The way modern businesses work is changing. With shifts towards flexible working solutions, many businesses are turning to cloud subscription services to help with productivity in all environments. These kinds of services can often be accessed remotely, and often offer flexibility in terms of price and scalability.

From an IT perspective, cloud services offer a range of benefits that can add a new level of productivity and collaboration to your business. Here are some of our favourite cloud services for business IT.

Microsoft 365

Almost every business uses Microsoft applications to some degree. In recent years, Microsoft have moved their Office suite to the cloud, for which you pay a subscription to use. The main difference from having desktop-only apps, is that your files can be accessed anywhere you work, opening up more options for remote collaboration.

Outlook is a key app within Microsoft 365, and one that many companies also use in line with their communications systems. Using Outlook you can plan meetings from your calendar, and these can be effectively integrated with IP-based phone systems. Outlook is particularly useful for workers on the move, as staff receive notifications for newly scheduled meetings and time changes in real-time.

Microsoft Teams

Teams has become one of the most popular communications choices for businesses around the world. Using Teams, you can schedule and host video calls, share your screen and share files with your colleagues. If you’ve got Microsoft 365 as well, your workflow can be pretty unstoppable. It’s worth noting that Microsoft Teams requires a separate subscription to the Microsoft 365 package.

Microsoft Teams has a few levels of subscription that ascend in price. As expected, more money for more features. The key function of Teams that made it the most popular choice is the group video calling feature. During the pandemic, Google Hangouts and Zoom calls were also popular choices for video conferencing. However, Teams unites video conferencing with your work schedule and messaging, making it more efficient in many respects.

If you’re a company that makes a lot of calls, Teams might be the one for you. It’s a widely recognised platform, and at Goldstar we can help you integrate it with your phone system. Get in touch to learn more.

Cloud email

Cloud email offers some extra tools to help you manage your emails from anywhere, and not just from a local work device. The vendors can provide you with email security, technology and maintenance.

In terms of security, cloud email hosts will add a layer of protection to your emailing system. Your emails will be backed up online under your account. With an on-premise operating system, your emails might get corrupted or permanently lost. This offers a safety net and a layer of business continuity. If you’ve lost your emails locally, you’ll be able to recover them if they are backed up.

Cloud backup

If you store everything locally, you will run out of space at some point! With a cloud storage solution, you will pay for the amount of storage that you require. So you’ll never run out of space. This also can make it more a cost-effective in some cases. You’ll save money instead of paying for on-premise storage.

With cloud storage, you can sign in from anywhere. So you don’t have to be in-office to access your files and documents. This makes cloud backup a much more flexible solution for home workers.

Remote management software

Subscription services that allow you to manage your IT remotely are becoming increasingly popular with the rise of flexible working patterns. Platforms such as Atera give you remote access to devices, software tracking, ticketing and reports. These services don’t do all the jobs that an experienced engineer could, but they do make your IT much easier to manage.

It can be hard to keep track of IT in smaller teams, or teams that are working from home. Working with a third-party managed IT provider is a great solution here. The addition of remote management software adds security and clarity for your IT.

Remote management software takes the load off your IT department. Your business will have more time to focus on what matters to you whilst your software handles the automated tasks. And having a subscription means you choose the services that are right for you, and change that in the future if you need to.

Choosing cloud services for your businesses

Cloud services have come a long way. The technologies are faster, better designed and come with more and more options that can be tailored to your requirements. In many cases, choosing cloud subscription services can be a more scalable option than on-premise solutions. You’ll be paying for the services you need, when you need them.

If you need help with migrating to new technologies for your IT department, Goldstar can help. Our friendly engineers are very experienced in assisting IT departments with new technologies and cloud solutions. We’re always happy to help out and businesses in need. Head to our contact page to get in touch.