In Depth: Making your journey to cloud

A recent Gartner survey on the future of IT services states that 80% of organizations said that they intend to use cloud services in some form within 12 months, including 55 percent of the organizations not doing so today.

Certainly cloud isn't new but companies are still in the process of understanding what works for their business. What they can't do is fall in the trap of following the crowd and so need to know what all the options are - be that cloud, on-premise or hybrid - for their business.

With today's business environment epitomised by flexible working and a hyper-connected workforce, the implication that cloud computing is now universally accepted among small and medium businesses as a tool of choice is well founded. Yet for many, cloud is still very much the exception rather than the rule when it comes to fulfilling IT requirements in the business mainstream.

Everyone doing it?

It seems like the entire world is moving to the cloud. Cisco recently predicted that 60% of business workloads globally will be managed via the cloud by 2016. Whilst a recent Gartner survey on the future of IT services states that 80% of organizations said that they intend to use cloud services in some form within 12 months, including 55 percent of the organizations not doing so today.

The benefits of cloud, which offers more flexible and scalable installations for lower initial costs, are irrefutable to the extent that software and applications delivered over the web are now widely seen as the future of business computing.

The cloud has firmly entered the business consciousness, yet by no means is it the norm amongst small, medium and growing businesses, many of whom have existing systems in place that working efficiently. So what's all the fuss about?

Lower costs and manageability

The cost of entry for cloud software is reduced, as unlike on-premise applications (where a bigger up-front investment is required to purchase the hardware and software) you are paying monthly for the service and the computing power needed to run it.

The cloud's 'time-share' mentality spreads the costs out between all businesses hosted in the same facility, maintenance in the cloud can be carried out cost-effectively and necessary upgrades are easily negotiated.

Scalability

The scalability offered by cloud based solutions is a huge coup. As your business grows there is no need to worry about replacing your server as new users can be added at the touch of a button.

This is ideal for fast-growing companies that experience seasonal surges in demand, or surprise/irregular spikes, knowing that the system will be running effectively when it's needed most. Businesses can quickly upscale computing power as needed.

Flexibility

One of the biggest advantages of cloud is that it provides access to data anywhere, at any time. It supports 24 hour day operations, whether you're a founder stuck to your desk or a COO of an international business that needs to run around the clock, it provides the flexibility businesses need to cater to customers 24/7.

Of course whilst there are benefits, the one consistent concern with the cloud remains data security. However providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon have proven their security credentials through years of reliable, 99.9%-plus provision and those that don't drop out of the market pretty quick.

Other options for businesses

Whilst the benefits of cloud are abundant, it's not the only option. Adopting cloud technology isn't an all or nothing decision; companies will often retain on-premise solutions or even opt for a hybrid approach, which is by no means a bad thing.

Established businesses that have recently opted for on-premise solution shouldn't doubt that decision because of the buzz around cloud.

If a business is running efficiently on existing on-premise servers and storage, make the most out of the investment to see a tangible return and utilise in-house adaptations to achieve solutions rather than introducing a new system. Reassess software options when this is no longer the case or requirements change - for any business, changing software is a big deal so it needs to be a considered decision.

Equally for companies - particularly in highly regulated sectors - wanting to retain full control of their systems and data, they will likely pay a premium for this privilege in the cloud era.

There is no wrong or right answer when it comes to selecting cloud, hybrid, or indeed on-premise solutions. It's whatever works for the business and weighing up the options available should be something every software vendor should be advising to customers.

What to consider on your journey to the cloud….

Every business is individual and has different requirements. Whilst there's no one size fits all for business computing, the underlying considerations should be universal. Businesses need a solution to a problem, whether it be cloud, hybrid or on-premise, these basic questions are a good place to start:

1. What are the challenges that face my business?
2. Do you need access to data outside of the office?
3. What problems are you experiencing with your software?
4. Do you need a tailored solution or a scalable solution?
5. What would cloud provide my business with that on-premise doesn't?

• Steve Attwell is the Managing Director for Sage UKI's Small and Medium Business Division

In Depth: Google Drive and Docs tips: 20 expert tricks and shortcuts

Google Drive and the Docs suite it incorporates have grown a lot more powerful over the last couple of years.

Desktop syncing, Gmail integration, mobile and offline editing, handwriting recognition, extra storage and a variety of interface tweaks have all come down the pipe to leave Drive looking like a very mature and capable platform indeed.

It still falls short of the raw power of a typical desktop office suite, yet with growing broadband speeds and ever-improving mobile apps it's becoming a part of the workflow for more and more people.

Whether you've only dabbled in Docs and Drive in the past, or you're a long-standing veteran, we've collected 20 of our favourite tips to help you improve your productivity.

1. File types

Let's start with the main Google Drive interface. Click on the downward arrow inside the search box at the top of the screen and you can filter the files shown based on their format, their ownership permissions or their visibility on the Web.

2. Change the view

There are a couple of useful links on the left of the Google Drive interface that can change the view of the files you're looking at: use Recent to see the most recently opened files at the top of the pile, and Activity to see files that have recently been changed by you or someone else with access permissions.

3. Multiple previews

Do you want to be able to preview multiple files at once, without opening them up? Of course you do. Place ticks next to all the files you want to see in the main Google Drive interface, then press the preview button (an eye symbol). Use the cursor keys or the arrows at the sides to navigate through your files.

4. Drive on the desktop

Google Drive's desktop application lets you use the platform as an online backup service for your local files. You can choose specific folders to sync on each machine. Native Google Docs files are shown as web links on your hard drive.

5. Built-in OCR

Google Drive can use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to parse text in PDF files and images and convert it into a standard Google Docs document. You can choose this option from the upload settings. The original image or PDF is embedded at the top of the document.

6. Paint formats

The Paint format button is to the left of the toolbar in all of the main Docs applications, and you can use it to copy the format of one block of text to another. If you're creating a heading style, for example, you can quickly apply it to the other headings in your document.

7. Set default text

In the Docs word processor, open up the stylesheets drop-down menu from the toolbar, then select Normal text > Update 'Normal text' to match. This sets the current text style as normal. Choose Options > Save as my default styles to use this new stylesheet on every new document.

8. Link searches

If you highlight a block of text and then click the link button on the Docs toolbar, you'll see a list of suggested URLs based on the text you've selected. Matches for the selected word or phrase in your Google Drive file list are also shown, if you want to link between different documents.

9. Research

If you're always switching to and from Google to look up information, you can make use of the Research pane (accessible from the Tools menu in Docs and Slides). Type a search term to see results from the web as well as your Google Drive and Gmail accounts.

10. Image drag

You can drag and drop images right into your documents, whether from your local hard drive or a website.

11. Translate documents

Leverage the power of Google Translate and get your documents swiftly translated from the option on the Tools menu. 46 different languages were available the last time we checked.

12. Email notifications

In the Sheets spreadsheet app you can get customised notifications when something is changed on a spreadsheet. Choose Tools > Notification rules to set up your alerts as required.

13. Theme master slides

The themes in Slides help you get your presentation up and running quickly, and in October Google added the option to edit the master slide (and thus the current theme). Open the Slide menu and choose the 'Edit master' option to make changes.

14. Layout tables

The Docs word processor doesn't have the most advanced design tools, but you can use tables for slightly more unusual layouts. Use the Table menu to create the grid and then change its borders to 0pt width so that they're invisible.

15. Conditional formatting

The capabilities and scope of Google's online office suite continues to grow. Via the Format menu in Sheets you can apply specific text and background colours if the cells in a certain range match particular criteria (such as their numerical value).

16. Word Art

The Slides presentation program includes a basic Word Art tool that you can access from the Insert menu. You can change text colour, border colour and border thickness from the toolbar, and Word Art shapes can be useful if you need more flexibility than a standard text box can give you.

17. Scan documents

If you have the official Google Drive app for Android, you can select the Scan option to use your phone or tablet as a scanner. Snap a physical document with your device's camera and the app converts it to a PDF saved in Google Drive.

18. Find new apps

Many of the apps available in the Chrome Web Store tie right in with Google Drive and add extra capabilities to the service. From the main files list open the settings drop-down menu and choose Manage apps to look at apps you've already connected. Follow the link to browse for new programs, which cover everything from photo editing to online document signing.

19. Start publishing

You can embed a presentation or any other type of file on the web to make it easier for other people to find. Choose Publish to the Web from the File menu to see the available options.

20. Go offline

If you're going to be away from a reliable Internet connection for a while, you can still work on your files by utilising Google Drive's offline capabilities. You need to set this up in advance so the necessary caching can be carried out, and you need to be using the Chrome browser: choose the Offline link from the file list to enable the feature. If you haven't already installed the Drive Chrome app, you'll be prompted to do so. If you're running Chrome OS, the feature is enabled automatically.

• Now why not read How Google Now can help you be more efficient

IN DEPTH: Origin of the series: how TV producers are adapting for on demand

Ten years ago, the TV industry was a simpler place. People watched a show on television, then perhaps bought it on DVD if they really loved it. The biggest thing producers had to worry about was making sure there was a commentary track and some outtakes for the DVD extras.

Fast forward a decade and everything has changed. Audiences are fragmented, with relatively small numbers tuning in when a show is broadcast, but many more later watching it on "catch-up" services like BBC's iPlayer in the UK and Hulu Plus in the US. Yet more might illegally download it, or merely watch clips of episodes on YouTube. DVD-buyers still exist, but many people also now buy series on Apple's iTunes platform, or through a streaming subscription to Netflix or Amazon On Demand, which are starting to bypass traditional broadcast TV by commissioning their own series.

"We are now challenged with making television that can live beyond its singular broadcast window," explains Dan Tucker, a freelance senior producer who's worked with the BBC, Disney, Endemol and more.

"The commissioners who choose and then fund programmes are thinking about audiences in new ways."

What a producer does

The role played by a producer in putting together a television series is complex and multifaceted. It's their job to make sure a programmes are delivered on time, on budget, and to as high a standard as possible. They're often the first and last people involved, from the earliest research and scripts to the end of post-production and final delivery of the show. "The producer is the keystone in a programme's lifecycle; bringing together and leading the team, responsible for delivery and also a key editorial force in making the show the best it can be," says Tucker.

That means getting the most out of all the platforms available to them, which can involve tweaking a show so it resonates better with an online audience. "The viewing figures on YouTube often totally dwarf those of linear television", says Tucker. TV shows no longer end at the TV – they can inspire internet memes that last far longer than the shows themselves, having a profound effect on popular culture.

Producers are also discovering that people tend to watch different genres of television in different ways. "Most of the comedy content I watch from TV I watch whilst commuting," says Tucker. "Then I'll sit down with my wife and watch back-to-back episodes of a drama. Big documentary series are often watched on long rail or plane journeys."

That leads to a totally new set of priorities, Tucker explains. "We're now all really keen to have our landmark documentary series on Netflix because it has the long tail and the audience reach. It's much more valuable than a repeat late at night on a sister channel to one of the big broadcasters that might only pull in a few tens of thousands of viewers. Once."

Ahead of the curve

That's not all. As well as having to adapt to a new audience, producers now have to contend with having to gather material from a far wider range of sources, many of which have owners that are difficult to track down. "We often want to use content from YouTube and other shared media platforms, but the accreditation or permissions for obtaining copyright clearance are a bit more obscure," says Tucker.

In fact, smart producers often look at what's big on YouTube to guide their work. "In the case of videogames, for example, TV is years behind," says Tucker. "YouTube is an enormous repository for content that is eminently shareable. It's both a rival and an amazing research tool for traditional telly."

That's great for YouTube, but it can be frustrating for streaming services that rely on traditional television infrastructure for new shows. As a result, many are starting to commission their own series to keep the flow of content coming, based on their own data on what people want to watch.

Major players

Netflix has made the biggest splash so far by remaking cult political drama House of Cards with Kevin Spacey, and commissioning a long-demanded new series of the much-loved comedy Arrested Development. It's also hoping that teens will be as keen on werewolves as they are vampires with Hemlock Grove, and is bringing several superheroes to the small screen with Marvel.

Amazon hasn't been taking that sitting down, though, with five series planned for 2014. Two are adult comedies, one featuring John Goodman and Bill Murray and the other focusing on Silicon Valley. The rest are aimed at a kids audience – Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf. Meanwhile, it's been snapping up exclusives on a stack of BBC hits like The Office, Jonathan Creek, Top Gear and Spooks.

Amazon has also commissioned a sextet of comedy pilots, and Microsoft will be putting a live-action Halo TV series, produced by Steven Spielberg on to its Xbox One console. Sony isn't far behind either, forming a unit inside its movie studio Sony Pictures called PlayStation Productions.

So far it's almost all fiction, however. "It would be great if companies like Netflix were to start looking at producing documentaries for more niche markets – something that TV broadcasters will not do, despite there being a big audience out there," says Tucker.

"I just made a documentary about videogames for a terrestrial UK channel that 1 million viewers watched on the night of transmission. But if it was on a platform like Netflix, an already-web-and-game-savvy audience would, I hope, watch in even greater numbers."

Next steps

So how can traditional TV fight back? "I think that commissioners and the channels that they work for need to become a bit braver with how they commission shows," he adds. "I also think that the big broadcasters, certainly in the UK, need to place much more value on the viewing figures that come from on demand viewing."

Meanwhile, the digital ground doesn't show any signs of settling. More changes are coming down the line, as Blu-ray and 3D fade into irrelevance and technology companies set their sights on 4K.

What happens next will depend largely on how consumers respond to exclusives and having to pay multiple subscription fees to see all the shows they want. If the arms race continues for more than a year or two, then it could erode trust in streaming services before they can get established in the mainstream. That would be bad for consumers, producers, streaming services and the TV industry as a whole.

Unfortunately, with an increasing amount of original content being produced, such a situation is looking more and more likely. If we're ever going to build a one-stop giant Blockbusters in the sky, we'll need to do rather better than that.

• Want to know where to find the best TV shows? If you are from the UK, then click this way...