Cloud

Is Your Cloud Setup Still The Right Fit for Your Business?

May 19, 2025

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

A lot has changed in the way small businesses use technology. Ten years ago, you might have had a server humming away in a back closet and a basic email system hosted on your web provider. Today, most businesses have moved parts of their operations to the cloud – email, file storage, accounting, maybe even their phone system.

The cloud has made work more mobile, more collaborative, and in many ways, more efficient. But it’s not always as simple or secure as it seems, especially as your needs change and new risks emerge.

Recent research shows that more than 90% of businesses plan to update or rethink their cloud usage in the next two years. Interestingly, a growing number of those companies aren’t just adding more cloud – they’re also pulling some systems out of the public cloud and moving them to more secure, private, or in-house environments.

So why the shift?

Public cloud isn’t one-size-fits-all

When most people talk about “the cloud,” they’re referring to the public cloud – services like Microsoft 365, Amazon AWS, and others. These platforms are affordable, flexible, and easy to scale, which makes them a great fit for a lot of business functions.

But not every system or type of data belongs in a shared environment. Businesses that handle sensitive customer information, financial data, or medical records are realizing they may need more control and oversight than the public cloud can provide.

That’s where hybrid cloud comes in – a mix of public and private solutions that gives you the flexibility of cloud services with the added control of on-premise systems.

Is it time to reevaluate your cloud strategy?

Here are a few questions that might help you decide:

What type of data do you store? If you’re dealing with regulated, confidential, or business-critical data, a hybrid or private solution might be worth considering.

Are all your systems cloud-compatible? Some legacy software simply isn’t built for cloud environments. Rather than replace it all at once, a hybrid setup allows for a gradual, controlled transition.

How confident are you in your security measures? Regardless of where your data lives, you still need to protect it. That means strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, regular security reviews, and most importantly, backups.

Many businesses set up their cloud systems years ago and haven’t looked back. But as your business grows, your tech should evolve with it – and so should your approach to risk, compliance, and performance.

We can help you build a smarter setup

At Tech Experts, we help small businesses design cloud strategies that actually fit their needs – not some generic one-size-fits-all setup. Whether that means optimizing what you already have, moving part of your systems to a more secure environment, or just getting a better understanding of where your data lives and how it’s protected, we’re here to help.

If it’s been more than a year since you’ve reviewed your cloud infrastructure – or if you’ve never had a cloud strategy at all – it’s time. Let’s make sure your technology is working for your business, not creating hidden risks behind the scenes.

Don’t Trust The Cloud Alone: Backup Your Cloud Data

May 19, 2025

Many small business owners breathe a sigh of relief once they move their email, documents, or applications to the cloud. It feels like someone else is finally in charge of the heavy lifting: fewer in-house servers, less hardware to maintain, fewer headaches.

It’s a smart move in many ways. Cloud platforms like Microsoft 365, Dropbox, and others offer convenience, flexibility, and a degree of built-in protection that’s far beyond what most businesses could manage on their own.

But there’s a blind spot most people don’t realize until it’s too late: cloud providers don’t back up your data the way you think they do.

Don’t they have it handled?

When you store files or emails in the cloud, it’s easy to assume those providers are keeping everything perfectly safe. And to be fair, they are – from their side. If their servers crash or there’s a natural disaster, they can recover your data because they run redundant systems and have their own internal backups.

A common assumption is that if you’re using Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), your data is automatically backed up and protected. After all, it’s in the cloud, right?

Yes – but not in the way you might think.

Microsoft does offer some redundancy and short-term retention, but they’re not in the business of providing long-term, restorable backups for your business. In their own documentation, they recommend using third-party tools for that.

Here’s what’s at risk if you don’t have your own backup:

Emails permanently deleted (even by accident) are unrecoverable after a short time.
OneDrive and SharePoint files overwritten or removed may be gone forever.
If an employee leaves and you close their account, so goes all their data.
Ransomware or internal sabotage can lock or destroy cloud data just like local data.

Without a true backup solution, you’re one mistake – or one bad day – away from losing information your business depends on.

A smarter solution: Managed cloud backup for Office 365

The right approach is to use a managed backup platform designed specifically for Microsoft 365, delivered and maintained by your IT partner (that’s us).

This kind of backup works in the background, quietly capturing all your email, inboxes, folders, and attachments; contacts, calendars, and shared mailboxes; OneDrive and SharePoint files; and, Microsoft Teams conversations and shared files.

Cloud backup solutions are fully automated – no one on your team needs to click a button or remember to save anything. Backups run automatically, several times per day.

You can keep data for as long as your business needs it – 90 days, one year, or forever. Not just Microsoft’s very short default window.

Need a file or email as it existed last Tuesday at 3 p.m.? This is called “point in time recovery.” We can restore it exactly as it was, instantly.

Even if an employee is terminated, leaves the company, or an account is deactivated, their data is still backed up and recoverable. Once an account is deleted in Microsoft 365, you only have a short amount of time to recover the data.

And the best part? We manage it for you. We monitor it daily, fix problems before they become issues, and make sure your critical cloud data is always protected.

Peace of mind without lifting a finger

Small businesses are moving more and more of their operations to the cloud – which makes protecting that cloud data more important than ever. Just because it’s stored online doesn’t mean it’s safe from deletion, cyberattacks, or even billing errors that can deactivate accounts.

When you work with Tech Experts, we handle the whole backup process for you. You don’t have to buy software, assign someone to monitor it, or wonder whether you’ll be able to get a deleted file back. It’s covered – securely, automatically, and professionally.

If you’d like to make sure your Microsoft 365 data is being backed up the right way – or if you’re not sure at all – let’s talk. We’ll review your current setup and show you how we can protect your cloud data before it becomes a problem.

The Transformative Power Of Cloud Computing For Small Businesses

June 22, 2023

Small companies face numerous challenges, including limited resources, budget constraints, and the need to stay technologically relevant. Thankfully, advancements in technology have leveled the playing field, empowering small businesses with tools and solutions that were once only accessible to larger enterprises.

One such technology that has revolutionized the way businesses operate is cloud computing.

Cost savings

Traditional on-premises IT infrastructure can be expensive for small businesses, requiring significant upfront investments in hardware, software licenses, and maintenance.

Cloud computing offers a more cost-effective alternative. With cloud services, small businesses can leverage scalable resources and pay only for what they use, eliminating the need for infrastructure investments.

Collaboration and remote work

The ability to collaborate effectively is essential for small businesses to thrive.

Cloud computing facilitates seamless collaboration by providing a centralized platform accessible to employees from anywhere with an internet connection.

Cloud-based tools such as project management systems, document sharing platforms, and real-time communication apps enable teams to work together efficiently, regardless of their physical location.

This capability is especially valuable for small businesses with remote workers or distributed teams, fostering productivity and efficiency.

Data security

Protecting sensitive business data is a critical priority. Cloud computing offers robust security measures, including data encryption, regular backups, and advanced authentication protocols.

Storing data in the cloud reduces the risk of data loss due to hardware failures, theft, or natural disasters.

Cloud service providers typically have dedicated security teams and advanced threat detection systems, ensuring a higher level of data security than many small businesses can achieve on their own.

Flexibility and accessibility

Cloud computing provides small businesses with unparalleled flexibility and accessibility. Employees can access critical business applications and data from any device with an internet connection, enabling remote work and enhancing productivity. This flexibility also extends to the ability to quickly scale resources up or down based on business needs.

Cloud-based services also ensure that software and applications are regularly updated, eliminating the burden of manual updates and ensuring access to the latest features and security enhancements.

Competitive advantage

Adopting cloud technology can provide small businesses with a significant competitive advantage.

It allows smaller companies to access enterprise-level tools, applications, and infrastructure that were once exclusive to larger organizations.

This leveling of the playing field enables small businesses to innovate, streamline operations, and deliver enhanced customer experiences.

Cloud computing has emerged as a transformative technology for small businesses, offering a wide array of benefits, including scalability, cost efficiency, enhanced collaboration, data security, and improved flexibility.

By embracing cloud services, small businesses can leverage the power of advanced IT infrastructure without the burdensome costs and complexities associated with traditional on-premises solutions.

The cloud empowers small businesses to compete effectively, drive innovation, and achieve growth in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.

Helpful Tips For Keeping Your Cloud Storage Organized

September 30, 2022

Cloud file storage revolutionized the way we handle documents. No more having to email files back and forth. No more wondering which person in the office has the most recent copy of a document.

But just like the storage on your computer’s hard drive, cloud storage can also get messy. Files get saved in the wrong place and duplicate folders get created.

When employees are sharing the same cloud space it’s hard to keep things organized. Storage can be difficult to keep efficient.

Disorganized cloud storage systems lead to problems. This includes having a hard time finding files. As well as spending a lot of extra time finding needed documents.

Has your office been suffering from messy cloud storage? Does it seem to get harder and harder to find what you need?

Use a Universal Folder Naming Structure

When people use different naming structures for folders, it’s harder for everyone.

They often can’t find what they need. It also leads to the creation of duplicate folders for the same thing.

Map out the hierarchy of folders and how to name each thing. For example, you might have departments” as an outer folder and nest “projects” inside.

With everyone using the same naming system, it will be easier for everyone to find things. You also reduce the risk of having duplicate folders.

Keep File Structure to 2-3 Folders Deep

When you have too many folders nested, it can take forever to find a file. You feel like you must click down one rabbit hole after another. When people need to click into several folders, it discourages them from saving a file in the right place.

To avoid this issue, keep your file structure only two to three folders deep. This makes files easier to find and keeps your cloud storage more usable.

Use Folder Tags or Colors for Easier Recognition

Many cloud file systems allow you to use color tagging on folders. Using this can make a folder or group of folders instantly recognizable. This reduces the time it takes to find and store files.

Don’t Create Folders for Fewer Than 10 Files

The more folders people have to click into to find a document, the more time it takes. Folders can quickly add up as employees create them, not knowing where a file should go.

Use a rule for your cloud storage that restricts folder creation to 10 files or more.

This avoids having tons of folders with less than a handful of files in them. Have someone that can act as a storage administrator as well.

This can then be the person someone asks if they’re not sure where to store a file.

Promote the Slogan “Take Time to Save it Right”

We’re all guilty from time to time of saving to something general, like the desktop on a PC. We tell ourselves that we’ll go back at some point and move the file where it should be.

This issue multiplies when you have many people sharing the same cloud storage space. Files that aren’t where they belong add up fast.

This makes it harder for everyone to find things.

Promote the slogan “take time to save it right” among the staff. This means that they should take the extra few seconds to navigate where the file should be to save it.

This keeps things from getting unmanageable. If you use a file structure that’s only 2-3 folders deep, then this should be easier for everyone to abide by.

How Distributed Cloud Computing Enhances User Experience

May 18, 2022

As cloud technology is gaining popularity, businesses are encountering challenges such as security and reliability. This explains why the cloud market, edge computing, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud are staging the ground for distributed cloud computing.

New generations are ready to move on from traditional methods and technologies to the cloud. This is possible once businesses access the distributed cloud computing technology to enhance user experience and other tasks.

What is distributed cloud computing?

Distributed cloud computing is a technology that provides businesses with better knowledge about the market to fulfill customers’ needs with inexpensive IT systems. There are three origins of the distributed cloud:
• Public cloud
• Hybrid cloud
• Edge computing

Benefits of distributed cloud computing

Public cloud providers distribute services in different locations. The facilities are available to organizations that require low latency computational abilities.

This will help control the consistency in the location to manage the public and cloud infrastructure through a single channel.

Distributed cloud computing will provide major benefits with improved performance. This is possible after eliminating the latency problems and reducing the risk of control plane inefficiencies or global network outages.

With the distributed cloud, you can create cloud networks, storage, and compute in a shared environment. These storage networks are available in different zones. Some experts call these zones substations, which makes a lot of sense after understanding their qualities.

For instance, you can use the nearest branch of the local post office to avail their services.

The support, innovation, and productivity will not change because the public cloud providers will be responsible for managing distributed cloud substations.

Below, you will find some benefits of the distributed cloud:

Distributed cloud will increase compliance

This will ensure that the data is available in a specific location where customers can easily avail benefits.

The system will reduce the risk of network failure as the data is available in local and semi-local subnets. Different compute zones will be available with an increasing number of locations.

Distributed cloud computing and enhancement of user experience

Distributed cloud computing tools enable businesses to process data in real-time. They can also manage their data and create a data foundation. They can enhance the user experience by driving new and innovative strategies with accuracy, consistency, and relevant data.

Distributed cloud computing solutions allow businesses to customize their solutions to develop long-term customer relationships and offer faster, seamless services.

With this advanced version of cloud computing, they can enhance their responses to discover customer preferences.

Distributed cloud computing and the future

Technology experts are planning the future of distributed cloud computing by keeping in mind the business sector’s needs, interests, and similar industries. They focus more on cloud strategy, which concisely provides faster and better solutions to businesses.

Technology plays a vital role in enhancing business performance. However, businesses still need a solution so they can simplify their complicated IT structures. To drive better outcomes, businesses require an IT solution such as distributed cloud computing to simplify their tasks and activities and facilitate their customers with a better user experience.

What Exactly Is “The Cloud?”

November 23, 2020

You may have come across people talking about ‘cloud’ storage and software that runs in ‘the cloud.’

But what exactly is ‘the cloud,’ and why should you care about it?

A place for networking
The cloud is a bunch of servers that are connected to each other over the internet.

Tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon run huge networks of servers that let their customers (us) log in using different devices.

Can you imagine a situation where all your photos from the last 10 years were only held on your phone and not stored safely elsewhere? How many memories would you lose if your phone went missing?

The high freedom, convenience, and security offered by the cloud has seen a huge shift to cloud computing over the last few years.

It’s powerful stuff
Cloud infrastructure allows you to run apps and access data across multiple devices without needing to have everything installed on your devices.

This opens opportunities for businesses to offload computing and storage resources to cloud service providers, gaining the flexibility to easily boost or reduce resources as their needs change.

A real perk of running software in the cloud is that it means highly sophisticated applications can run from your computer or phone, with the cloud doing all the heavy lifting.

This can significantly reduce the amount you need to spend on your devices and how often they need to be replaced.

The cloud is also a collaborative place to be. Tools like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace make it super easy to share documents and work as a team. You can even work together in real-time and give each other instant feedback as you go.

Ignore its fluffy reputation: The cloud’s a tough cookie
When set up and managed correctly, the cloud is the safest place to keep your data.

Let’s be honest, which is more likely: Colin leaving his laptop in a bar again? Or the might of an Amazon or a Google getting hacked?

If Colin loses that laptop, he’ll get a slap on the wrist. If Google get hacked, it would cost them millions and millions of dollars and cause irreparable damage to their reputation.

Different types of cloud

There are three main types of cloud.

Private cloud
The private cloud is a network of servers that are dedicated to supporting a single business.

The hardware is solely dedicated to this business, and they allow organizations like the CIA and banks to have full control over every aspect of their cloud environment.

Public cloud
The public cloud refers to networks of servers that are wholly controlled by cloud service providers. Clients share resources with other people.

The public cloud costs less than setting up a private cloud, and there is far less maintenance and an extremely high level of reliability.

Hybrid cloud
Some firms like to mix and match private and public clouds for different needs. Hybrid cloud setups let businesses quickly move between the two as their needs change.

We’ll help you to make sense of it all.

When embracing the cloud, it’s best to have an experienced hand guide you to the right solutions.

Working with the right IT support partner early will help make sure that you head in the right direction. And make the most of the opportunities that cloud computing offers. Give us a call at (734) 457-5000 if you’d like more information.

Five Benefits Of Virtualization For Small Businesses

December 20, 2019

Virtualization offers real and attainable multi-faceted advantages for small businesses. Here are some tangible benefits:

Low operating costs

A growing number of businesses are using virtualization because the technology helps reduce costs drastically.

For instance, server virtualization eliminates the need to have physical servers, which are typically costly to run and maintain. In addition, instead of purchasing separate licenses for each server, you would only purchase one license and host additional servers at no extra cost (some limitations and exceptions may apply). With fewer physical servers, you also save money on power bills, maintenance fees and data center office space and fees.

Increased efficiency

Server virtualization makes more efficient use of computing resources; it becomes possible to increase the utilization of your servers from 15 to 80 percent, eliminating the need for extra servers.

You essentially consolidate multiple physical servers onto one machine running a number of virtual servers. As such, you would cut your capital expenses.

Improved business continuity

Server hardware failure is the most common cause of data center failure. In a virtual server, live migration is a feature that helps maintain business continuity by eliminating downtime.

Faster deployment

Virtual devices allow faster installations of new server applications and/or routers as well as to switch software services, since you don’t have to order equipment.

Instead, all you need to do is configure a new virtual machine, router, switch or storage drive using your special virtualization management software tool. The process typically involves copying an image, significantly reducing setup, configuration and recovery times.

Improved disaster recovery

Backing up virtual infrastructure normally entails making copies of virtual machine file images – an easier process than working with different physical servers.

In addition, hosting virtual infrastructure doesn’t require much equipment, so companies can buy multiple servers and house them in different locations. This makes backups redundant and disaster recovery quick for higher uptime.

Administrators can seamlessly move live virtual machines between physical server hosts without turning them off and without downtime.

Top Reasons To Jumpstart Your Paperless Initiative

December 10, 2019

Want to “go paperless” with your company? See the many benefits of paperless business and learn how to jumpstart this initiative for effective results.

Many businesses toy around with the idea of “going paperless,” but what’s actually in it for the companies who decide to go through with it? To be sure, not all businesses are cut out to go paperless.

Certain documents in certain industries simply must be in paper form. Therefore, depending on your industry and unique company needs, you may end up unnecessarily complicating affairs if you try to do everything digitally.

At the same time, a great many companies will benefit significantly from making this change. Below, we’ll go over the specific reasons why it might be a good idea for your company. First, though, let’s define what going paperless actually means.

What does it really mean to “go paperless?”
The term “going paperless” simply refers to the shift from printed documents to digital documents. For example, instead of printing invoices, order forms, and tax documents, a company would issue all of these documents digitally, sending them via email or storing them as files.

What are the top reasons to “go paperless?”
You’ll save money. Cloud data storage is a lot less expensive than on-premise data storage. Moreover, on-premise data storage forces you to pay for the maximum amount of storage you may need upfront. With cloud storage, you can easily scale your storage capacity up or down, depending on your needs.

You’ll have document access from everywhere
Most businesses who go paperless store their documents in the cloud. When you do this, access to these documents is available wherever you can find an Internet connection.

This makes it easier to hire remote workers, send employees on work trips, and access important information even when you’re away from the office.

You’ll save time
Consider the time it takes to print, scan, copy, collate, organize, and store all of your paper documents. Additionally, remember that when you have a huge number of documents to contend with, protocols and systems must be developed, instituted, and monitored. Lastly, think about how long it takes to find a specific document within your files. All of these tasks are time- consuming, and in any business, time is money.

When you switch to a digital system of document storage, you’ll be saving an immense amount of time. Documents can be digitally created, copied, sent, edited, and stored.

There’s no need to run to the printer or search through endless boxes for the paper file you need. When searching for files, you can simply pop a few keywords into the search bar of your data storage system, and voilà — it will appear!

You’ll save space
Consider how much space you currently use to store paper documents. From old tax returns and invoices to printed data and memos, an accumulation of individual sheets of paper can actually take up quite a lot of room. Digital documents, on the other hand, are virtually invisible. As long as you have enough data storage capacity available, you’ll gain tons of physical space when you make the switch to a paperless system.