Adopting Cloud Computing at Your Dealership Has These 5 Benefits
By 2025, 85% of firms will switch from on-premise to cloud hosting, according to a Gartner estimate. However, a lot of dealers are hesitant to change.
Some people worry that switching to cloud computing will be expensive. Others simply like having their server on-site and are unsure if they can trust a third company to host their system.
But implementing cloud computing at your dealership has several advantages, one of which is security against harmful ransomware. There’s a reason why the cloud is already being used by 60% of customers.
In this post, we’ll define cloud computing in detail. The major dealership cloud computing advantages will then be discussed to allay your doubts regarding the transfer.
First, let’s define cloud computing.
In contrast to a local server or computer, a “cloud” is a piece of software or service that runs on and is accessible over the internet. The on-demand supply of data, servers, software, and services through the internet is known as cloud computing.
You store data at your dealership using physical hard drives when you use an on-premise server. You can only access your data via that on-site system. However, if you have an internet connection, you can securely access your data from anywhere using cloud computing.
What varieties of cloud computing are there?
Four broad categories can be used to group cloud services:
societal clouds
Individual clouds
Blended clouds
Multi cloud
Open Clouds
Public clouds are computing resources that are available to everyone and are not the end user’s property. They are the property of independent service providers like Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Personal Clouds
Private clouds are services that are only available to one end user or organization, and they are usually operated behind that user’s firewall. These days, private cloud hosting is usually done by businesses in off-site data centers that are controlled by vendors. Cloud hosting companies like Azure Stack, Oracle Cloud Platform, or Cisco Cloud Center are in charge of managing the system.
Adaptive Clouds
Public and private cloud services are combined in a single cloud computing environment called a hybrid cloud. Usually, this entails establishing a connection between an on-site data center and a public cloud service. An orchestration platform controls the connection.
Multi cloud
Multiple cloud services, both public and private, from various suppliers, make up multiclouds. When many clouds are connected by some sort of orchestration platform, a multi-cloud can transform into a hybrid cloud.
After discussing the various forms of cloud computing, let’s examine the reasons why so many dealers are moving away from on-premise computers and toward the cloud.
Using the cloud improves server security
Ransomware attacks alone increased by more than 140% in Q3 of 2021. Small and medium-sized organizations are most in danger from cybersecurity threats, particularly those who host their servers on-site.
You have the advantage of having your system safeguarded by their security procedures when you switch to a third-party cloud service provider. Cloud service providers are in charge of keeping an eye on system security, conducting regular backups, and updating the system frequently to defend it against evolving threats.
Hosting backups of your data on the cloud will make it much simpler and quicker to recover your data and get your dealership system back up and running in the event of a cyberattack than if you had to do it yourself or, worse yet, start from scratch.
The fact that the server and user workstations are divided makes cloud systems safer. Instead of at the server level, hackers typically access networks using phishing or emails that contain threats. Because cloud servers and user workstations are separate, it is more difficult for hackers to access the business network where the data is stored.
Continue reading to learn how Appling Motors used cloud hosting to future-proof its data.
Cloud 2. Your Staff Saves Time
It takes time to maintain your own on-site server. The upkeep, backups, and upgrades must be handled by you. Not to mention that you are responsible for figuring out how to fix your machine if it malfunctions.
This entails employing someone to maintain the server, contracting out to another person to solve it, or taking a more tech-savvy team member away from their regular duties to address the issue.
By giving a cloud computing provider your trust, you gain the advantage of having their team available to handle any system outages. They will also be in charge of maintaining the system.
The Following Five Tips Will Help You Understand Your dealer network:
3. Cloud Cuts Costs of Servers
Server costs might be high. You can find yourself spending a lot of money updating and maintaining your server. The hardware price is the first consideration. Every three to five years, you should replace the server hardware.
The expense of software updates is another factor. Make sure your data is backed up, your security software patches are current, and your disk space isn’t at capacity. Everything requires time, and time equals money.
If you have an IBM Maintenance Contract, you are aware that it is difficult to obtain and expensive to maintain. Your server is vulnerable to cybersecurity risks if you don’t have an IBM Maintenance Contract or enough security measures in place.
4. The Cloud Produces Instant Backups
It can be easy for backups to get neglected when you’re in charge of backing up your own system. At your dealership, a lot happens every day, and storing data is time-consuming. But if you don’t routinely back up your data, you can end up paying the price down the road if your system malfunctions or is attacked by hackers.
Your data is continuously backed up while it is hosted in the cloud. This implies that with the most recent data, you can restore your system much more quickly than if you had to utilize an old backup.
5. The Cloud Offers Flexibility
Flexibility is one of the main advantages of cloud computing for dealerships. You can access your system from any location with an internet connection when it is hosted in the cloud. This entails that you can manage ongoing service, buy parts, access customer records in the field, and more without being confined to a workstation.
There are techniques for remotely desktop a mobile device into your server (maybe you already do this), but that method isn’t safe. Remote desktop connections make it considerably simpler for hackers to break into your network.
Control your business, not your server.
Are you sick of keeping the server at your dealership up to date? By managing, operating, and maintaining your server using Cloud Hosting and Backup, you can concentrate on running your business.
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