With the advent of cloud computing, it has become very easy and affordable to run and manage a business. This is one of the technologies which are becoming more hyped with each passing day. With this technology, most of your business needs are accomplished.

Most of the businesses today have an affinity for cloud hosting, but this technology cannot satisfy all your business needs. It can let you achieve most of the essential tasks except a few ones. You get a lot with cloud computing and that too at a very reasonable price such as access to modern and advanced infrastructure, sophisticated data storage, and updated software. However there are some cons associated with this technology.

Security is one major concern associated with cloud computing. Your data is maintained on someone else’s server. It might be possible that somebody else might creep up into your personal data and access it. Besides this, possession of data is another major concern associated with cloud hosting.

These problems can be sorted out very easily. Security of data can be enhanced by the use of security software. Deploying a hybrid data storage system and customizing the accessibility options also help in reducing the potential concerns.

Whatever may be the case, the advantages of cloud hosting exceeds the disadvantages. If you are managing a small or medium business, here are some cloud-based tools for you.

Why SaaS for Businesses?

Most of the small and medium businesses depend on the cloud for Software-as-a-Service. This is mainly because the businesses do not have to employ a separate IT team for keeping the software updated. It becomes the responsibility of the service provider to update the software on daily basis.

Software tools for SMBs in the Cloud

Following are some highly advanced and sophisticated software tools (SaaS) in the cloud which is worthwhile for small and medium businesses.

1. Office 365

This hosted tool costs around $5-$15 per month per user. Office 365 is a cloud hosted version of Microsoft Office and is available in a wide range of packages. You can avail different kinds of services depending on the type of package you choose.

No matter what your desire is Office 365 certainly has a package to match up with your needs. If you are planning to strengthen the collaboration and co-operation in your organization, or you are planning to use various MS office products on different devices and mobile platforms, this tool is there for you.

2. Adobe FormsCentral

The cost of this hosted tool ranges from $0 to $11.99 per month depending on the types of services you choose. This tool helps you in making user-friendly online forms without any hassles. Besides this, Adobe FormsCentral enables its users to analyze their data via a number of highly advanced data analysis tools. These data analysis tools sort out the data very quickly and thus allows the users to post them immediately on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and other websites.

3. FreshBooks

This hosted tool may cost $19.95 per month or more. This software tool eases the task of sending, receiving, paying, and printing the bills. Moreover, FreshBooks also reduces the net time required in the management of these accounting activities. This software is only behind the hosted QuickBooks in ranking and thus, it is becoming the most sought after accounting software tool for the small and medium businesses in the market.

This hosted software is very economic and costs only $19.95 for 25 users. FreshBooks is very useful for SMBs as it lets them to easily manage their time, payments, expenditure, online transactions by PayPal, credit and debit cards, etc.

4. QualysGuard Express Lite

The price of this tool starts from $795. Cloud-based QualysGuard Express Lite is a multi-functional tool to manage the security and compliance of the small and medium businesses. This cloud hosted tool lets the entrepreneurs to observe the websites, applications, and servers in order to keep them update and secure.

This tool does not require the installation and maintenance of any kind of software. Besides this, QualysGuard Express Lite enables the users to adhere with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and ensures them that they always stay ahead of their competitors in data security aspects.

5. Cisco WebEx

The price of this tool ranges from $0 to $89 per month. Cisco WebEx provides a sophisticated platform of holding web-based voice and video conferencing with your clients. The best part of this tool is that it comes with a trial version free of cost. Before going for a paid version you can test this tool with its free edition which allows you to hold meetings with a maximum of three people at a time. If you enjoy the free version and find it good, you can switch over to the paid versions.

This tool simplifies the complicated tasks of holding meetings, collaboration among employees, and sharing of files. WebEx’s Meeting Spaces enables you to share files and data during the meeting and also allows you to access the tools which are helpful both before and after the meeting.

These tools might definitely act as a helping hand but before deploying them, try to know all the features associated with them, speak to the support team, and talk to your employees about the switch over.

These tools will certainly consume your time and resources but definitely prove to be your best friend in the due course of future.

Viola Allen is a SIP and VoIP expert, currently employed with SIPTrunk Providers Dot Com. Her passion is to write about the recent technological advancements, including Cloud Hosted PBX and SIP Trunking. Her main motive is to gain more and more information about the latest technological advancements in the industry.