For all you Boston area cloud computing users, or non-users, this article is to show you that their are many more benefits to cloud computing than simply just the money it will save you and your Boston area small business. Cloud computing is becoming a more viable tool for a small or large business every day and I think that any of you who are not already in on this sort of thing are truly missing out.

Put aside, just for a minute, the many benefits of a public cloud. Here’s the real reason so many companies are migrating (or considering a migration) to this model: money. With this move, companies can save money.

But can they?

Here’s the more complicated reality, for some organizations, a public cloud can save money when compared to a private cloud or in-house IT data center. For larger enterprises, however, it’s a completely different equation. There are many potential benefits, but straight up cost savings usually isn’t one of them.

The arrangement can be tricky to compute. The initial start up costs are low, so it may look like there are savings to be had, but then the bills come in fast, and they keep coming.

The first and most important variable is management—too many companies think that moving data and operations to a public cloud means not having to worry about it at all. The reality is that without strong, hands-on management, this model is essentially doomed to fail. Just because it’s largely out of sight doesn’t mean it should be out of mind.

Next, think of the day-to-day issues in a traditional, in-house data center or a private cloud: security, governance, lifecycle solutions, etc. They’re all necessary, and they all come with a price tag. This is typically not what public cloud providers focus on, which means that companies sending data and services to a public cloud have to, and there are definitely expenses involved.

Economies of scale also matter, and they get talked about a lot. Having a relationship with a public cloud provider allows companies to scale up instantly when they need to, in response to market swings and other business priorities, without incurring the hassles and costs of preparation. But here’s a contrarian thought: many large IT organizations are already massive—they have data centers that are measurably larger than those belonging to most public cloud providers. Are companies so often in a situation where they need so much more capacity, and so suddenly, that they need to call in a third-party provider?

To read the full text of this article found on Business Insider.com, click here. Had you ever thought of some of these benefits that cloud computing is bringing you and your business before?