• Loadshedding is forcing companies to invest in backup power solutions and the cloud can offer some respite in that regard.
• Not only does the cloud take the cost of powering those systems off of your hands, the same can be said for the cost of maintenance and upgrades.
• Rather than pulling back on IT costs, businesses should reconsider how best to solve their problems.

The fact that businesses continue to operate in the midst of rampant power cuts, is something we don’t appreciate enough. Whether it’s the corner store or your internet service provider, somehow South African businesses are keeping the wheels on the bus, despite the bus crumbling around us. While the circumstances are terrible, the resilience is uplifting.

For many businesses, however, the fight against loadshedding feels fruitless. The cost of keeping IT equipment up and running, especially at multiple locations, can build-up quickly. The trouble here is that despite how admirable the aforementioned resilience is, businesses have to respond to loadshedding if they want to survive. The fact of the matter is that any resolution at Eskom is months, if not years away and businesses that want to stay afloat, must respond.

However, rather than requesting quotes to power your on-premise ICT equipment during loadshedding, consider a move to the cloud. Yes, the cloud computing and its benefits are still relevant now that we’re back in the office, but for reasons beyond remote office work.

Handing off components of your ICT systems to a managed service provider, where possible of course, can not only free up overburdened employees, it can save costs over the long term.

As an example, Aruba country manager, Mandy Duncan, highlights how switching your network to a managed cloud based solution can help an IT team respond to outages more effectively.

“A cloud-managed network comes embedded with tools to handle reactive tasks on behalf of your IT team. This ultimately saves the network team significant time responding to problems, trying to figure out where they are occurring and then recreating them in the field before responding. Instead, the cloud-managed service will give them immediate insight into what’s causing the problem and enable them to keep the network up and secure with much less effort, allowing IT to be as productive as possible, spending more time on activities that can have a bigger impact on the business and potentially drive greater revenue,” says Duncan.

Cloud based management platforms also have the benefit of shifting from a hardware-based capital expenditure to an operational expense which can be more easily managed. Most importantly it frees the business from the cost of constantly having to upgrade software and hardware as well as having to fit that hardware into backup power solutions. A connection to the internet requires far less power than an on-premise storage server does.

“With less management hardware to worry about, you’ll also be using less energy and power to cool the appliances, which helps with cost savings, especially during times when you’re having to rely on backup power solutions. At the same time, the IT team will save in time and effort, spending fewer hours maintaining the rack and upgrading the system on a regular basis,” the country manager adds.

Managed services also give you a large degree of flexibility. Should your business grow and you need more capacity or better performance, platform providers often have a multitude of ways to adapt to a business’ needs.

“Ultimately, this helps you avoid having to replace all your management hardware and losing your initial investment in that infrastructure. With the pace at which business is evolving, this can end up creating significant cost savings over the long run,” says Duncan.

What’s more, there are cloud services for businesses of all sizes. Be sure to shop around and find a provider that meets your needs while also having scope for your growth ambitions.

While 79 percent of businesses fast tracked digital transformation during the pandemic, businesses should be sure to continue this transformation or begin if they haven’t already, especially with Stage 5 and higher loadshedding becoming more frequent.

[Image – Samuel Ramos on Unsplash]