The potential to save money is by no means the only reason for moving to the cloud. Many companies cite potential benefits such as greater agility, easier scalability, and even improved security as drivers for shifting data and applications to a cloud environment.

A cloud migration can actually end up increasing expenses for companies in certain areas, especially if a lot of updates and maintenance are required. Still, there are clearly lots of ways organizations can save money by moving data, applications, development, and other components of IT to cloud-based services.

Following are six examples of how enterprises can achieve significant cost reductions via the cloud. Its important to keep in mind that the impact on costs can vary greatly, depending on a companys current technology infrastructure, the types of applications it runs, the cloud services being used, and other factors.

For many, a move to the cloud means a shift away from on-premises data centers. Thats the case at hospitality company Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which realized cost savings of 45 percent by shutting down a data center and migrating applications to the cloud.

After spinning off from its legacy company, Wyndham decided to exit its corporate data center, working with partner Rackspace on the migration to the cloud.

We realized early on that we were not going to be able to completely migrate to the cloud right away, especially with some of our legacy applications, says Scott Strickland, executive vice president and CIO at Wyndham. Through partnering with Rackspace, we determined that a colocation strategy made sense as a launching point toward a long-term IT evolution.

The company began by identifying anchor applications that could be moved to a cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. These applications included its central reservation system, property management system, and content management system.

Once we moved those applications into a SaaS model, we addressed probably 50 percent of the computing power in our traditional data center, Strickland says. In total, we were able to move about 200 applications to the AWS [Amazon Web Services] cloud, with the rest of the workloads being handled in a colocation facility.

Wyndham originally had about 280 applications hosted in the data center. Working with Rackspace, the company was able to retire close to 70 of those and move the remainder to the combination of colocation and AWS.

The cost savings were driven by having fewer resources tied up in managing the data center, eliminating the need for data center leases, reduced maintenance costs for operating systems and databases, reduced hardware costs, and moving into a virtual environment.

For some companies, especially global enterprises, telecommunications costs can be among the most significant business expenses.

Cloud communications, in which telecommunications applications are provided over the Internet, offers ways to save money.

With the advancements of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) over the years, voice has become part of the shift to the cloud. Companies can replace conventional business telephone equipment such as PBXs with a cloudservice, and the cloud can become a platform for voice, data, and video communications.

Several trends are pushing more companies toward cloud communications. One is increasingly distributed operations across branch and home offices. Another is that organizations need to provide access to enterprise networks via more types of devices such as smartphones.

Avery Dennison, a global materials science and manufacturing company, as part of a modern telephony initiative has been gradually replacing its legacy PBX systems with a cloud-based virtual phone system.

With this effort, the company uses capital more effectively by avoiding expensive on-premises products, says Nicholas Colisto, vice president and CIO. The cost for a local PBX is more than $1.5 million, he says, and while savings varies based on individual sites, Avery Dennison has saved 25 percent to 40 percent in communications costs.

Data storage volumes have been growing at a significant rate over the years, as organizations gather more information from websites, mobile devices, e-commerce transactions, social media, enterprise applications, and other sources.

With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing, the growth in data volumes is likely to become even more significant in the coming years.

Many organizations are turning to the cloud to help handle their big data initiatives. The easy scalability of the cloud makes it a potentially ideal model for data storage. But beyond scalability, the cloud can also enable companies to reduce their total storage costs.

For example, Myers-Briggs Co., a provider of people development products and services, moved the primary data storage, backup, and disaster recovery for one of its facilities into a cloud-based, on-demand storage service.

By moving storage into the cloud service, Myers-Briggs saw a reduced total cost of ownership for data storage of at least 50 percent. Not including savings from reductions in time spent managing backup, storage, and disaster recovery systems, the company anticipates saving $150,000 over five years on the cost of backup system licenses and storage capacity.

Big data analytics has become a key IT initiative at countless organizations looking to glean insights from treasure troves of data. The cloud can deliver the processing power needed to support these initiatives, which can also lead to cost savings.

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If your business uses G-Suite, then good news: youre already subscribing to a cloud-based backup and synchronisation solution. How much capacity each user gets depends on your G-Suite subscription level. The G-Suite Basic tier has 30GB by default, with higher tiers providing unlimited storage and various options to individually upgrade a users drive to 100GB or 1TB.

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Like Microsofts OneDrive-based cloud storage and other syncing-oriented services, it can be extremely useful if you or your corporate users want to access their files from multiple computers, or simply have all their work to hand when they move to a new workstation.

Googles Backup and Sync tool works the same for business and home users, although the G-Suite version includes granular admin tools to enable features such as filestream the ability to stream, rather than sync, G-Suite content - and offline access.

At install time, youre prompted to choose which folders you want to back up and whether youd rather have images and videos automatically compressed for free storage or left at their original quality. Other options here allow users to set upload and download speed limits, proxy settings and set specific file types to be excluded from their backups.

Note that, since July 2019, photos and videos are no longer made available via Google Drive, but instead can only be accessed through the Google Photos interface, although both Drive and uncompressed Photos content both still count towards your storage allowance.

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Youre then asked to choose whether you want to sync everything thats already in your Google Drive, to copy nothing to the local hard disk, or to sync only selected folders. You can also change the default path of your Google Drive folder.

Once installed, users can dig through the advanced settings to have the application automatically back up files from connected cameras, SD cards and USB devices, and to configure it to automatically delete or retain synchronised copies of removed files.

The backup side of the utility is a more recent addition, but once again, its online only. You cant use the Google Backup and Sync utility to backup data to your network or external storage media, even as an additional feature.

Whatever folders youve opted to back up all the users files by default are automatically copied to cloud storage, where their contents can be browsed and accessed online via the Computers tab in the Grive web interface.

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Unlike your main Google Drive, where data is kept in sync between all connected devices, every computer the user adds gets a dedicated entry here. The folder structure is retained and there are no granular features to control whether or not specific file types are included in your backup.

You cant schedule backups, but any files that change are instantly uploaded if you have an internet connection, or synced in bulk when youre next online. By default, 100 versions of a file are saved, but you can manually switch particularly important files to unlimited versioning.

Note that the Backup and Sync application wont let you back up your entire user space, let alone your entire computer. Your OS and software are beyond the scope of this one, even if you have the kind of internet connection that makes fully cloud-based backups a realistic prospect.

File recovery is a matter of re-downloading any lost files or old versions that you might need. You can download an entire system archive and move files from an old system to a newly-installed systems synced folders, but this isnt as smooth as the targeted recovery tools youll find in many more fully-featured backup utilities.

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Google Drive is an excellent syncing tool and G-Suite using businesses will almost certainly want to have their users data synced although those dealing with sensitive customer and financial data should restrict these files and consider using a private storage solution.

But despite having Backup in the name, if you want any kind of disaster recovery protection, youre probably still going to need a more sophisticated backup tool to work alongside Google Drive's very capable file synchronisation.

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Former State Bank of India (SBI) chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya will head the India operations of US cloud-based service provider Salesforce.com Inc. She is likely to join the company in April and will be based in Mumbai.

Bhattacharya, 64 is currently the chairman of SWIFT India, which is part of a global payments network.

She retired from SBI in 2017 after leading the bank for four decades in several roles. Bhattacharya was the first woman to head the bank.

"She is a hugely credible name who comes with a wealth of experience and will help Salesforce expand in India," a source told the Reuters.

Also Read: Former SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya plans to start general insurance business

Salesforce provides an array of cloud storage and digital services to clients in India, which it sees as one of its fastest-growing regions. In January, Salesforce co-founder Parker Harris met India's trade minister in New Delhi and briefed him on the company's growth plans.

Salesforce will create more than 5,00,000 jobs and $67 billion in new business revenues in India through 2024, according to a 2019 report by International Data Corporation. The government has also partnered with the company to work towards skills development.

Also Read:Arundhati Bhattacharya appointed SWIFT India Chairman

Also Read:Salesforce sharpens India focus with dedicated financial sector vertical

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Former SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya hired as CEO of Salesforce India - Business Today

Homeworking is going to be a fact of life for many of us for the duration of the coronavirus.

With Coronavirus and Covid-19 now a global reality, were all going to have to dramatically change the way we work and how we manage a team of colleagues who are working remotely. The upside to these dark times is theres never been a better time to work remotely as there are now so many hardware and software solutions available for dispersed teams. This brief article is my own personal take on the kind of technology available to help you and your business. It may help to show how you can use technology to keep up levels of productivity and morale in your business.

First off,Microsoft Teamsis a relatively new software package thats now included as a part of Microsofts Office 365 suite. A large number of companies subscribe to Microsoft Office for many of their employees. And thanks to the way Office works, remote workers can access the complete suite of programs using either a work laptop or an employees own home computer, whether it be a PC or Mac.

Microsoft Teams is great for keeping all employees in the loop and communications can be split by projects or departments. Teams is also great for holding video meetings, casual chat sessions, and pooling resources such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and image files. You might also consider extending an invitation to Microsoft Teams to your suppliers and other stakeholders by setting up a special stakeholder channel just for them. Using Teams with your suppliers and stakeholders can help them stay up to date with your business needs and even collaborate with each other to serve your business better.

Microsoft Teams is a great way to get teams working in sync and for organizing meetings and ... [+] projects.

Theres a completely free version ofMicrosoft Teamsavailable for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. Microsoft is doing its best to roll out the software with six-month free licenses to some companies so that everyone can be using Teams to keep their colleagues included. Hopefully, well see more software companies making their software for remote workers available at free or reduced rates for the duration of the pandemic.

Keeping workers on track with projects could need some sort of collaboration software. Trello is a great package that can orchestrate a teams work and keep everyone in step with the project. There are other productivity packages available so take a look and see whats on offer. Likewise, cloud platforms likeDropbox Business,OneDrive,BoxandGoogle Docsare good ways to work collaboratively. If youre a Mac user, then iCloud is also a good way to share files and manage projects. Make sure you have enough space on your cloud storage platform and be sure your colleagues know how to use it effectively.

Trello is a great tool for managing projects.

Communication is vital when managing remote teams. There are lots of packages such asSkype for BusinessorZoomthat enable you to set up audio or video conferences so that virtual meetings with clients or colleagues can be held whenever necessary. It would be good if Microsoft could make Skype for Business freely available for the duration of the virus and make it interoperable with the home version of Skype. Zoom is another comms platform that does much the same thing as Skype for Business, and theres a free version available, although meetings are limited in duration. If that limit could be lifted for the next few months, that would be helpful too.

Holding video conferences will be a new and unsettling way of working for some employees and team members. Its important to recap on whats been discussed and to pause to give everyone the chance to make a contribution. Its always worth reminding people taking part in the meeting that they can pitch in with ideas and questions during the meeting by using the chat function instead of speaking up. Chairing a video conference requires a slightly different approach to face-to-face meetings, so take time to look up some tips online on how to chair video conferences so that your meetings are as successful and as productive as possible.

Skype for Business enables remote workers to see and hear each other as well as collaborate or work ... [+] files.

While were on the subject of video conferencing, some pieces of hardware can make meetings easier and more enjoyable. A good webcam is a great investment. Many laptops already have webcams but not all of them are brilliant quality. Workers using their home computers or desktops may not even have webcams so consider mailing out hardware to those team members so they can join in with video conferencing.Logitechmakes some superb webcams and Ill be reviewing a couple of models in the coming weeks.

Another great piece of hardware to have is a speakerphone. There are quite a few on the market ranging from theSennheiser SP30Twith Microsoft Teams certification, to the great valueSoundcore PowerConf. Using a speakerphone is much nicer than holding a mobile to your ear and it can provide great sound for a webcam. Its also possible to route your mobile phones calls through to your computer. At the moment, I have my iPhone linked to my iMac using FaceTime, which means I can take and make phone calls on my computer without having to even pick up my phone.

The Soundcore PowerConf is a really affordable speakerphone that uses Bluetooth or USB to connect to ... [+] a smartphone or computer.

If youre going to be making audio calls using Facebook Messenger or Apple FaceTime, its a good idea to invest in a USB headset for making those calls, or a USB microphone such as the excellentBlue Yeti Xor Samson Go Mic. These devices can produce exceptionally clear audio and could be useful if your job involves contributing remotely to radio broadcasts or industry podcasts. Podcasts are also a great way of keeping in touch with customers and colleagues, so maybe consider a weekly podcast for employees to increase morale and keep them up to date on company news while theyre working.

If your workers will be spending a lot of time working from home, its worth thinking about issuing them with some specific advice on ergonomics. Employees wont always have an office chair thats adjustable like they will have at work. Desks at home may not be as large as work desks, and this can cause cramping and posture problems. If your workers are using their laptops all day, the keyboard and screen position will cause all kinds of muscle problems resulting in strains and aches.

The Blue Yeti X USB microphone will massively improve the audio quality of your calls or podcasts.

Consider supplying your colleagues with an external keyboard and mouse, plus an screen to use with their laptop. LED monitors are inexpensive, as are wireless keyboards and mice. Using a laptop with a height-adjustable external monitor plus a good-quality keyboard and mouse will boost productivity and sense of wellbeing, while protecting from RSI or other posture problems.

Employees working from home for some time will be using extra electricity and heat to power their computers and keep themselves warm. It would be equitable to make a contribution to cover their expenses for Internet connection, phone calls, heating and power costs for as long as they are working remotely. These extra payments wont cost a lot as you will be saving money on not keeping the office open with all the heat, lighting and power costs involved.

Remote working can be very successful. Some studies have shown that people are more productive when working from home. However, work and home life must be split. For some, that could mean turning over a spare room to a home office or study with a door that can be firmly shut at night. While youre working from home, its sensible to have a proper cut-off time for when you stop working, and that also extends to not sending emails or requests to other colleagues at all times of the day or night.

Take plenty of breaks and be sure to keep hydrated. Time can pass quickly when you're working ... [+] remotely without interruptions.

Establish some office hours and try to stick to them. Its all too easy to lose track of time when working from home, so try to keep yourself and your colleagues to a routine. Be sure to take regular breaks and drink plenty of water. There are no water coolers or drinks machines at home, so remind everyone from time to time to take a proper break, get a drink, stretch their legs and have some fresh air. Remember, time can pass quickly when you are working from home without interruptions from colleagues, so keep hydrated and take frequent screen breaks.

The Coronavirus will subside eventually but until that time we must try to keep working on through the situation. Remote working can keep your productivity at normal levels but its important to foster a sense of community amongst colleagues by taking time out for a bit of office chat or by maybe holding something fun like an office quiz via a chat client. With a little thought, remote working can be fun as well as productive. In fact, you may find you dont want to go back to the office. The way we work may be changed forever, and well have the coronavirus to thank for that.

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We know that you need accurate and up-to-date information about the effects of the coronavirus in the state and our region. The Forsyth County News is making this article available free to non-subscribers as a public service. Please consider supporting our work by subscribing to the Forsyth County News.

In 2010, in the middle of the Great Recession, Bryan and Shannon Miles started a brand-new company called BELAY that provides virtual assistant and bookkeeping services. BELAY has grown to 1,100 team members across the country, but the company doesnt have a single office -- everyone works remotely.

The Forsyth County couple has since become leaders in the remote work movement. BELAY was ranked No. 1 among small businesses for company culture by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2017. Later that year, Bryan published a book, Virtual Company: The Way We Work Doesnt Work Anymore, A Manifesto, a playbook for how Shannon and he built BELAY.

Their expertise in helping people work remotely has never been more relevant as companies in Forsyth County, Georgia and across the U.S. have closed their offices amid the novel coronavirus threat. Employees are forced to work from home, many for the first time.

Bryan and Shannon have been in demand lately: Business Insider, CNBC, Today Entrepreneur, and a host of podcasts have called on the two in the last week to share their wisdom on the work-from-home experience.

People know our history and our success with having a fully-distributed company across the country, so theyre like, OK, how do we do this? Bryan said.

Before BELAY, both Bryan and Shannon were familiar with remote work. Shannon worked for McKesson Corporation for 10 years in the Gainesville and Northeast Georgia region but only went to an office 2-3 days a week. Bryan was fully remote: the construction company he worked for was based in Ohio, and his assistant was in Charlotte, N.C.

They took Bryans experience of working remotely and used that as the model for BELAY. First, they offered virtual assistant services. Soon after, they added bookkeeping.

Theyve since devised achecklistfor the self-employed or companies to implement a remote work strategy successfully, which includes tips like:

First, set up a home office --Bryan recommends designating a space of 100 square feet, or less. The place where you pay your bills may not be the best place for you to actually do web calls and have phone calls and do the things you need to do, Bryan said;

Have the right equipment --computer, monitors, webcam and any other audio accessories;

Gather your tools --Whether youre self-employed working from home or part of a team, Bryan and Shannon recommend a bevy of tools to help stay connected with your colleagues and be productive, such as project management platforms likeAsanaorBasecamp; a cloud storage service likeDropboxor Google Drive to share files; communication tools likeSlackto replace email orZoomfor video conferences; and personal organization apps like Google Calendar orTodoist;

Establish a routine --take a shower, get dressed and stick to a schedule;

Take breaks --unplug, call a friend or change your setting to stay productive and engaged in your work.

Bryan and Shannon developed these principles as BELAY grew. The company now receives more than 2,000 resumes a month.

In that growth they found that many people assume that working from home is easy.

Thats just not true, Bryan said.

But there are certainly advantages, they said. Working remotely eliminates the stress of commutes, allows for greater flexibility to manage other life priorities and prevents the spread of illness around an office. The distractions in an office setting are gone, allowing for more focused work.

Bryan and Shannon also believe working remotely can foster more authentic connections between co-workers, particularly with video meetings.

Youre now looking into my house, Im inviting you into my home, Bryan said. There is a lens into someones personal life that becomes a bit more authentic. It can create a meaningful connection with other people.

The BELAY team regularly meets using a video conference service. Occasionally they do a virtual happy hour on Thursdays where team members get their favorite beverage and talk about a certain topic.

Working remote does not mean working in isolation, Shannon said. You can maintain connections and relationships with your colleagues and your bosses in a remote setting. You dont have to sacrifice those connections.

For all the virtues of working remotely that Bryan and Shannon have found, they recognize the current moment is different. Kids are home from school and need to complete work online. Spouses are sharing the same workspace together for the first time. Internet connections may vary from employee to employee.

What this is today is not an ideal situation, Shannon said. This will be the hardest it is.

The moment calls for employees to be flexible and employers to give a lot of grace to their workers.

Well get it done and figure it out as a county and as a state and as a country, Bryan said, but grace needs to be very prevalent right now.

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