Your business can save money and improve efficiency by utilizing a cloud or distributed database system. While most people think of a database in terms of the simple structures created with commonly available office suites, you can go far beyond that to create databases that not only collect information for you, they process it and generate automated reports.
Databases In General
A database collects numerous bits of data in an organized fashion, linking them by a field names, data type and tables. The contacts list in your cell phone is actually a small database with both text and numeric fields. You can sort it alphabetically. You can search it for a specific name or area code, for example.
That’s an example of a very simple database. Among cloud databases, or those created and stored online, you’ll find much larger data sets. You may hear these referred to as data lakes or data warehouses, two types of massive databases commonly used in the collection, organization and analysis of big data.
While traditional databases reside on a local computer or server, a cloud database resides on a virtual server. This could be owned by the firm that created the database or it could be hosted by a managed service provider, known as database as a service (DBaaS).
Benefits Of A Cloud Database
Moving from a traditional, locally housed database to the cloud offers many advantages. While you may be running a distributed database to reduce the workload on certain machines and departments, you can more easily reduce your overall workload by moving your databases to the cloud.
1. It frees up local information technology resources by reducing the work of personnel and the local infrastructure required. Before the cloud, all database construction, provisioning and maintenance fell to the user. If you needed additional storage or reporting, you needed more memory or server space to accommodate it.
2. Working with databases and creating queries and reports requires much less computing acumen. Cloud systems design their front-end for easy access. They automate much of the analytics.
3. You lose the old school row architecture of traditional database designs which speeds access and analysis. Cloud designs use column-oriented organization.
4. It provides flexible storage that lets you scale by simply increasing your subscription.
5. It eases collaboration by enabling shared access. You can enable company-wide access, as well as, share data with partners.
6. Cloud databases reduce costs since you need not purchase hardware nor assign work hours to IT for building the database or running reports. Most managed services offer a subscription model.
7. New data entered automatically populates. Changes show up instantly.
8. The DBaaS provider updates the database software, a major change from using local software and hardware that require your firm’s IT to manually update each computer and server.
9. It provides enhanced data security since it provides an off-site copy that’s automatically backed up. DBaaS providers also implement tight online security to protect their users’ data.
10. It increases your business’ competitiveness through its expense reductions, increased productivity and improved internal communications.
11. Utilizing cloud services increases your organization’s business continuity. In the event of a natural or environmental hazard, your business will have protected its data offsite and continue to have access to it.
12. DBaaS provides an easy to use database solution. Most managed service providers have how to guides and step-by-step FAQs.
13. Cloud databases provide a more environmentally friendly solution that leaves less waste than relying on local machines.
Cloud databases provide just one example of how cloud computing helps small businesses. You can leverage them for your own business whether it is a sole proprietorship or a major corporation.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about how to save your business time and money by using a cloud database.
Interested in more articles about cloud computing and data?
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