Staying in cloud control
Author: Laurence Glen | Date published: April, 1, 2025, UK | Read est: 5 min read
For an increasing number of UK-based businesses, cloud computing represents an opportunity to boost their operations in multiple ways. Spend on cloud services by UK businesses and other organisations has been growing by over 30% each year, reaching a huge £9 billion in 2023.
With this burgeoning positivity, it looks like many companies consider cloud services to be the way forward. But…
Cloud services aren’t quite working for UK SMEs
In fact, only half of UK businesses are getting what they want from cloud services. That means the other 50% are either not seeing any benefits or are actually seeing their business suffer as a result of ineffective cloud investments.
If this rings true for you – there is good news. While cloud might seem complicated right now, there are ways to better leverage its capabilities specifically for your business and its current and future needs, so you can start to experience the true value of cloud.
Get clear on cloud
Cloud offers real benefits. Done right, cloud services should be a cost-effective way to scale operations securely.
Do you have ambitions to grow your business? Or perhaps you have to manage significant peaks across the year. Cloud computing services run secure data centres worldwide and are regularly updated to be the fastest computing hardware.
Which means, with cloud storage, you can open access to powerful computing capabilities, without the need for large, on-premises infrastructure. So, you’ll be able to handle heavier workflows or an increased headcount – and keep costs low. It’s scalable, too, enabling you to flex your usage as you need it.
Keeping teams closer, securely
Beyond storage and performance, cloud has become essential for disaster recovery, security and collaboration.
Cloud services provide set policies, technologies and controls to tighten and strengthen your overall security posture. This helps to protect your data, apps and infrastructure from potential cyber threats.
Your cloud computing services also make data backup, disaster recovery and business continuity easier and less expensive, as data can be mirrored and accessed from multiple sites at a time. Plus, cloud computing servers have a failover in place to ensure systems are always online.
You can also enhance collaboration across your business. With cloud services, you’re sharing access to information in a single location, making it easier to keep track of files and documentation, and to participate in streamlined conversations. It improves control over access and permissions, visibility and reporting of any security incidents.
With a range of benefits, why are so many SMEs struggling to get it working in harmony with their business needs?
- The cost consideration. The creeping cost of cloud has led some SMEs to review their spend, where and how to best store their data, and if they should downgrade SaaS services in an attempt to save.
- The complexity consideration. Aside from cost, cloud and SaaS services can add complexity to systems where a simpler option could be available. With so much to choose from, you can see why many businesses might be unsure where to start.
To see the benefits, you’ve got options
To get the most from your cloud services, functionality needs to be carefully aligned with business requirements – and this doesn’t need to be complicated. Working with an IT provider can help you to stay in cloud control.
Every business is different, with different priorities and ambitions. What looks right for one business will inevitably not be appropriate for the next. Focus Group will work with you to determine and understand your business needs – moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach that can lead to you paying for capabilities you don’t need.
Instead, you can gain a cloud infrastructure that is the right size for your business, while also ensuring that you have the support and services to keep you going for the long term.
We’ll support you with strategic planning, integration and operational optimisation to drive efficiencies for your business – saving you costs while ensuring you have the capabilities you need.
Looking to the cloud
Cloud services can deliver huge opportunities and benefits for SMEs – and working with an IT provider can help you reach them. So, now’s the time to consider moving to the cloud for stronger security, performance and reliability.
With a wealth of cloud services and computing solutions available, Focus Group can support you wherever you are on your cloud journey, from migration to seizing the opportunities that come with cloud services.
The cloud services and computing solutions we deliver are designed to secure your business infrastructure, lower IT support costs, increase agility and create opportunities for innovation. Explore more about our cloud offering.
Laurence Glen
IT Director
Our IT world, together with the ongoing development of this business-critical portfolio of services, is in very capable hands with Laurence at the helm. IBM-trained and with a 22-year track record of proven success in the IT sector ensures Laurence is perfectly placed to lead the overall IT strategy for Focus Group, ensuring we’re at the forefront of product development and service innovations in order to deliver the best possible IT technologies for our customers.
