5 Benefits of a Cloud Intranet Platform that may Change your Perspective

To cloud or not to cloud- the question many organizations are facing now when investing in- or upgrading- their intranet software. Most businesses recognize that cloud platforms offer advantages over their own physical infrastructure. Its flexibility and scalability are two of the attractions. But past experience has taught us- especially IT professionals- to be wary of the cloud for reasons of security, cost, and loss of control, preferring instead to host intranets on the premises.

These concerns were not unfounded years ago. But the cloud has come a long way since then and with the help of years of software upgrades and technology boosts, cloud-based software has many advantages that your business cannot afford to pass up.

Security concerns debunked 

Because your intranet houses all your confidential information, employee information, ‘trade secrets’, company financials, corporate goals and even your customer information, there’s a number of reasons why you need to be wary of where and how you host your information. Particularly in the case of public organisations such as healthcare, banks and credit unions, you’ll be asking yourself, am I comfortable with all of this sensitive information online and out of my control?

Yes, there is the reality that because cloud servers are managed by a third party and not physically located in your data center managed by your company. But does that make your information less secure?

This way of thinking is at odds with today’s reality that third party cloud hosts are actually better placed to manage your infrastructure securely in the first place. Mostly because this is their top priority. They understand the risks and make significant investments to ensure the risks are lowered. Because it’s their business. In-house security can be just as vulnerable- if not more so- because your organization may not have the expertise or the money to invest highly in making it more secure. Read: economies of scale. System administrators, especially for smaller companies, may be domain experts but do they have the network and information security expertise as well?

Cloud Vendors Have the Expertise and Experience

Experience and institutional knowledge matters. Inevitably, there will be teething issues with a new intranet, as with any new software. With cloud-based intranet software (especially Precurio) you’re more likely to get 24/7 support, seamless updates that fix those teething bugs and have access to the expertise you need for any issues that arise, saving you the cost of hiring new IT professionals. This is worth its weight in gold, especially when you need something fixed fast.

Cloud Intranets can deploy quickly and change with your business

Need an intranet solution fast?  Gone are the days when you needed to invest heavily in big time equipment, months or even years of programme design and experience numerous delays along the way. When the right time comes for your business to invest in an intranet, you most likely want it right away. A cloud-based solution is ready to deploy immediately so that your users can start using it sooner.

With this quick turnaround comes with it other benefits such as easy updates, rapid growth to accommodate new users (if necessary) and easy options to adapt and make changes as your business changes. So the benefits of quick installation don’t just end after the initial period, your intranet solution can grow and adapt with your business.

Cost savings are a mighty advantage

With an on-premises intranet solution, there are up-front costs of purchasing, housing and powering hardware, hiring space, licensing fees etc. Not to mention hardware replacements 5 years on to replace breaking or overheating/ failing parts. For young businesses, these can be crippling and make on-premise solutions out of reach. With cloud intranet software, the cost of purchasing an off-the-shelf solution is primarily one-off and usually includes 24/7 tech support, free upgrades and other benefits. These can be huge cost-savings for any business.

Cloud Intranet Reduces Downtime

How much does on hour’s downtime cost your business? All sorts of things can bring down your intranet and if users are unable to access information or simply communicate with each other until systems are brought back up, this is vital work time and can cost businesses thousands of dollars. Although not entirely fool-proof, cloud based software is less likely to crash and importantly, is not linked to your physical location. When you’re managing remote employees, they need to know they can access the intranet at anytime, anywhere. So if there is a power outage, weather emergency or other problem, your intranet is more likely to still function. If that doesn’t get your boss sold on the idea of a cloud-based solution, nothing will.

In the end, going with a cloud intranet or keeping your on-premises intranet both have merits (and Precurio certainly offers both), but the cloud inherited a reputation that doesn’t reflect today’s reality given all the advancements in security and flexibility.  If the cloud is an option, it offers significant added value, making it a strong choice from an economic standpoint. So don’t be afraid to change your perspective. Where you decide to host can be the success factor of your strategy.