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In a previous post, we discussed going with cloud-based email for your business vs. a locally-hosted email server. As we pointed out, small business can get their email up and running much more affordably by letting cloud providers' email servers to the work. But when does it make sense to entrust other IT functions to the cloud as well, and how does the size of your organization make a difference?

 

Even if it's a no-brainer for your small business to make use of cloud email, you might still want a local server to handle some of your other IT functions. The use of specialized software is a prime example. While cloud software solutions can do a fine job of many basic tasks, they frequently lack the advanced options many businesses require. For instance, the cloud version of QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, is nowhere near as capable as the full-featured QuickBooks Pro hosted by so many local workstations and servers. We can set up the local version to run on the cloud, but it's a very involved process, and most companies that make heavy use of QuickBooks Pro will be better off running it locally.

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Cost is another consideration. In many cases, local servers are still more cost effective to operate than cloud servers, once you get past the initial installation and setup. Last but not least, take speed into account. Local servers will inevitably give you faster response times and operating speeds than you could hope to enjoy from a cloud solution, unless you break the bank on bandwidth. The more users you have, the more sense it makes to serve them locally.

 If you're still juggling all these pros and cons, contact Gravity Systems. We can help you pick the right option for your needs, cloud or no cloud!

Related Post: Should Your Host Your Email Locally or in the Cloud?