Future of retail may be cloudy

Although cloud computing holds significant promise for virtually any industry, retailers in particular may be able to experience substantial benefits from the technology as decision-makers leverage next-generation tools to acquire more information on consumer buying behavior. By leveraging the cloud, organizations can maintain the IT infrastructure that holds this information more easily, according to a report by Dynamic Business.

The cloud also allows companies to perform more efficiently in the wake of a natural disaster, the news source said. Since cloud storage hosts information off-site, the physical damage to one store will not ripple throughout the business and impact other locations.

Additionally, data quality is not tampered in the cloud, as IT departments can continually back up information and implement robust security to ensure information is not compromised in any way, Dynamic Business reported. Companies can also deploy cloud monitoring tools to gain greater visibility into the infrastructure, allowing individuals to find damaged information and quickly resolve any issues.

A separate report by Inside Outdoor said that some analysts believe cloud computing will be a necessary technological deployment for a retailer's survival in the coming years, especially as more companies around the world adopt the services.