By 2025, global data creation is projected to grow to more than 180 zettabytes annually. This growth is challenging small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that rely on traditional data center models. Historically, they have faced hurdles in securing unlimited data storage, reliable backups, and advanced security frameworks due to the prohibitive costs of hardware maintenance and skilled personnel. However, with cloud technology becoming more accessible, the landscape is shifting.
In the world of SMBs, scalability is a significant factor in achieving success. The cloud empowers your business to increase productivity quickly and create a more cost-effective model by eliminating investments in hardware, software, maintenance, power, and floor space. AWS’ (Amazon Web Services) depth and breadth of services, cost-effectiveness, security and compliance posture, and ecosystem and community make it a compelling choice for small and medium-sized businesses.
In this blog, we’ll review the benefits of migrating to AWS, cover some cloud storage options on AWS, discuss the importance of security in the cloud, and more.
Benefits of Migrating to AWS
There are several compelling reasons why you should consider migrating to AWS cloud storage. Among them are scalability, increased data resiliency, and reduced costs.
Scalability
Instead of managing additional storage hardware and software to accommodate growing data, cloud users can rapidly scale their resources to match their evolving needs. This scalability is especially crucial for SMBs, as it allows them to be more agile and seize new opportunities as they arise.
Increased Data Resiliency
Running local storage and backup systems often requires businesses to defend against incidents like ransomware attacks or human errors. AWS, on the other hand, is designed to meet the requirements of even the most security-sensitive organizations in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and government. AWS ensures data resiliency by maintaining data centers worldwide, reducing the risk of unplanned outages and data loss.
Reduced Costs
Moving to the cloud eliminates the need for costly investments in hardware and software maintenance, as well as substantial upfront expenses for data center upgrades. AWS offers a pay-as-you-go model, making it easy to right-size your expenditures.
Migrating to AWS cloud storage can result in significant cost savings. Businesses can reduce investments in hardware and maintenance while operating more efficiently. According to a study by IDC, businesses saved an estimated 31 percent when using AWS cloud infrastructure instead of buying and maintaining their own equipment.
In another analysis, IDC found that AWS Storage customers experienced an annual average business value of $78,400 per 100 users. This value comes from benefits like more efficient IT and storage teams, new business opportunities, cost reductions in operations and IT infrastructure, and reduced unplanned downtime affecting end-user productivity.
AWS Cloud Storage Options
AWS offers a wide range of storage solutions to cater to different performance, availability, and pricing requirements. These solutions include the following:
- Backup and Restore: Protect customer data and ensure data integrity with solutions like Amazon S3, AWS Storage Gateway, AWS Backup, Amazon EBS Snapshots, and Amazon Elastic File System.
- Disaster Recovery: Prepare for and recover from disasters using AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (AWS DRS).
- Data Archiving: Address long-term data retention and digital preservation needs with Amazon S3 and Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes.
- Object Storage: Store data in its native format with object storage solutions like Amazon S3 and Amazon S3 Glacier.
- File Storage: Create secure shared file systems with solutions like Amazon EFS and Amazon FSx.
- Block Storage: Achieve high-performance storage for demanding workloads with Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).
Data Security in the Cloud
Security is a top concern for organizations in the digital age, and cloud migration presents several opportunities to bolster security measures and protect sensitive data. In fact, 41 percent of companies cite security as a top reason for developing multicloud operations. Migrating to the cloud manages infrastructure security with AWS because of expertise and infrastructure, scalable security solutions, and disaster-recovery/continuity capabilities.
Businesses own their data when using AWS, and they choose which AWS services can process, store, and host it. AWS does not access their data. AWS places a high priority on data security, implementing rigorous contractual, technical, and organizational measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. AWS provides tools and services to help customers secure their data in the cloud and minimize the risk of data leaks.
For example, AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery offers redundancy and data replication across multiple regions, ensuring data availability and mitigating the risk of data loss. This robust infrastructure helps businesses recover quickly from potential disruptions and maintain operational continuity.
Related: How Cloud Migration Leads to Greater Compliance, Security, and Privacy
Embracing the Cloud: A Crucial Move for Businesses of All Sizes
With 94 percent of all enterprises using cloud services in some form or another, it’s safe to say that cloud computing is here to stay and will only get even bigger in the future. This shift is valuable for businesses of all sizes, including SMBs.
AWS’s Partner Network (APN) comprises trusted partners, like nClouds, that can assist businesses in implementing and managing their AWS cloud deployments. This eliminates the need to increase IT headcount and allows businesses to leverage existing IT investments efficiently.
Overall, migrating to AWS cloud storage can provide SMBs with the scalability, cost savings, and data security they need to thrive in today’s data-driven business environment. With a range of storage options and expert support, AWS is a powerful ally in your journey to store and protect your data effectively and efficiently.
About nClouds
nClouds is an award-winning Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Tier Services Partner focused on helping organizations accelerate innovation. We partner with our customers to migrate, modernize, and manage cloud operations initiatives to support their digital transformation journeys. We provide high-performance consulting and support solutions for every stage of the cloud journey, enabling our customers to improve business agility and innovation velocity, reduce operational costs, and improve workforce efficiencies.
nClouds’ core practices include cloud migration, application modernization, cloud optimization, managed services, and DevOps. Learn more at nclouds.com.
