IT solutions from the cloud

Industry 4.0: Craft businesses can now save themselves expensive IT purchases. Modern offices only need a PC with an internet connection.

This article is part of the special topic Digital Crafts

Cloud solutions are now part of everyday life in the workplace: According to "Cloud Monitor 2017," two out of three companies used hardware and software solutions over the internet last year. The results of the representative survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of KPMG AG refer to companies with 20 or more employees. In another recent Bitkom survey, one in two Germans stated that they work with online cloud storage services such as Dropbox, iCloud, or Microsoft OneDrive. These figures show that conventional high-end PCs and network structures with dedicated servers and hard drives are considered obsolete in many companies. Today, programs and apps are rented and stored along with personal files on internet servers – the so-called "cloud."

To use cloud solutions, companies need nothing more than an average computer with internet access and a web browser – such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome. When programs can then be launched and used directly over the internet, experts refer to this as "Software as a Service" (SaaS). Personal files can also be easily stored on internet storage and later accessed from any PC, tablet, or smartphone. This allows multiple employees to work on the same file simultaneously. The costs of cloud solutions depend not only on the number of users but also on the agreed-upon availability.

Pay only for services used

The biggest advantage of cloud solutions: Companies no longer invest in program licenses or their own hardware, but instead pay only for the cloud services they access. For example, additional computing power or online storage space can be booked with just a click of the mouse. This allows companies to remain much more flexible and typically saves several thousand euros in investment costs. Added to that is the time savings – software installations and updates are completely eliminated.

If companies have consciously avoided cloud solutions in the past, it was usually due to security concerns. But here, too, a shift in thinking is currently taking place: According to "Cloud Monitor 2017," 57 percent of surveyed managing directors and IT managers consider corporate data in the public cloud to be "very" or "somewhat secure." Only four percent believed the data to be "very" or "somewhat insecure." Many advocates also emphasize that sensitive data is much better protected in professional data centers than on company-owned servers.

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But there are also disadvantages

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Anyone who relies on cloud solutions should also be aware of the disadvantages: Depending on the available internet connection, data transfer can become a game of patience. With DSL 6.000, downloading a 50 MB file takes just over a minute, but uploading it takes more than ten minutes – because the upload speed is significantly lower with most DSL plans. Therefore, if large data backups or uploads are pending, these should be planned carefully – depending on the internet speed. Another disadvantage: In the event of an internet outage, all programs and data will no longer be accessible. To keep downtimes as short as possible, we recommend special DSL access for business customers, which ensures prompt fault resolution. To bridge outages, additional transmission channels, such as mobile communications, should be available in an emergency.

To test the speed, convenience, and practicality of cloud solutions, some providers offer free versions with time or feature limitations. This allows companies to test in advance, risk-free, whether cloud solutions can be seamlessly integrated into their daily operations.

Use cloud solutions

Determine requirements
Which resources and services are required and to what extent? Are critical data and processes also affected? A specifications document can help with structuring the project.

Analyze costs
How expensive is a traditional solution? What does implementation via the cloud cost?

Check speed
Is the internet bandwidth sufficient to comfortably use cloud solutions? How quickly are disruptions resolved?

Test functionality
Is seamless collaboration between different cloud solutions possible? Are the necessary interfaces available?

Control data security
Are all data transfers encrypted? Is sensitive data stored securely?

Ensure data protection
Are all aspects of data protection met? Both with regard to personal customer data and employee data?

Develop an emergency plan
What impact would a cloud service outage have? Is (German-speaking) support available? Are there any mitigation measures in place to bridge outages?

Consider the future
Is it possible to flexibly adapt cloud services? For example, to accommodate additional PC workstations or a larger number of employees?

Check contracts
Are all important details contractually stipulated? For example, the scope of the agreed services, liability issues, and warranty?

Illuminate legal issues
Are the servers located in Germany? Are the contracts governed exclusively by German law (e.g., service level agreements, jurisdiction, etc.)?

Important technical terms

Backup
Backup copies of data, data storage media, or parts of data storage media. These copies can be used to restore the original data on the computer in the event of data loss or destruction.

Web Browser
A program for displaying websites. The most popular are Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple's Safari.

Cloud-Computing
The use of hardware resources and software programs over the internet. Cloud services can be easily used as needed.

DSL
Abbreviation for "Digital Subscriber Line." A digital transmission technology that provides fast broadband Internet access over the telephone network.

Gigabytes (GB)
Hard drive storage space is measured in gigabytes. One GB is 1.024 megabytes, or approximately one billion bytes.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
"Software as a Service" – a rental model for software programs. Customers can launch and use the desired software as needed over the Internet. Billing is usually a flat rate per user or per usage volume.