The cloud may seem so embedded in everything we do that we don’t give it much thought anymore. But we should, because there are still many ways to optimize its power and its impact on the bottom line. Here are just a few:

• Improving the customer experience. As the volume of business data grows and our access to it anywhere, at any time, grows, the cloud gives us an unprecedented capacity to respond to customers’ questions and address their problems in real time. This merger of data analytics and the cloud is a key tool in strengthening customer relationships and being seen not just as a product vendor or service provider, but rather as a partner in supporting customers’ business objectives.
• Managing expenses. “The cloud is allowing us as business owners to reduce costs in a lot of ways that we’re not thinking about,” notes technology futurist and speaker Sierra Modro. “All of the documents, programs, and resources that you need to use on a daily basis are probably either cloud-based or very small apps. We’ve gotten to the point where the amount of computing power that we have in our pocket exceeds the amount of computing power most people expect and need from a laptop.”
• A wide range of operational benefits. The cloud enables everything from accessing data and collaborating on projects from any location to sharing business intelligence to facilitate real-time decision making and response to market opportunities and operating across vertical markets and geographic regions, and much more.

As the cloud continues to evolve, you’ll gain greater access to benefits that can help position your company for optimal performance and sustainable success. 

Read the Emerging Technology: Harnessing the Power of “What’s Next” for Your Business guide to learn how you can optimize the cloud for improved operations and growth.