Cloud solutions have fundamentally changed the way companies store and manage their information. Once data storage meant the need for huge investments in IT services to ensure storage capacity, access and perhaps most importantly security, but cloud adoption has meant that almost 15% of organizations have actually downsized those IT services. Cloud investment is growing so swiftly that the worldwide market for cloud equipment is estimated to reach over $79 billion by 2018.

Of all cloud uses, storage is the most well known and most popular, with as much as a quarter of those surveyed in recent research indicating they would opt for storage if they were only allowed to move one function to the cloud. Given that more than 140,000 hard drives crash weekly in America, the benefit of cloud-based storage and back-up is indisputable. Businesses are often woefully unprepared for data loss with as much as 60% of those surveyed indicating that they stored back-ups in only one place.

Security fears can also influence investment in cloud solutions. Close to 30% of all Americans have experienced the theft of their credit card information at some point in their lives, a Gallup poll found, and a further 11% had been hacked, whether on their computer or phone. In addition to securing their own business intellectual property and data, protecting the data of your customers and employee is the responsibility of every business. Over 400 new cyber threats are identified every single minute, making the threat and risk of hacking or other cybercrime activities something that cannot be ignored. Ransomware attacks, for example, are on the rise. Many attacks go completely undetected. Cloud solutions can offer added security to ensure data is stored securely and accessible only to those who are authorized.

IT consulting services can help companies choose the right solutions for them and ensure that they reap the benefits of cloud services. Apart from greater peace of mind in terms of data storage and back up, investment in cloud services can have significant cost saving implications. Moving to the cloud saved money for 82% of businesses, according to one study, and almost as many indicated that cloud solutions offered demonstrable improvements over a half year period.

Investing cloud services can make all the difference to your business and its consumers and employees.