Skip to content

More mid-sized companies embracing cloud computing

When 2nd Wind Exercise Equipment’s e-mail server reached capacity in late 2007, the company had a choice to make. Its decision: Why buy new when cloud computing will do? The secondhand fitness equipment retailer based in Eden Prairie is among the Twin Cities’ first midsize enterprises to adopt cloud computing for core business applications. Instead of buying a new server, the company signed up for Google Apps, an online software suite that removes many of the hardware and licensing hassles related to managing IT resources. “We [believed] that the cloud options were the up-and-coming alternative,” says 2nd Wind President and Chief Operating Officer Tony Enrico. “And to date, we have not had any problems.” 2nd Wind’s experience suggests cloud providers are starting to resolve the concerns of larger enterprises. Locally, organizations transitioning to cloud computing include Minneapolis-based Dunn Brothers Coffee and the State of Minnesota’s Office of Enterprise Technology. If the trend sticks, it could bring a big shift within local IT departments.

(Continue reading…)