On-demand applications. Technology for greater flexibility.
Cloud computing is gaining attention and is being rapidly adopted by companies of all sizes. But, the term "cloud" is quite broad and potentially confusing, begging the question — what does "the cloud" really mean for small and medium businesses?
The cloud provides hardware and software computing resources accessed via the internet or local network. There are three types of cloud based on where the software and hardware are hosted — public, private and hybrid.
- Public cloud — an external third party hosts the software and hardware services and companies pay only for the resources they use.
- Private cloud — common for larger companies who create private clouds inside their own firewalls.
- Hybrid cloud — companies can leverage public cloud services combined with their private cloud.
What are the benefits of cloud to small and medium businesses?
Small and medium businesses are finding the public cloud model a good fit for how they work. Without purchasing additional systems, businesses can use any internet connection to access applications (called software as a service or SaaS), storage and servers on-demand (called infrastructure as a service or IaaS) or the operating system and associated services (called platform as a service or PaaS) with a pay-per-use service model. Many companies choose public cloud because it enables them to:
- Rapidly deploy the latest software applications that may have previously been out of reach
- Shift up-front CAPEX costs to OPEX spend over time
- Supplement or extend existing IT infrastructure and capabilities
- Scale resources up or down based on immediate business needs
- Get virtually unlimited capacity without investing in additional hardware
- Pay only for applications and resources that are consumed
Whether you need a public or private cloud solution, Dell has the expertise, services and partnerships to help you plan and implement the right cloud for your business.
 |  |
 | Start using public cloud now with Dell Business Applications and integration services. Take advantage of powerful sales and customer relationship management (CRM) applications such as Salesforce.com CRM. Dell can help you integrate your existing customer or financial data so your business can gain a competitive advantage that helps you grow. |
|
 | Moving to a cloud-based infrastructure is more than just pointing your Web browser at an application. Your existing applications and data need to integrate with these applications, without extensive costs and complexity. Dell can help you design not only the right strategy, but the right cloud-integration solution. |
|
 | Dell IT Management Applications provides you with a different way to manage your IT environment. Dell hosts the solutions and takes care of the underlying infrastructure, maintenance and upgrades, relieving you from investing in additional systems or personnel. Find out how Dell can help you manage your IT through cloud computing now. |
|