Why is everyone moving to the cloud?

Our recent report Digital technology for the not-for-profit sector in 2018, published in February, shows that more not-for-profits than ever are moving to the cloud.

Since our last report in mid-2016, the number of not-for-profit organisations using the cloud has increased by 30 percent. More than half of Australian and New Zealand not-for-profits have now either moved or plan to move to the cloud.

So why are so many not-for-profits using the cloud?

Cloud systems can help solve numerous challenges around budgeting and funding, internal IT capacity and capability, and refreshing IT infrastructure.

Some of the benefits of leveraging these cloud systems include:

• no expensive hardware required to set-up
• easy to manage monthly bills with no unexpected costs
• access to data and services from any internet connection at any time
• lower hardware costs, with no need to upgrade to the latest server hardware just to run email and collaboration processes
• cut back on the management of in-house servers
• data back-up is fully managed, with no need to remember to run regular backups and carry around external backup drives.

Another benefit of the cloud is being able to access your emails from anywhere and at any time. Our report shows that Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 is now the most favoured email application in the not-for-profit sector, and is now used by 25 percent of organisations.

While some organisations had initial reservations around cloud hosting due to data security, expensive or insufficient internet, migration costs and lack of time for migration, these barriers are now decreasing and 11 percent of organisations are prioritising moving to the cloud.

We’ve helped thousands of not-for-profits understand the cloud, and helped hundreds migrate, making it easier for them to work outside the office, improve the reliability of their systems and save money. 

Some of the projects we’ve work with our clients on include:

• Migrating emails from servers or Gmail to Exchange online
• Developing Intranets to improve staff communication and access to info
• Moving documents from your file server to cloud document solutions, such as SharePoint and OneDrive
• Utilising video conferencing solutions to improve communication and reduce travel
• Collaborating online using project management tools, including Teams and Planner

Find out how we can help you move to the cloud and change the way you work.