How cloud computing can solve the adverse effect of coronavirus pandemic on small- and

large-scale business

Cloud computing allows for on-demand and automated access to nearly infinite computing

power and data storage capacity. Consider the demand for videoconferencing prior to the

pandemic versus during COVID-19—cloud computing's scalability enabled massive volume

increases as people began working from home and connecting via video rather than face-to-

face. Because of the speed with which technology can be made available in a cloud

environment, those in the digital world were also able to adapt quickly. Cloud computing allows

for a much faster rate of change than traditional computing environments, whether it's being

able to access new software and tools almost immediately or receiving constant updates and

improvements to technology. Cloud computing allows individuals and companies alike to have

more access to technology, potentially helping to alleviate the effects of this tragic pandemic.

The Covid19 pandemic has turned everything upside down. Businesses and their employees

around the world are facing enormous difficulties in maintaining business continuity as a direct

result of this contagion. Cloud computing has emerged as a literal saviour in maintaining

business continuity in these troubled times, and adoption is rapidly increasing. While many

businesses are struggling to adjust to the new normal, those that chose to invest in a robust

cloud computing infrastructure prior to the pandemic are doing well. Employees and coworkers
can collaborate and communicate safely in a remote environment thanks to cloud computing.

FIG 1

There are a few unique ways that cloud computing is assisting companies in managing their

operations during Covid-19. These are the following:

a) Allowing a remote workforce to stay in touch with each other

Since March 2020, governments all over the world have been imposing lockdown orders on

entire cities, counties, and nations. As a result, the use of video conferencing tools and virtual

meeting software has increased dramatically in a short period of time. Zoom's total revenue
increased by 169 percent year over year in June 2020, owing to the rapid adoption of its

platform around the world.

A direct result of this has been a huge increase in global demand for internet bandwidth. Such

sudden increases in bandwidth demand have never occurred before. Cloud computing has

proved to be a lifesaver in such situations because it is easier to handle unexpected spikes in

bandwidth usage in a cloud computing environment.

b) Provide easy access to online data backup solutions

If on-premise servers are used in industry verticals like healthcare, where data is the primary

asset, data management and storage can be prohibitively costly. In this situation, cloud

computing can help you by giving you access to scalable online data backup solutions. Large

companies, on the other hand, have begun to use online services such as Dropbox and Google

Drive as a direct result of the adoption of online storage solutions.

While such services are easy to use, there are security risks associated with using third-party file

sharing services. Data is also taken outside of an organization's IT environment, implying that it

is no longer under its control. Centre stack, a cloud file server that improves file server mobility

and simplifies remote data access, provides a solution to such a security issue.

c) Enable efficient collaboration between team members

Business cooperation used to entail face-to-face interaction in a central office setting before the

pandemic. Collaboration and engagement like this were crucial in ensuring that large teams

met their goals. Companies are struggling to generate a comparable level of engagement
among team members as a result of the pandemic forcing millions of office workers to work

remotely.

Cloud collaboration software can help you improve efficiency and productivity. Individuals in

different locations will share or edit projects simultaneously using such applications. Many of

these apps also come with built-in communication tools and access control rules that allow for

selective information access.

Many businesses are questioning whether their business continuity plans are adequate in the

wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some difficult questions about the use of cloud services in

such situations have been raised, including:

 Is the public cloud model scalable and resilient enough to handle unexpected demand

spikes?

 Do public cloud providers keep extra capacity on hand to quickly deploy new services

when they're needed?

 Are the requirements for supporting infrastructure robust enough to ensure continued

access to public cloud services?

 Can a public cloud service continue to provide services if its support staff becomes ill?

 Is the telecommunications and networking infrastructure ready to handle the increased

traffic volume that will result as more businesses use the internet to access services?

 Is there any concern about cloud data center security (physical, perimeter, customer

data, and other) as the workforce performing those functions is asked to work from

home?
Understanding the threats, opportunities, and events that will occur as a result of the COVID-19

pandemic will be required to answer these questions.

Due to increased demand, cloud service providers will face major difficulties in providing their

services. Service providers should be aware of the following in particular:

 During a crisis, remote workers will demand more capacity from networks, storage, and

services because they will be forced to work remotely.

 Digital events to avoid virus transmission in person (such as videoconferences in place of

live meetings) will put a strain on service capabilities.

 Streaming demand will rise for independent software vendors (ISVs) and content

providers such as Netflix, as people confined to their homes increase their use of digital

media and streaming services. This would increase the demand for bandwidth on the

internet as well as on the networks of cloud providers.

 Cloud service operations teams will face challenges in maintaining service availability

and performance while working remotely or with fewer resources.

 Due to the manufacturing facilities being based in China and other affected areas,

components powering cloud data center resources, such as chips in servers or the

servers themselves, may become in short supply, affecting the supply chain.

Cloud services that are well-architected and well-managed are built to handle unexpected

demand spikes. Pandemics like COVID-19 will put providers under pressure to show their

preparedness and weed out cloud service offerings that aren't equipped to handle unexpected

demand spikes.
Cloud computing is a model that is built from the ground up to meet varying demand. Cloud

services, if properly implemented, should be well positioned to support rising requests, such as

those seen during the COVID-19 crisis. Elasticity and hyperscale capabilities are ready to

respond for as long or as little time as is required, assuming cloud providers have set aside

enough capacity to accommodate the rise. However, given the unprecedented nature of this

pandemic, it is highly unlikely that they have done so. What are their options for dealing with

the problem in real time or near real time? And what kind of capital expenditures do they

anticipate in order to address this problem? And, given that this is capacity they may not need

for a long time once the pandemic subsides, what should be the preferred method of acquiring

these assets?

Cloud providers host VPN servers, private network connections, and online services for

businesses with large and small workforces. It is vital that these companies assist consumers in

understanding their limits and expanding them at a reasonable cost. Cloud providers must

design their networks to handle spikes without having to allocate additional bandwidth to the

problem, which can be costly. It will be critical to use advanced traffic engineering technologies.

Customers' concerns about performance issues arising from an increase in the number of

remote workers are not originally directed at hyperscale cloud providers. Instead, users are

reporting connection slowdowns and bandwidth limits in their standard office and collaboration

software. Network congestion, either within corporate VPNs or in remote internet connections

used by remote employees, is the most common cause of these reduced performance

experiences.
The global adoption rate is certainly rising compared to previous years, with a large number of

companies, including small businesses, corporations, fintech industry, entertainment industry,

education industry, and so on, transitioning to cloud computing models to provide improved

and unified user experience.

FIG 2

Trying time for business

Businesses walk a snare; they have to ensure their staff's safety, on the one hand, but they

cannot afford to make mistakes in accountabilities and compliance. The pandemic has thrown
businesses into chaos like they've never seen before. A good business leader, on the other

hand, is one who can successfully navigate through such adversity.

Small scale business

While the majority of small businesses are struggling to manage their teams, assign work, or

even oversee accounting and compliance, those that have chosen SaaS-based compliance

solutions are doing well. Many small businesses have expressed interest in moving to the cloud.

Their primary workload is run on public clouds (43%) rather than private clouds (35%), with

AWS as the preferred public cloud. The cost-effectiveness and data security that cloud

computing provides without the need to hire trained personnel has become a necessity for

many small business owners in the twenty-first century. Businesses can avoid the inconvenient

consequences of this situation by using cloud accounting software. Being confined at home

allows them to collaborate, delegate, and monitor all work, as well as ensure the safety of their

team. Businesses should keep track of accounting and compliance even in this moment of great

turmoil.

Large scale business

In the aftermath of Covid-19, many businesses are turning to cloud-based tax compliance

solutions. Both small businesses and large corporations are considering adopting a digital

strategy because it offers risk mitigation and flexibility. Because the Covid-19 happened during

the tax filing and return season in many countries, tax professionals around the world are being

pressed to use cloud-based solutions to provide their clients with successful tax solutions. This

method not only makes the tax filing process go faster, but it also allows tax professionals to
meet the needs of their clients in the most cost-effective and reliable way possible.

Professionals are increasingly inclined to switch to cloud-based tax software, and this trend is

expected to continue after Covid-19.

Cloud accounting software, also known as SaaS, is a useful tool in which the application is

hosted by a service provider, eliminating the need for software installation and maintenance.

All businesses will benefit greatly from automated cloud accounting software:

Universal Accessibility: Cloud accounting software allows you to access your data, bank

accounts, track inventory, expenditures, and sales from anywhere at any time. This technology

allows you to see your data in real time and access everything without any hassles. You can

choose who has access to the data because it is all stored in a single solution and can be

accessed by approved individuals from anywhere. In a situation like the COVID-19, this

application helps you keep all accounts and compliance-related issues up-to-date and your staff

is homebound for several days.

Main Challenges in cloud Adoption

The cloud computing implementation, like any other technology adoption, comes with a

number of risks and challenges, including:

 Cloud Cost Management: While adopting a cloud computing culture for business is

unquestionably the best move, meeting the business's unique requirements can be

costly.
  Lack of expertise: While adapting to the cloud, another hindrance to employee skill gaps

is a lack of expertise.

 Application Migration to the Cloud: Migrating applications to the cloud can be difficult.

According to a Velostrata poll, over 95% of businesses are migrating to the cloud, and

more than half of them are finding it more difficult than expected.

 Cloud Security: Storing sensitive business data can be the most difficult task. As a result,

it's critical to double-check compliance and security laws before hiring.

For successful cloud operations, you must have a trusted cloud hosting provider who can assist

you in providing fast, reliable, and cost-effective solutions.

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