Key factors to consider before jumping into the cloud

Google and Microsoft have responded to competition from smaller cloud storage providers like Dropbox and Box by aggressively undercutting the smaller firms, said The Motley Fool. While this trend may point toward the end of small-tier cloud providers, this activity is also reflective of a much larger shift in the tech industry. Cloud storage has become commoditized, sold at a price that companies can readily afford now that the service has become integral to the operations of more businesses. Shifting a company's workflow to the cloud has many benefits, but won't do much good for business models that don't translate cleanly into the digital sphere. IT teams can determine their demand for cloud storage by taking a hard look at the needs of their current data center technology.

Cloud still ideal for companies in need of scalable resources
Data Center Knowledge pointed toward multiple factors driving the continuing popularity of cloud storage. More businesses are better educated on the value of cloud storage and more willing to dedicate resources in the company's budget to cloud solutions. In fact, nearly 65 percent of companies surveyed by 2nd Watch expressed interest in updating their business with public cloud access by the end of 2015. Of over 400 IT decision makers at large and medium U.S. tech companies, over half are planning to bump up cloud storage spending by 15 to 25 percent. Another 10 percent are looking to increase budget room for cloud investments by 30 percent.

Businesses can resolve many of their in-house data center problems by expanding to the cloud. This is especially true for companies that have begun investing in big data solutions. Plenty of storage space and processing power will need to be made available before any productive insights can be calculated from the results. By investing in a move to the cloud in the midst of this transition, companies can avoid capacity problems later down the road.

Not all data center solutions end in the cloud
Computerworld noted that not all businesses will enjoy a seamless transition to the cloud. Even worse, companies that enter the cloud without an exit strategy may find themselves obligated to pay for services that don't fit the company's needs. There are several ways to expand the capacity and accessibility of a company's data center that don't require the purchase of storage space in the cloud. Rearranging the organization of in-house data center hardware, for instance, can help to cut clutter from facility. Reorganizing racks can help improve airflow through the building as well. If accessibility is an IT team's chief concern, then more versatile connectivity can be achieved by working through a remote console server.

Perle's wide range of 1 to 48 port Perle Console Servers provide data center managers and network administrators with secure remote management of any device with a serial console port. Plus, they are the only truly fault tolerant Console Servers on the market with the advanced security functionality needed to easily perform secure remote data center management and out-of-band management of IT assets from anywhere in the world.