In 2020, public cloud usage spiked as many businesses needed it to stay operational in the midst of the stay-at-home orders put in place in Charlotte, North Carolina. But after more than a year of using a public cloud platform, some companies are evaluating whether they should continue doing so or switch to private or hybrid clouds.

In subtle but powerful ways, cloud computing is impacting our everyday lives. We scroll through social media, listen to music on streaming platforms, and log in to our work apps from home. As we keep interacting with these technologies, they learn more about our behavior, enabling them to give customized recommendations based on our user history.

In aiming for growth and longevity, business leaders find ways to arm their organizations with tools that get things done smarter and faster. Luckily, there are two resources that you can use to achieve both — data and technology.

But what if your data gets compromised by a breach, an outage, or a natural disaster? Do you have safeguards to minimize these interruptions and restore your operations? Do you have a business continuity plan in place?

According to research by IDG, business continuity planning is one of the top reasons many investors are turning to the cloud.

According to Flexera’s 2020 State of the Cloud Report, 93 percent of organizations are in the cloud — using a mix of public and private cloud services to increase productivity, flexibility, and cost savings. Because of the COVID-19 quarantines, many companies have allowed their staff to work from home.

Cloud technology is rapidly transforming the way companies do business. According to Right Scale’s 2019 State of the Cloud Report, 91% of businesses are using the public cloud for their processes, with 72% using private cloud and 69% using the hybrid model.

Has someone ever walked into your business and asked questions far more advanced than that of your average customer? You’re probably prepared for inquiries about prices, warranties, and product/service instructions; but when someone struts in and starts interrogating you with a bunch of industry jargon, it puts you on your toes.

At its most basic, “the cloud” is nothing more than a way to access files stored on a computer in location A from a computer in location B. Most modern IT departments spread their technology resources across several different solutions, sometimes in the cloud and sometimes on-premises.

Cloud computing. You may have heard of the term; after all, it’s been making waves in corporate circles for some time now. Tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have led the way and embraced cloud technology with open arms -- and now they’re reaping the rewards of early adoption.