Why your business needs to use cloud email

As the head of your organization, you know better than most that your workday doesn't end right at 5 P.M. In all likelihood, you're probably working, in one way or another, long after your employees have headed home and clocked out for the day. Putting your nose to the grindstone is nothing new to you as a business owner, but grinding away night and day can lead to dreaded bouts of "tunnel vision" that can distract you from innovative ways to get things done—and save some hard-earned money in the process. 

Cloud email, specifically, is among the best examples of getting things done in new ways using innovative technology that helps business owners like you save time and money. Cloud email hosting is no stranger to the public, but many organizations are still behind when it comes to adopting and getting the most out of cloud email. As of 2018, for example, fewer than half of small to medium-sized companies were taking advantage of cloud email; barely more than a quarter of them were using cloud email hosting services in a SaaS capacity.

All of this is to say that the majority of organizations, as of 2023, still aren't taking full advantage of cloud email and the many benefits it offers. So in this article, let's define what cloud email is, why business owners such as yourself should be using it, and how it differs from on-premise email solutions.

What is cloud email?

Cloud email is the email service that is hosted on a remote server rather than on a local server or individual device. With cloud email, your email data is stored and managed online by a third-party provider.

With cloud email, business owners and their employees can leverage web-based email tools that they can use from practically any device, at any time. Cloud email vendors are very similar to other vendors you may already use—a good way to think of them is like a streaming service that you pay to streamline your business communications. 

Cloud email vendors, more often than not, bundle their business email hosting solutions with security to encrypt the messages you send and receive as well as customer support to troubleshoot issues that you or your employees may run into. 

How cloud email differs from on-premise email solutions

As you may have already guessed, the key factor that separates cloud email solutions from on-premise solutions is the location. With on-premise email solutions, you'll be running software applications on your own machines that belong to your organization's own infrastructure. 

Your on-premise solution is hosted on your local servers rather than a provider's services; when you use cloud email solutions, the software you're working with is kept on your provider's infrastructure, which isn't hosted locally. Instead, you'll use a web browser or similar interface to access your cloud email solution. 

Thanks to the level of flexibility it offers, it's little wonder that cloud computing has become so attractive to entrepreneurs and enterprise organizations alike. While we have a lot of respect for on-premise email software—and particularly the number of years it lasted as the single email solution for most people—it doesn't give you the opportunity to take advantage of cloud-based and SaaS software applications, which are undoubtedly going to become more important for you to achieve your goals over time. 

Benefits of using cloud email over on-premise email solutions

If you've made it this far, then we're confident that you're at least relatively interested in making the switch from your on-premise email solution to a cloud-based one. To entice you a bit further, we've laid out some of the biggest benefits that we're sure you'll enjoy when using cloud email.

Better uptime and productivity

In our modern and hyperconnected world, there's no excuse for passing on opportunities that make communication as efficient as possible, regardless of locations or devices being used. Cloud email solutions give employees—be they on-site or remote—the ability to send and receive emails anytime and from anywhere, contributing to better productivity. 

Increased team productivity with cloud email solutions occurs not just because of the flexibility that's offered but also because of seamless integration with application suites. Think about it like this: if you were running your own blog and wanted to do it as efficiently as possible, you'd want to use blog-building solutions that integrate with whatever stack you're already using. The same is true with cloud email solutions: it makes more sense to use a solution that easily integrates with an application suite to improve your productivity and efficiency.

In terms of uptime, cloud email solutions make it easier for users to take advantage of better email use. Vendors who provide cloud email solutions need to leverage more than one site to have adequate storage for their data in the cloud, which means your organizations will be able to enjoy way more uptime than it otherwise would when using an on-premise solution. 

More money saved

Vendors who offer cloud email solutions make it easy for organizations to enjoy huge cost savings thanks to the fact that you don't need to worry about maintaining your environment; you don't need to work with your servers and you won't need to handle updates for them if you're using a cloud-based email solution. 

Simply put, going with a cloud email solution lets you save money that would otherwise go toward maintaining, updating, and upgrading your infrastructure. The only costs you'll need to think about when you choose to work with a cloud email provider will come from your subscription (these are typically on a monthly or yearly basis).

Improved security

The data stored on your vendor's servers is also much safer than it potentially would be on yours. Reputable cloud email providers go the extra mile to ensure their cloud-based servers can adequately secure your data. For larger organizations or those that routinely handle sensitive financial and/or healthcare-related data, adherence to GDPR regulations also becomes much easier because you won't have to monitor regulatory updates as frequently. 

Additionally, reliable cloud email solution providers put together frameworks of their own to keep one customer's data sequestered from another's. It's important to ask your vendor whether they invest in encryption for data at rest and in transit, especially if you're closing lots of deals or pitching lots of sales pretty often.

Conclusion

Cloud email is the innovative upgrade to on-premise email solutions that's here to stay. Regardless of your industry or organizational size, cloud email solutions streamline your email experience with application suite integrations and security that's taken care of for you. With a reputable cloud email provider on your side, you and your employees can enjoy better uptime and productivity, more money saved, and security handled as an expert service.