There is an ongoing push toward cloud communications as this platform can provide considerable benefits to the enterprise and the SMB. And, now that a number of providers have helped to calm the fears that a several companies have had regarding this seemingly vulnerable platform, the benefits can be more easily attainable.

The cost benefits of cloud services is captured well in this Data Center Knowledge blog, highlighting that six in 10 customers have reported that cloud communications have effectively helped them reduce their IT capital costs. The same survey also found that end users are benefitting from cloud in ways such as improved service quality, reduced IT management complexity and reduced IT operations costs.

A total of 159 enterprises with active, or immediately planned cloud deployments were interviewed by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA (News - Alert)), which found that 75 percent identify the private cloud as an optimal model. Another 52 percent are implementing on-premise and off-premise clouds.

Of those already leveraging cloud, lower IT capital costs was reported by 61 percent of respondents. An additional 25 percent reported they had effectively reduced capital and operational expenditures, including power, staff, maintenance costs and rent.

Alliance Global Services offered input on the benefits of cloud services, stressing how the platform can easily lower your costs. This claim is not based on the actual costs for the cloud infrastructure, but instead on the fact that you can easily adjust how much computing power you need based on your usage. This approach appeals specifically to those companies with peaks and valleys in their operating power.

It is also important to compare the offerings of cloud services providers and how they price them according to the specific needs of your organization. Will they price them according to the number of virtual servers you need, the number of hours you need them, the type of instances that will occur, the amount of data to be transferred through the cloud services, the number of instances at your baseline and your peak volume and more.

This piece from OnState (News - Alert) stresses how you can easily calculate your cost savings by migrating to cloud services by using the Go Google Cloud Calculator. This tool poses two questions and then allows you to determine the approximate amount your company can save by leveraging cloud services This cost savings takes into account time, as well as employee utilization.

Moving to the cloud can mean savings for your company; as long as you know how and what to calculate to determine those savings.