Cloud solutions offer a lot of benefits to businesses but understanding what The Cloud is can be confusing. This guide simplifies the top 5 questions most businesses ask about the Cloud and hosted cloud solutions.

2. Simplifying The Cloud
• So much talk about the cloud but what is it?
– Simply it is using the internet to access such things
as your files, data or email, rather than having
them locally on your desktop or laptop.
• Why would you want these things to be in The
Cloud?
– Accessibility from wherever you are and from any
devise (desktop, laptop, mobile devise), whenever
you want it.

3. Is The Cloud Really That Simple?
• Yes and there is even more benefits for your
business to move into the cloud.
• With any new shift in the technologies that
influence how you run your business, there
are also a lot of questions.

4. Top 5 Questions About Cloud Solutions
1. How Do You Back Up Our Data In The Cloud?
2. How Secure Is My Data In The Cloud?
3. Is Server Redundancy Easier In The Cloud?
4. Can I Run My Legacy Applications In The
Cloud?
5. How Do Cloud Solutions Cut Energy Costs?

5. How Do You Back Up Our Data In The Cloud?
• Backups are frequent and automated. There is no
human error element, that for example “Bob” from IT
was sick today and no else changed the tapes.
• Back-ups are sent digitally offsite to another location.
This means your data is better protected against
natural and man-made disasters, like hurricanes, fire or
theft.
• Data/System recovery is much faster. If something
were to happen to your data in the cloud, that data can
easily be recovered and brought back online

6. How Secure Is My Data In The Cloud?
• Virtualization technology is what makes the cloud
run, which is inherently safer than a traditional
server environment.
• A virtual server can hold 10x as much as a
traditional server
– Fewer points of entry into your network for malicious
intent
– Fewer servers to monitor and maintain simplifies
security monitoring.
• See server redundancy question for additional
security benefits

7. Is Server Redundancy Easier In The Cloud?
• What is redundancy? Having a computer system or
network device that takes over when the primary unit
fails.
• Redundancy is built into the virtualization technology
itself.
– If one system goes down it automatically rolls to a new
one.
• With the Cloud SMB’s have access to a technology that
in the past has been complex and expensive.
– Business is up and running 99.9% of the time, equaling
minimal loss in revenue or employee productivity.

8. Can My Legacy Applications Run In The Cloud?
• Yes, the cloud actually preserves legacy
applications and are ideal candidates to move to
The Cloud.
• Many legacy applications are built and only run
on outdated technology. If a problem or upgrade
is needed for the application it is very expensive
or impossible to move or upgrade the technology.
• By utilizing the application on the virtualized
server in the Cloud, it allows it to run efficiently
on a new technology platform.

9. How Do Cloud Solutions Cut Energy Costs?
• Virtualization, the technology that runs the cloud
is 60% more energy efficient than traditional
servers.
• Virtualized servers can be at 80% utilization.
Versus traditional servers at 25%-30% utilization.
Fewer servers are needed = less energy used.
• With Hosted Cloud Solutions and eliminating your
server, you further reduce your electric bill.

10. Summary
• There are many benefits to taking your
technology into The Cloud
– IT Efficiency, Administration, Data Safety and Cutting
Operational Costs
• Get through the hype and consider a pilot project
or application to move into The Cloud
• Understand that not every application or system
is a good candidate for The Cloud
• Choose a technology partner who has experience
with multiple Cloud projects and complexities,
there is no cookie cutter approach.

11. Why Is Sun Digital Qualified To Advise On
The Cloud?
• Information Technology Company Established
in 1996.
• Working with virtualization and Cloud
technologies with its inception into the
commercial market.
• Wholly owns and operates a completely
virtualized data center.
• Has an impressive list of references for
successfully implemented cloud projects.

12. How Can You Find Sun Digital?
• Website: http://sundigitalinc.com
• Phone: 352.369.9600, toll free 24/7 866.255.9046
• Cloud Blog:
– http://sundigitalinc.com/blog
• Facebook:
– http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sun-Digital-Inc-It-
Specialists/252301874791108
• Google+:
– https://plus.google.com/100023866281580757600/posts
• Linked In:
– http://www.linkedin.com/company/sun-digital-inc-it-specialists