Moving To The Cloud: Avoiding The Pitfalls

Paul Mah warns SMBs considering buying cloud-based basic services from companies such as Cbeyond to beware of being locked into one provider, understand what the recovery time would be in the event of failure and quiz prospective suppliers about data integrity and security measures.

"I came across a recent article on InformationWeek that highlighted how many SMBs are opting not to purchase and maintain their physical servers. In "Do You Really Need A Server?" Lamont Wood spoke with Cbeyond, a solution provider that caters to SMBs. Among other services, the company also operates a cloud service where customers can purchase a fixed amount of RAM and storage space – relevant operating system license included. According to Wood, the company's cloud services division will then handle all the nitty-gritty work that includes tasks like "installing, upgrading, patching, anti-virus software, and daily backups."

And before you dismiss the concept in its entirety, you might be interested to know that the public-listed Cbeyond has some 55,000 users today and generates annual revenue of about $400 million; the company clearly has experience anticipating and meeting the technical needs of SMBs."