We all know that cloud computing represents the technology of both the present and the future. It creates flexibility, enhances and streamlines technological processes, and can actually save organizations significant money.

But, is the cloud-first approach, which is anticipated to explode in corporate growth within the next few years, right for all business infrastructures? Or, is it just another exciting but passing trend that seems overhyped and underwhelming?

Let's dive in.

What Exactly Does Cloud-First Mean?

In general, taking a cloud-first approach means that whenever a new IT project emerges, the first reaction should be, how can this technology be incorporated and utilized within a cloud service's network? 

Cloud-first can be synonymous with cloud-only, but not always. That depends on each organization's structural goals and needs. In general, cloud-first refers to offering a streamlined, efficient, and manageable approach. Cloud-first looks at how people utilize the cloud, rather than how the cloud is built. 

With a cloud-first approach, you're typically using shared infrastructures instead of building and maintaining your own private systems.

Benefits of the Cloud-First Approach 

No doubt, there are many lucrative benefits to adopting the cloud-first approach. It's no wonder so many industries around the world are jumping on board with this mentality.  

Saves Money 

First and foremost, it's incredibly cost-effective. This is an obvious one, and it's enticing for business owners in all industries. The building, managing, and maintaining individual hardware requires ample time and resources- it may also require professional outsourcing within the company. Naturally, this kind of extensive upkeep naturally includes several ongoing costs.

While transitioning to a cloud-based third-party provider entails upfront fees, it's significantly less than an average business spends on internal management and hosting. In general, most business owners can expect to see a decrease in equipment, labor, and hosting costs.

Intuitive and Simplistic

One of the best benefits of managing data and information from the cloud? It's just simple. Your backups are all in one place; the restoration occurs all in one place; businesses and employees alike access everything in one place. No more loose files or stranded equipment. The organization system automatically becomes streamlined- and businesses enjoy the invaluable benefit of essentially being safeguarded from threats or losses of equipment.

The cloud-first approach removes human error with deleting files or unintentional file changes. With this approach, a business can always recover needed data, which provides an invaluable advantage over physical storage space.

Everyone knows that lost or destroyed data can set a company back in numerous ways- with a cloud approach, this problem becomes nonexistent. 

Easily Scaleable

For businesses seeking to expand, taking on the cloud-first approach naturally improves the infrastructure's scalability than, say, utilizing internal serving and hosting. 

Most providers can help you scale as needed- based on a specific company's targeted goals for growth. Organizations won't need total infrastructure redesigning or copying over the system again and again. Instead, backups are made automatically, and companies can easily upgrade and adjust plans according to size increases.