3,000 firms a day opting into cloud computing
3,000 firms a day opting into cloud computing
Around 3,000 companies a day are signing up to use Google’s range of cloud computing tools.
Robert Whiteside, the search giant’s head of enterprise for the UK, Ireland and Benelux, remarked that around three million businesses now use Google Apps for email, calendar and web services. About a third of these firms are located in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
It appears that Google’s cloud services are most popular with small and medium-sized businesses, the majority of which do not need to pay for the service. Costs will only increase if the team grows or a company requires more storage space, increased business support or additional features.
As such, Mr Whiteside urged firms not to see cost as a limiting factor when deciding on whether or not to take up the service. He remarked: “Most companies are attracted to cloud computing initially because of its ability to reduce costs.
“The reality is that the model of cloud computing transforms your working practices, [allowing employees to] collaborate with each other, connecting staff in different ways. The cloud allows you to solve new business problems.”
Companies with up to ten users are able to access the free Standard Edition of Google Apps. Any additional users can be added to the service at the cost to the company of £33 a year. It doesn’t seem like this price is putting larger groups off, with the UK branch of Rentokil Initial deploying the service to 35,000 employees, while Jaguar Land Rover has signed up 15,000 users.
The cloud computing system on offer from Google is rolling out more and more possibilities, with cloud printing recently introduced, which allows users to print documents ‘over the air’ even if they are not physically beside a printer.
Businesses looking to move services into the cloud, should evaluate the performance of their existing network and consider setting up a leased line or MPLS network.
