The Corrugated Cloud

Purpose-driven computing and storage resources for the corrugated packaging industry.

Amtech offers cloud hosting designed specifically for the corrugated packaging industry.

First, let’s agree that “cloud computing” is a wildly unhelpful description. It invokes images of fluffy, fragile wisps of nothingness. Clouds are transient and unpredictable. Not a place you’d want to keep anything of value and not something you’d want to rely on to keep your business running.

All of that notwithstanding, it’s far easier to say “cloud” than it is “a piece of computer hardware housed in a secure, climate-controlled environment, protected by multiple physical and digital systems, and maintained by highly trained IT professionals.” Descriptive and accurate as that may be, it’s a mouthful. So, we’ll stick with “cloud.”

Should you be on the cloud?

The short answer is “Yes.” There are myriad reasons why cloud computing makes sense for the corrugated packaging industry. We’ll explore those reasons within the framework of three Ps: Protect, Prepare, and Profit. Then we’ll take a look at Amtech’s cloud offering that was engineered specifically for the corrugated industry – the corrugated cloud, if you will.

Protect

Your data and systems are valuable and vulnerable. They need protection.

Malware, phishing, denial of service (DDoS) attacks, and ransomware are just a few of the most common cyber threats that, if not repelled, can devastate a small or mid-size business (SMB). And before you think you’re too small for hackers to care about, consider these statistics:

• 46% of all cyber breaches impact businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees.[1]
• 82% of companies hit with ransomware attacks in 2021 had fewer than 1,000 employees; 37% had fewer than 100 employees [2]
• 1 in 323 targeted malicious emails are aimed at businesses with fewer than 250 employees [3]
• 61% of SMBs were targeted by a cyberattack in 2021 [4]

The numbers don’t lie – small businesses are increasingly the preferred target of bad actors. They know the big guys are more likely to have their security locked down; small businesses, by comparison, are easy picking.

Of course, hackers aren’t the only threat your systems face. There are also power outages, natural disasters, equipment failure, and even human error – all of which could take your systems offline indefinitely and quickly bring your business to the brink.

Cloud hosting mitigates all of those risks with:

• Sophisticated anti-malware that is constantly updated against new threats
• Data replication and automatic failover to a second data center
• Physically secure and SOC II-compliant data centers
• State-of-the-art fire suppression
• Redundant power and temperature control

Migrating to the cloud does a lot more than just move the servers out of your building; it also shifts the burden of security, continuity, and recovery to single-minded experts who’s only job is to keep you safe.

Prepare

Chances are, you want your business to grow, but are you prepared to grow? If you’re not on the cloud, you’re not as ready as you could be.

Cloud hosting offers a number of advantages to businesses currently in or looking forward to a growth phase, including:

• Anytime, anywhere access
• Rapid deployment and scalability
• Reduced hardware costs
• Streamlined upgrades

In practical terms, what that means is: secure, reliable connections for your remote workforce and field sales teams; expansion-ready digital infrastructure that can scale and deploy as fast as you need it to; greenfield-, brownfield-, acquisition-ready your IT won’t cause delays or cost overruns as you invest in growth.

Profit

At last we come to the big one: Profit. Without it, we might as fold the tents.

Many things impact profit; many of which are beyond your control. That makes it imperative that you take charge of as many potential profit killers as possible, which is the platinum lining to the corrugated cloud.

Here are the most meaningful ways cloud hosting will help you take charge of your bottom line:

• Optimize uptime. Automated backups and data recovery minimize unexpected downtime, keeping facilities running and orders shipping. Revenue is steady and predictable.
• Shift the burden. We take much of the IT burden off your shoulders so your IT team can focus on initiatives that drive revenue and profits.
• Manage headcount. Because we cover system security, back-ups, and maintenance for you, your company is less vulnerable to IT turnover and can keep headcount manageable, saving money.
• Stay modern. Because the corrugated cloud provides continuous improvements, your plants can stay modern, leveraging the newest features and functionality, leading to increased efficiency.
• Remain competitive. If you have multiple plants, you can deploy the same configurated solution across all of them. Consistency is efficient, helping you remain price competitive.
• Manage cashflow. The subscription model of cloud computing replaces a capital-intense one-time investment with a monthly subscription model that is often easier to manage. You can invest capital in other high-yield investments, like new equipment or a facility.

Explore The Corrugated Cloud

To this point, we’ve talked a lot about the universal benefits of cloud hosting. In the coming weeks, we’ll be delving more deeply into how cloud hosting can help improve operational excellence in specific departments of your business.

In the meantime, we invite you to take a closer look at the details of Amtech’s Cloud Hosting and the commitment we’ve made to delivering the best-in-class solution to the corrugated packaging industry and our software customers. Click here to explore Amtech’s corrugated cloud solution.