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Zoom Phone or traditional VoIP? A straightforward guide for small-business owners

Editor May 12, 2025

Not sure whether to upgrade your phone system to Zoom Phone or stick with traditional Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)? This simple guide explains the key differences without the jargon so you can decide what works best for your business.

What’s the difference?

Traditional VoIP systems have been around for a while, enabling phone calls over the internet instead of using traditional phone lines. Depending on your setup, this system might live entirely in your office (on-premises), partly in your office and partly online (hybrid), or completely in the cloud. This gives you flexibility, but it can come with extra costs and management needs.

Zoom Phone is a newer option that builds on the Zoom platform many of us are already using for video calls. It brings phone calling into the same app, making it easy for users to switch between a call and a video meeting without juggling multiple tools.

Setup and maintenance: Who’s doing the heavy lifting?

Setting up a traditional VoIP system usually involves more steps. If you go the on-premises route, you’ll need physical equipment installed in your office and ongoing support to keep it all running smoothly. Even a cloud-based VoIP setup may need careful configuration and maintenance.
Zoom Phone, on the other hand, is designed to be quick and easy. Since it’s fully cloud-based, there’s no need to install special hardware. Setup can often be completed in just a few days, and updates or changes can be made with just a few clicks. It’s perfect for businesses looking to avoid complicated IT processes.

Does it work with your other tools?

Traditional VoIP systems can be customized to work with a wide variety of business tools, including customer relationship management (CRM) systems. However, getting everything to work together might require some technical help or custom development.
On the other hand, Zoom Phone is built for modern workplaces and integrates naturally with apps such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Slack. If you’re already using Zoom for video meetings, adopting Zoom Phone will feel like an extension of what you already know. It’s designed to keep everything connected with minimal hassle.

Cost: What’s the real price tag?

When it comes to expenses, traditional VoIP can require a large upfront investment. You may need to buy hardware, licenses, and pay for installation. Over time, this can work out to be cost-effective, but it does mean spending more at the start.
Zoom Phone follows a subscription model, where you pay a fixed amount per user every month or year. The pricing is more predictable with most essential features included upfront, making budgeting easier while avoiding surprise fees or expensive add-ons.

Security and compliance: Is your data safe?

Security is strong on both sides, but the details differ. Traditional VoIP systems often appeal to industries with strict rules (e.g., healthcare or finance) because they can be installed on site, giving the organization full control over their data and security settings. If your business has unique compliance requirements, this level of control can be a big plus.
Zoom Phone is also secure, building on Zoom’s enterprise-grade infrastructure. It offers robust encryption options and adheres to key compliance standards, ensuring data security. And with centralized management for video, phone, and messaging tools, it simplifies security settings while maintaining consistency across all connected platforms.

What’s best for you?

The right phone system depends on your business’s needs. If your company relies on highly customized setups or needs to meet specific compliance rules, traditional VoIP might be the better choice. But if you’re looking for something fast, simple, and easy to manage — especially for a remote or hybrid team — Zoom Phone could be the perfect fit.
Instead of thinking of it as a one-or-the-other decision, consider what your communication needs will look like not just today, but in the next few years. Is your business growing quickly? Will your team keep working remotely? How much tech management do you want to take on? The answers to these questions can help you identify the system that best aligns with your organization’s goals.

Still unsure which phone system is right for your business? Let our experts guide you to the right choice. Contact us today and discover the perfect option.

Zoom Phone vs. VoIP: What these phone systems can do for your business

Editor May 12, 2025

With more teams working remotely, modern phone systems are evolving fast. Discover how Zoom Phone compares to traditional Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and learn which one is right for your company’s needs, budget, and tech comfort level.

What’s the difference?

Traditional VoIP systems have been around for a while, enabling phone calls over the internet instead of using traditional phone lines. Depending on your setup, this system might live entirely in your office (on-premises), partly in your office and partly online (hybrid), or completely in the cloud. This gives you flexibility, but it can come with extra costs and management needs.

Zoom Phone is a newer option that builds on the Zoom platform many of us are already using for video calls. It brings phone calling into the same app, making it easy for users to switch between a call and a video meeting without juggling multiple tools.

Setup and maintenance: Who’s doing the heavy lifting?

Setting up a traditional VoIP system usually involves more steps. If you go the on-premises route, you’ll need physical equipment installed in your office and ongoing support to keep it all running smoothly. Even a cloud-based VoIP setup may need careful configuration and maintenance.
Zoom Phone, on the other hand, is designed to be quick and easy. Since it’s fully cloud-based, there’s no need to install special hardware. Setup can often be completed in just a few days, and updates or changes can be made with just a few clicks. It’s perfect for businesses looking to avoid complicated IT processes.

Does it work with your other tools?

Traditional VoIP systems can be customized to work with a wide variety of business tools, including customer relationship management (CRM) systems. However, getting everything to work together might require some technical help or custom development.
On the other hand, Zoom Phone is built for modern workplaces and integrates naturally with apps such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Slack. If you’re already using Zoom for video meetings, adopting Zoom Phone will feel like an extension of what you already know. It’s designed to keep everything connected with minimal hassle.

Cost: What’s the real price tag?

When it comes to expenses, traditional VoIP can require a large upfront investment. You may need to buy hardware, licenses, and pay for installation. Over time, this can work out to be cost-effective, but it does mean spending more at the start.
Zoom Phone follows a subscription model, where you pay a fixed amount per user every month or year. The pricing is more predictable with most essential features included upfront, making budgeting easier while avoiding surprise fees or expensive add-ons.

Security and compliance: Is your data safe?

Security is strong on both sides, but the details differ. Traditional VoIP systems often appeal to industries with strict rules (e.g., healthcare or finance) because they can be installed on site, giving the organization full control over their data and security settings. If your business has unique compliance requirements, this level of control can be a big plus.
Zoom Phone is also secure, building on Zoom’s enterprise-grade infrastructure. It offers robust encryption options and adheres to key compliance standards, ensuring data security. And with centralized management for video, phone, and messaging tools, it simplifies security settings while maintaining consistency across all connected platforms.

What’s best for you?

The right phone system depends on your business’s needs. If your company relies on highly customized setups or needs to meet specific compliance rules, traditional VoIP might be the better choice. But if you’re looking for something fast, simple, and easy to manage — especially for a remote or hybrid team — Zoom Phone could be the perfect fit.
Instead of thinking of it as a one-or-the-other decision, consider what your communication needs will look like not just today, but in the next few years. Is your business growing quickly? Will your team keep working remotely? How much tech management do you want to take on? The answers to these questions can help you identify the system that best aligns with your organization’s goals.

Still unsure which phone system is right for your business? Let our experts guide you to the right choice. Contact us today and discover the perfect option.

Making the right call: Should you use Zoom Phone or VoIP for your organization?

Editor May 12, 2025

Choosing a phone system doesn’t have to be confusing. We compare Zoom Phone and traditional Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in a clear, nontechnical way to help you find the best fit for your business.

What’s the difference?

Traditional VoIP systems have been around for a while, enabling phone calls over the internet instead of using traditional phone lines. Depending on your setup, this system might live entirely in your office (on-premises), partly in your office and partly online (hybrid), or completely in the cloud. This gives you flexibility, but it can come with extra costs and management needs.

Zoom Phone is a newer option that builds on the Zoom platform many of us are already using for video calls. It brings phone calling into the same app, making it easy for users to switch between a call and a video meeting without juggling multiple tools.

Setup and maintenance: Who’s doing the heavy lifting?

Setting up a traditional VoIP system usually involves more steps. If you go the on-premises route, you’ll need physical equipment installed in your office and ongoing support to keep it all running smoothly. Even a cloud-based VoIP setup may need careful configuration and maintenance.
Zoom Phone, on the other hand, is designed to be quick and easy. Since it’s fully cloud-based, there’s no need to install special hardware. Setup can often be completed in just a few days, and updates or changes can be made with just a few clicks. It’s perfect for businesses looking to avoid complicated IT processes.

Does it work with your other tools?

Traditional VoIP systems can be customized to work with a wide variety of business tools, including customer relationship management (CRM) systems. However, getting everything to work together might require some technical help or custom development.
On the other hand, Zoom Phone is built for modern workplaces and integrates naturally with apps such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Slack. If you’re already using Zoom for video meetings, adopting Zoom Phone will feel like an extension of what you already know. It’s designed to keep everything connected with minimal hassle.

Cost: What’s the real price tag?

When it comes to expenses, traditional VoIP can require a large upfront investment. You may need to buy hardware, licenses, and pay for installation. Over time, this can work out to be cost-effective, but it does mean spending more at the start.
Zoom Phone follows a subscription model, where you pay a fixed amount per user every month or year. The pricing is more predictable with most essential features included upfront, making budgeting easier while avoiding surprise fees or expensive add-ons.

Security and compliance: Is your data safe?

Security is strong on both sides, but the details differ. Traditional VoIP systems often appeal to industries with strict rules (e.g., healthcare or finance) because they can be installed on site, giving the organization full control over their data and security settings. If your business has unique compliance requirements, this level of control can be a big plus.
Zoom Phone is also secure, building on Zoom’s enterprise-grade infrastructure. It offers robust encryption options and adheres to key compliance standards, ensuring data security. And with centralized management for video, phone, and messaging tools, it simplifies security settings while maintaining consistency across all connected platforms.

What’s best for you?

The right phone system depends on your business’s needs. If your company relies on highly customized setups or needs to meet specific compliance rules, traditional VoIP might be the better choice. But if you’re looking for something fast, simple, and easy to manage — especially for a remote or hybrid team — Zoom Phone could be the perfect fit.
Instead of thinking of it as a one-or-the-other decision, consider what your communication needs will look like not just today, but in the next few years. Is your business growing quickly? Will your team keep working remotely? How much tech management do you want to take on? The answers to these questions can help you identify the system that best aligns with your organization’s goals.

Still unsure which phone system is right for your business? Let our experts guide you to the right choice. Contact us today and discover the perfect option.

Unlock efficiency with Microsoft Power Automate

Editor May 9, 2025

Running a small business often means wearing many hats. You’re handling sales, marketing, customer service, and a lot more. It can get overwhelming, and you might find yourself doing the same tedious tasks day after day. But what if there is a way to free up some of your precious time and focus on growing your business? Enter Microsoft Power Automate, a handy tool that acts like your digital assistant, automating those repetitive tasks so you don’t have to keep doing them yourself.

What is Microsoft Power Automate?

Think of Power Automate as a helpful robot that lives in the cloud and can be trained to do all sorts of routine tasks for you automatically. It works based on two main things: triggers and actions. A trigger is like a starting signal; it tells the robot when to begin. For example, a trigger could be “when a new email arrives” or “when a new customer fills out a form on your website.” Once the trigger happens, the robot performs one or more actions. An action is a specific task, such as “save the email attachment to a folder” or “add the customer’s information to a spreadsheet.”

The great thing is that you don’t need to be a computer whiz to set up these automated workflows. Power Automate offers many ready-made templates for common tasks, and you can also create your own custom workflows without writing a single line of code.

Power Automate key features

Power Automate comes packed with features designed to make automation accessible. Here are some of the key components that make it so user-friendly:

  • Connectors – Connectors allow Power Automate to communicate and work with various apps and services you likely already use, such as email platforms, file storage services, and online forms.
  • Templates – Power Automate offers a library of templates, which are prebuilt workflows for common tasks. Basically, they’re ready-made recipes for automation, such as automatically saving tweets to a spreadsheet or sending a welcome email to new subscribers.
  • Drag-and-drop simplicity – Creating your own automated workflows is surprisingly easy. Simply pick the trigger you want and then drag and connect the actions you want to happen afterward.
  • Different ways to automate – Power Automate gives you different types of (work)flows to choose from:
    • Automated flows – These start automatically when something happens, such as when you receive a new email.
    • Instant flows – You can start these yourself with the click of a button on your computer or phone.
    • Scheduled flows – These run automatically on a schedule you set, such as daily or weekly reports.

Getting started with Power Automate

If you have a Microsoft account, you can use Power Automate for free on a limited basis to explore some of its capabilities. However, if you want to access key connectors and more advanced tools to really streamline your operations, you may need a paid subscription.

The good news is that Power Automate is often included with most Microsoft 365 enterprise plans, so your business might already have access to it. It’s worth checking with your IT administrator or exploring your Microsoft 365 subscription details. If it’s not included, separate Power Automate plans are available, starting at $15 per user per month.

Once you have access, just look for the Power Automate app online. You’ll see a dashboard where you can browse the templates to find ready-made automations that suit your needs. If you want to create something unique, head to the “Create” section. You can start from a blank canvas or choose a connector, or the app or service you want to automate something with.

The process usually involves selecting a trigger and then adding one or more actions. You can test your flow as you build it to make sure it works correctly. If something isn’t quite right, Power Automate usually provides helpful tips for troubleshooting.

Simple ways you can use Power Automate

To give you a better idea of how Power Automate can directly benefit your small business, here are a few simple and practical examples:

  • Automated email management – Set triggers to send important email attachments straight to a specific folder, making them easy to find later.
  • File syncing – Automatically copy files between different cloud storage services, such as OneDrive and Dropbox, so your files are always backed up and accessible.
  • Form data collection – If you use online forms to collect customer information, you can automatically save that data to a spreadsheet or database without manual entry.
  • Social media management – Get notifications for new social media mentions or even schedule basic posts (depending on the platform’s connectors).

Don’t be intimidated by the word “automate.” With its user-friendly interface and helpful templates, Power Automate can become your secret weapon for boosting efficiency and reclaiming your valuable time. Why not take a few minutes to explore what it can do for you? You can also give our experts a call for more help or information.

Work smarter, not harder with Microsoft Power Automate

Editor May 9, 2025

Juggling the demands of a small business can be tough. You’re always looking for ways to be more efficient and get more done in less time. Microsoft Power Automate could be the answer you’ve been searching for. This clever tool from Microsoft lets you automate everyday tasks and create workflows between the different apps you already use. Best of all, Power Automate makes these time-saving automations a reality even if you’re not a tech expert.

What is Microsoft Power Automate?

Think of Power Automate as a helpful robot that lives in the cloud and can be trained to do all sorts of routine tasks for you automatically. It works based on two main things: triggers and actions. A trigger is like a starting signal; it tells the robot when to begin. For example, a trigger could be “when a new email arrives” or “when a new customer fills out a form on your website.” Once the trigger happens, the robot performs one or more actions. An action is a specific task, such as “save the email attachment to a folder” or “add the customer’s information to a spreadsheet.”

The great thing is that you don’t need to be a computer whiz to set up these automated workflows. Power Automate offers many ready-made templates for common tasks, and you can also create your own custom workflows without writing a single line of code.

Power Automate key features

Power Automate comes packed with features designed to make automation accessible. Here are some of the key components that make it so user-friendly:

  • Connectors – Connectors allow Power Automate to communicate and work with various apps and services you likely already use, such as email platforms, file storage services, and online forms.
  • Templates – Power Automate offers a library of templates, which are prebuilt workflows for common tasks. Basically, they’re ready-made recipes for automation, such as automatically saving tweets to a spreadsheet or sending a welcome email to new subscribers.
  • Drag-and-drop simplicity – Creating your own automated workflows is surprisingly easy. Simply pick the trigger you want and then drag and connect the actions you want to happen afterward.
  • Different ways to automate – Power Automate gives you different types of (work)flows to choose from:
    • Automated flows – These start automatically when something happens, such as when you receive a new email.
    • Instant flows – You can start these yourself with the click of a button on your computer or phone.
    • Scheduled flows – These run automatically on a schedule you set, such as daily or weekly reports.

Getting started with Power Automate

If you have a Microsoft account, you can use Power Automate for free on a limited basis to explore some of its capabilities. However, if you want to access key connectors and more advanced tools to really streamline your operations, you may need a paid subscription.

The good news is that Power Automate is often included with most Microsoft 365 enterprise plans, so your business might already have access to it. It’s worth checking with your IT administrator or exploring your Microsoft 365 subscription details. If it’s not included, separate Power Automate plans are available, starting at $15 per user per month.

Once you have access, just look for the Power Automate app online. You’ll see a dashboard where you can browse the templates to find ready-made automations that suit your needs. If you want to create something unique, head to the “Create” section. You can start from a blank canvas or choose a connector, or the app or service you want to automate something with.

The process usually involves selecting a trigger and then adding one or more actions. You can test your flow as you build it to make sure it works correctly. If something isn’t quite right, Power Automate usually provides helpful tips for troubleshooting.

Simple ways you can use Power Automate

To give you a better idea of how Power Automate can directly benefit your small business, here are a few simple and practical examples:

  • Automated email management – Set triggers to send important email attachments straight to a specific folder, making them easy to find later.
  • File syncing – Automatically copy files between different cloud storage services, such as OneDrive and Dropbox, so your files are always backed up and accessible.
  • Form data collection – If you use online forms to collect customer information, you can automatically save that data to a spreadsheet or database without manual entry.
  • Social media management – Get notifications for new social media mentions or even schedule basic posts (depending on the platform’s connectors).

Don’t be intimidated by the word “automate.” With its user-friendly interface and helpful templates, Power Automate can become your secret weapon for boosting efficiency and reclaiming your valuable time. Why not take a few minutes to explore what it can do for you? You can also give our experts a call for more help or information.

Microsoft Power Automate: Say goodbye to repetitive manual tasks

Editor May 9, 2025

As a small-business owner, your time is incredibly valuable. Every minute spent on tasks that don’t directly contribute to your core business is a minute lost. If you’re tired of manually sending emails, moving files around, or entering the same information in multiple places, there’s a solution. Microsoft Power Automate is a user-friendly tool designed to take these repetitive chores off your plate. It helps different apps and services work together automatically, saving you time and effort without needing any complicated coding skills.

What is Microsoft Power Automate?

Think of Power Automate as a helpful robot that lives in the cloud and can be trained to do all sorts of routine tasks for you automatically. It works based on two main things: triggers and actions. A trigger is like a starting signal; it tells the robot when to begin. For example, a trigger could be “when a new email arrives” or “when a new customer fills out a form on your website.” Once the trigger happens, the robot performs one or more actions. An action is a specific task, such as “save the email attachment to a folder” or “add the customer’s information to a spreadsheet.”

The great thing is that you don’t need to be a computer whiz to set up these automated workflows. Power Automate offers many ready-made templates for common tasks, and you can also create your own custom workflows without writing a single line of code.

Power Automate key features

Power Automate comes packed with features designed to make automation accessible. Here are some of the key components that make it so user-friendly:

  • Connectors – Connectors allow Power Automate to communicate and work with various apps and services you likely already use, such as email platforms, file storage services, and online forms.
  • Templates – Power Automate offers a library of templates, which are prebuilt workflows for common tasks. Basically, they’re ready-made recipes for automation, such as automatically saving tweets to a spreadsheet or sending a welcome email to new subscribers.
  • Drag-and-drop simplicity – Creating your own automated workflows is surprisingly easy. Simply pick the trigger you want and then drag and connect the actions you want to happen afterward.
  • Different ways to automate – Power Automate gives you different types of (work)flows to choose from:
    • Automated flows – These start automatically when something happens, such as when you receive a new email.
    • Instant flows – You can start these yourself with the click of a button on your computer or phone.
    • Scheduled flows – These run automatically on a schedule you set, such as daily or weekly reports.

Getting started with Power Automate

If you have a Microsoft account, you can use Power Automate for free on a limited basis to explore some of its capabilities. However, if you want to access key connectors and more advanced tools to really streamline your operations, you may need a paid subscription.

The good news is that Power Automate is often included with most Microsoft 365 enterprise plans, so your business might already have access to it. It’s worth checking with your IT administrator or exploring your Microsoft 365 subscription details. If it’s not included, separate Power Automate plans are available, starting at $15 per user per month.

Once you have access, just look for the Power Automate app online. You’ll see a dashboard where you can browse the templates to find ready-made automations that suit your needs. If you want to create something unique, head to the “Create” section. You can start from a blank canvas or choose a connector, or the app or service you want to automate something with.

The process usually involves selecting a trigger and then adding one or more actions. You can test your flow as you build it to make sure it works correctly. If something isn’t quite right, Power Automate usually provides helpful tips for troubleshooting.

Simple ways you can use Power Automate

To give you a better idea of how Power Automate can directly benefit your small business, here are a few simple and practical examples:

  • Automated email management – Set triggers to send important email attachments straight to a specific folder, making them easy to find later.
  • File syncing – Automatically copy files between different cloud storage services, such as OneDrive and Dropbox, so your files are always backed up and accessible.
  • Form data collection – If you use online forms to collect customer information, you can automatically save that data to a spreadsheet or database without manual entry.
  • Social media management – Get notifications for new social media mentions or even schedule basic posts (depending on the platform’s connectors).

Don’t be intimidated by the word “automate.” With its user-friendly interface and helpful templates, Power Automate can become your secret weapon for boosting efficiency and reclaiming your valuable time. Why not take a few minutes to explore what it can do for you? You can also give our experts a call for more help or information.

Cut your cloud costs without cutting corners

Editor May 7, 2025

It’s easy to go over your cloud budget if you’re not careful. With so many factors that can affect pricing, it’s important to have a strong strategy in place to keep your expenses under control. With the right mix of smart planning, tools, and a little creative thinking, you can cut costs and still get top-notch cloud performance. Here’s how.

Track budgets with cost management consoles

Start by using the built-in cost management tools offered by cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. These consoles let you set spending limits, track usage, and get alerts so you don’t blow your budget.

You can then use detailed reporting and analytics to break down where your money is going. Tag resources by department, project, or workload, and review spending regularly. The better your visibility, the faster you can spot unnecessary expenses.

Identify unutilized and idle resources

Companies often waste money on unused or idle cloud resources, like virtual machines, storage, or services. Temporary servers may be left running, or storage linked to terminated instances can go unnoticed, continuing to rack up costs. Similarly, idle resources, such as servers running at only 10% CPU utilization, waste both computing power and money.

To avoid these inefficiencies, conduct regular audits to identify and remove unused resources. For idle ones, consolidate workloads to improve utilization and lower costs. Automated tools can flag underused assets, making it easier to cut expenses without losing flexibility.

Right-size the services

Bigger isn’t always better — or cheaper — when it comes to cloud resources. Right-sizing allows you to analyze and adjust your compute, storage, and database services to the most efficient size. Overprovisioning leads to unnecessary costs, so it’s crucial to match your resources to actual demand.

Since manually sizing instances can be complex with countless combinations of memory, graphics, storage, and throughput options, right-sizing tools can help. These tools provide recommendations across instance families, reducing costs, optimizing usage, and ensuring you get peak performance from your existing resources.

Use spot instances

Spot instances, also known as preemptible VMs, are unused cloud resources offered by providers at a discount. They’re a cost-effective option, often 70–90% cheaper than on-demand instances. Ideal for noncritical workloads, batch jobs, or testing environments, spot instances can offer substantial cost savings. However, because these resources can be reclaimed by the provider at any time, it’s vital that your workloads are able to handle interruptions and automatically scale in case of termination.

Choose more affordable providers

Not all clouds are priced equally. Depending on your needs, switching from a premium provider to a lower-cost competitor — or even using a mix of providers — can unlock big savings. Do some price comparisons and negotiate with vendors; you might be surprised how much you can save.

Move workloads elsewhere

Some workloads may run better on private clouds, colocation centers, or even on-premises hardware. Hybrid cloud strategies let you place workloads where they make the most financial sense, optimizing costs across the board.

Go serverless

Serverless computing takes the cloud’s pay-as-you-go model to the next level, billing down to each transaction or millisecond of use. This makes it ideal for unpredictable traffic or event-driven applications, allowing businesses to significantly cut costs. For example, side projects or proofs of concept can run for just pennies a month until demand scales up, making serverless perfect for businesses that want to minimize costs while remaining ready for growth.

Offload cold data

Why pay top dollar to store data you rarely access? Move infrequently used “cold” data to cheaper storage tiers or archival services. Many cloud providers offer options such as AWS Glacier or Azure Blob Storage Cool Tier specifically for this purpose.

Managing cloud costs often involves highly technical solutions and constant monitoring, but we can help simplify the process. Contact our cloud experts today to see how we can optimize your cloud infrastructure and reduce costs while keeping your business agile and scalable.

Simple strategies to save big on the cloud

Editor May 7, 2025

Many businesses are often surprised by how much their cloud costs can add up, but the good news is that there are easy ways to bring those numbers down. In this piece, we explore cost-saving hacks that will help your budget breathe easier.

Track budgets with cost management consoles

Start by using the built-in cost management tools offered by cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. These consoles let you set spending limits, track usage, and get alerts so you don’t blow your budget.

You can then use detailed reporting and analytics to break down where your money is going. Tag resources by department, project, or workload, and review spending regularly. The better your visibility, the faster you can spot unnecessary expenses.

Identify unutilized and idle resources

Companies often waste money on unused or idle cloud resources, like virtual machines, storage, or services. Temporary servers may be left running, or storage linked to terminated instances can go unnoticed, continuing to rack up costs. Similarly, idle resources, such as servers running at only 10% CPU utilization, waste both computing power and money.

To avoid these inefficiencies, conduct regular audits to identify and remove unused resources. For idle ones, consolidate workloads to improve utilization and lower costs. Automated tools can flag underused assets, making it easier to cut expenses without losing flexibility.

Right-size the services

Bigger isn’t always better — or cheaper — when it comes to cloud resources. Right-sizing allows you to analyze and adjust your compute, storage, and database services to the most efficient size. Overprovisioning leads to unnecessary costs, so it’s crucial to match your resources to actual demand.

Since manually sizing instances can be complex with countless combinations of memory, graphics, storage, and throughput options, right-sizing tools can help. These tools provide recommendations across instance families, reducing costs, optimizing usage, and ensuring you get peak performance from your existing resources.

Use spot instances

Spot instances, also known as preemptible VMs, are unused cloud resources offered by providers at a discount. They’re a cost-effective option, often 70–90% cheaper than on-demand instances. Ideal for noncritical workloads, batch jobs, or testing environments, spot instances can offer substantial cost savings. However, because these resources can be reclaimed by the provider at any time, it’s vital that your workloads are able to handle interruptions and automatically scale in case of termination.

Choose more affordable providers

Not all clouds are priced equally. Depending on your needs, switching from a premium provider to a lower-cost competitor — or even using a mix of providers — can unlock big savings. Do some price comparisons and negotiate with vendors; you might be surprised how much you can save.

Move workloads elsewhere

Some workloads may run better on private clouds, colocation centers, or even on-premises hardware. Hybrid cloud strategies let you place workloads where they make the most financial sense, optimizing costs across the board.

Go serverless

Serverless computing takes the cloud’s pay-as-you-go model to the next level, billing down to each transaction or millisecond of use. This makes it ideal for unpredictable traffic or event-driven applications, allowing businesses to significantly cut costs. For example, side projects or proofs of concept can run for just pennies a month until demand scales up, making serverless perfect for businesses that want to minimize costs while remaining ready for growth.

Offload cold data

Why pay top dollar to store data you rarely access? Move infrequently used “cold” data to cheaper storage tiers or archival services. Many cloud providers offer options such as AWS Glacier or Azure Blob Storage Cool Tier specifically for this purpose.

Managing cloud costs often involves highly technical solutions and constant monitoring, but we can help simplify the process. Contact our cloud experts today to see how we can optimize your cloud infrastructure and reduce costs while keeping your business agile and scalable.

8 Smart ways to slash your cloud costs

Editor May 7, 2025

Cloud expenses can spiral fast but with smart strategies, you can rein them in. This article breaks down nine simple yet clever ways to slash your cloud costs, from setting budgets with built-in consoles to using spot instances and offloading cold data. Whether you’re running a startup or an enterprise, these tips will help you cut waste and get the most bang for your buck.

Track budgets with cost management consoles

Start by using the built-in cost management tools offered by cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. These consoles let you set spending limits, track usage, and get alerts so you don’t blow your budget.

You can then use detailed reporting and analytics to break down where your money is going. Tag resources by department, project, or workload, and review spending regularly. The better your visibility, the faster you can spot unnecessary expenses.

Identify unutilized and idle resources

Companies often waste money on unused or idle cloud resources, like virtual machines, storage, or services. Temporary servers may be left running, or storage linked to terminated instances can go unnoticed, continuing to rack up costs. Similarly, idle resources, such as servers running at only 10% CPU utilization, waste both computing power and money.

To avoid these inefficiencies, conduct regular audits to identify and remove unused resources. For idle ones, consolidate workloads to improve utilization and lower costs. Automated tools can flag underused assets, making it easier to cut expenses without losing flexibility.

Right-size the services

Bigger isn’t always better — or cheaper — when it comes to cloud resources. Right-sizing allows you to analyze and adjust your compute, storage, and database services to the most efficient size. Overprovisioning leads to unnecessary costs, so it’s crucial to match your resources to actual demand.

Since manually sizing instances can be complex with countless combinations of memory, graphics, storage, and throughput options, right-sizing tools can help. These tools provide recommendations across instance families, reducing costs, optimizing usage, and ensuring you get peak performance from your existing resources.

Use spot instances

Spot instances, also known as preemptible VMs, are unused cloud resources offered by providers at a discount. They’re a cost-effective option, often 70–90% cheaper than on-demand instances. Ideal for noncritical workloads, batch jobs, or testing environments, spot instances can offer substantial cost savings. However, because these resources can be reclaimed by the provider at any time, it’s vital that your workloads are able to handle interruptions and automatically scale in case of termination.

Choose more affordable providers

Not all clouds are priced equally. Depending on your needs, switching from a premium provider to a lower-cost competitor — or even using a mix of providers — can unlock big savings. Do some price comparisons and negotiate with vendors; you might be surprised how much you can save.

Move workloads elsewhere

Some workloads may run better on private clouds, colocation centers, or even on-premises hardware. Hybrid cloud strategies let you place workloads where they make the most financial sense, optimizing costs across the board.

Go serverless

Serverless computing takes the cloud’s pay-as-you-go model to the next level, billing down to each transaction or millisecond of use. This makes it ideal for unpredictable traffic or event-driven applications, allowing businesses to significantly cut costs. For example, side projects or proofs of concept can run for just pennies a month until demand scales up, making serverless perfect for businesses that want to minimize costs while remaining ready for growth.

Offload cold data

Why pay top dollar to store data you rarely access? Move infrequently used “cold” data to cheaper storage tiers or archival services. Many cloud providers offer options such as AWS Glacier or Azure Blob Storage Cool Tier specifically for this purpose.

Managing cloud costs often involves highly technical solutions and constant monitoring, but we can help simplify the process. Contact our cloud experts today to see how we can optimize your cloud infrastructure and reduce costs while keeping your business agile and scalable.

How to accelerate your organization’s digital transformation

Editor May 5, 2025

Digital transformation is vital for businesses to stay ahead. So how can you accelerate the process? This article breaks down 10 impactful strategies to help you move faster. Whether you’re upgrading your tech stack or shifting your organizational mindset, these approaches will make your transformation more efficient and effective.

Focus on agility and flexibility for faster adjustments

Agility — the ability to quickly adjust plans and actions as circumstances evolve — is a vital driver of successful digital transformation. One proven way organizations build this agility is through agile software development, a flexible and collaborative approach that prioritizes speed, adaptability, and continuous improvement.

Rather than committing to a long, rigid development process, agile teams break projects into smaller, manageable parts and deliver them in short cycles. This allows for rapid testing, faster feedback, and the ability to make adjustments on the fly. Whether responding to market shifts, customer input, or internal changes, agile development keeps digital initiatives aligned with evolving business needs, minimizing delays and maximizing impact.

Modernize legacy systems to remove bottlenecks

Legacy systems, or outdated software or hardware, often can’t keep up with modern business demands. Their poor performance and limited compatibility with newer technologies can create inefficiencies, increase maintenance costs, and hinder growth. Replacing or integrating these systems with modern solutions removes critical bottlenecks and helps your organization keep up with the competition.

Leverage cloud solutions for speed and scalability

Shifting to the cloud removes the constraints of traditional infrastructure, enabling businesses to scale efficiently and adapt to changing needs. Cloud services such as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) give businesses the flexibility and tools needed to innovate and establish more efficient processes.

Adopt automation and AI technologies to streamline transformation

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are essential for accelerating digital transformation. Automating routine tasks frees up time for higher-value work, while using AI tools provide insights that support faster, more informed decisions.

For instance, AI-powered chatbots offer real-time customer support, while analytics tools uncover patterns that help businesses stay ahead of customer expectations. Together, these and similar technologies reduce manual effort, boost efficiency, and improve the overall quality of service, keeping transformation efforts moving forward.

Create a culture of innovation to embrace change

Encouraging teams to experiment and explore emerging technologies greatly speeds up your digital transformation efforts. That’s because when innovation is embedded in your culture, adopting new tools and strategies becomes faster and more effective.

Prioritize data-driven decision-making to avoid waste

Data is the cornerstone of every effective digital transformation journey. Analyzing cross-department data helps businesses shape strategy, improve customer experiences, and optimize operations. Without this approach, decisions are more likely to be misinformed, leading to inefficiencies, wasted resources, and delays that can derail progress.

Strengthen cybersecurity to prevent disruptions

As more operations are digitized and moved online, strong cybersecurity becomes even more critical. Installing advanced network security, end-to-end encryption, endpoint protection, and access management systems safeguard sensitive data and reduce the risk of breaches that could derail timelines and disrupt progress.

Equip employees with the right tools

Equipping employees with modern software, platforms, and collaboration tools is key to accelerating digital transformation. When teams have access to the right technology, they work more efficiently and are more willing to adopt new solutions, driving transformation forward with greater speed and effectiveness.

Invest in specialized talent for faster implementation

Specialized skills, such as AI, cloud computing, data science, and software development, are essential for implementing new technologies effectively. Hiring and retaining qualified talent helps businesses transition faster without compromising quality.

For quicker results, many organizations also choose to partner with external experts in digital transformation. This gives them immediate access to the skills they need without the delays of building in-house teams.

Continuously measure and optimize to maintain momentum

Sustaining digital transformation depends on consistent evaluation and adjustment. Tracking performance and collecting feedback helps organizations identify what’s working (and what isn’t) so improvements can be made without delay. This ongoing optimization ensures efforts stay focused on business goals and drive steady progress.

Connect with our experts to explore the right strategies for your digital transformation journey. Contact us today.

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