Running A Business In The Cloud

Everybody is talking about cloud computing these days, but a few intrepid companies are actually walking the walk. To find out what it's like, bMighty.com goes out and meets this growing, vocal contingent of cloud computing "completists" who are more than happy to surrender their IT concerns to the cloud.So what are these pioneers actually experiencing? In "Running Your Business In The Cloud", bMighty.com's Matthew Schwartz talks to handful of happy companies reveling in not having to develop their own software.

They report paying less for more reliable performance, the freedom to focus on their core businesses, and a surprising new ability to work with their data in different ways.

Keith Ogorek, director of marketing for cloud denizen Author Solutions, says living in the cloud "allows us to focus on optimizing our business ... and to react more quickly to new market opportunities."

And Mike West, VP of Westport, Conn.-based Saugatuck Technology, says that based on research his company has conducted, cloud apps have uptime percentages that compare quite favorably to on-premises IT.

For Ryan Nichols, VP of marketing and product management for Appirio in San Mateo, Calif., another advantage is that "you can easily create things which you'll hesitate to even call applications," but that nonetheless solve business problems... The advantage of building in the cloud is it's easier to maintain those things." he adds.

Here's a listing of "4 Businesses With Their Heads In The Clouds" -- running 100% in the cloud, or as close to it as they can. Plus a useful chart of Cloud Computing Pros and Cons.