Cloud computing or “going to the cloud” is very similar to the concept of paying for electricity as a utility rather than purchasing and running your own generator to power your home or office. Public utilities shoulder the burden of generating and delivering electricity and can provide a cheap, reliable, “pay as you go” service to anyone wanting water or power. Similarly, with cloud computing, the cost of hosting, securing and delivering network services (like Office) are owned by the utility company (in this case, Microsoft).

Is This A Smart Move?

The cost savings with Office 365 are hard to ignore; however, there are a number of things to consider before you jump ship to cloud computing. You need to consider the reliability of your Internet connection, what type of help desk support you want, security, what other applications (accounting, CRM, line of business applications, etc.) you need and which devices (scanners, printers, iPads) you need to use.