Cloud Technology Replacing People

Rise of the Machines

Not only has the proliferation of cloud computing provided better and more efficient information storage solutions for businesses and individuals alike, but it is also beginning to replace certain jobs originally performed by people.

According to a recent survey, 14% of small medium enterprises (SME’s) already make use of cloud technology and related applications to manage their accounts, rendering the need for an accountant redundant. “Accounting firms are an intermediary that process and compile data. They are in the firing line of being drastically disrupted by the internet. It’s not years away – it is happening right now,” says Rob Nixon of the ProActive Accountants Network.

Accountants are strongly encouraged to incorporate cloud-based accounting services in order to remain relevant in the ever-advancing technological era.

What About IT Departments?

As the focus shifts from hardware to online storage services, so too will IT departments have to adapt and evolve. However, no matter how much technology alters, IT departments will always be needed. The rise of cloud computing simply means that IT technicians will spend less time fixing hardware problems, and more time working with software development and programming.

According to a senior tech analyst, cloud-based computing “Presents a valuable option in the catalogue of IT service delivery, but IT managers still need to be on top of their infrastructure landscape to make the best use of everything available”.

Going, Going, Gone

By embracing cloud technology, companies eliminate the need for a data storage centre, and the technicians required to run them. In the near future, on-site data centres for companies will be virtually non-existent.

Cloud computing has also replaced the need for an IT person to track inventory and stock – computers can monitor of all these transactions instead.

Cloud Computing In 2013

So what’s next for cloud technology? Experts predict that the annual growth rate for cloud-based computing will be around 26.4%, and spending on public cloud technology services will be in the range of $100 billion. By the end of 2020, cloud technology and related applications will account for 80% of the growth in the IT industry.

The growth will be concentrated in five important areas: storage, servers, Platform as a Service, applications and infrastructure software.

So whether your company already makes use of a hosted email solution and cloud storage, or is still working with slightly more antiquated technology, it’s about time you jumped on the cloud bandwagon and made use of its incredibly efficient services.

Grace Matthews is a London-based lifestyle blogger who is learning all the ins and outs of her newly installed Nasstar desktop virtualization.