or yearly subscription fees. These companies believe that storing their own data and handling everything in-house, i.e., “the way they’ve always done it”, will save the company money. However, spending time on cloud services will save the company money in the long run.
However, the opposite is often the case. Companies can save money by switching to cloud services because they can allow some processes to become fully automated, whereas an older system would require an employee or a team of employees to manually execute tasks at certain times of the day. They also prevent the need for expensive on-site servers and databases that must be constantly maintained.
3- The Cloud is Only For Data Storage
Other businesses are hesitant to embrace cloud-based software because they’re under the impression that it’s only used for data storage. In their minds, since the company has already paid for servers and storage space, it would be unnecessary to pay monthly subscription fees to handle a non-existent problem.
Although data solutions are an important part of cloud-based technology, there are a wide variety of other applications. Some of these include application platforms, virtual servers or other infrastructure, task automation, and software programs designed to replace accounting teams, among hundreds of other examples.
These are just a few of the many misconceptions that some businesses have about cloud services. Although the system is not perfect (because no service ever could be), the high adoption rates in the tech sector and beyond are not a coincidence. With work-from-home growing in popularity after COVID-19, cloud computing is only expected to continue to become more commonplace for companies around the world.