Cloud storage is a service model where digital data is stored on remote servers managed by a third-party provider and accessed over the internet. This approach eliminates the need for businesses to purchase and manage their own physical storage infrastructure. Instead, they can leverage on-demand, scalable capacity from a provider, often paying only for the resources they consume.
Adopting cloud storage offers significant advantages over traditional on-premises solutions. It allows businesses to streamline operations, reduce overhead, and enhance their data management capabilities, moving from a capital-intensive model to a flexible, operational one.
Cloud storage isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. It's typically offered in several deployment models, each catering to different needs for control, security, and scalability. Organizations can choose the model that best aligns with their operational requirements and data governance policies.
While often used interchangeably, cloud storage and cloud computing serve distinct but related functions in a modern IT strategy.
While cloud providers offer robust security, organizations must address key considerations to protect their data.
The cloud storage market is dominated by three hyperscalers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. These providers lead the industry with vast global infrastructure and a wide range of services. They offer scalable solutions for nearly any use case, from enterprise data lakes to simple backups.
Beyond the big three, other vendors serve specific niches. Services like Dropbox and Box are popular for file synchronization and sharing. Meanwhile, traditional enterprise vendors like IBM and Dell EMC also offer robust cloud solutions.
How secure is my data in the cloud?
Leading providers use robust security like end-to-end encryption and compliance with major regulations. However, security is a shared responsibility; you must still properly configure access controls and manage user permissions to prevent breaches.
What happens if my cloud provider has an outage?
Most providers guarantee high uptime through service-level agreements (SLAs) and have built-in redundancy across multiple data centers. This ensures your data remains accessible and minimizes disruption to your operations during an outage.
Can I switch cloud providers easily?
Migrating between providers can be challenging due to data egress fees, technical complexities, and potential downtime. Planning a multi-cloud or hybrid strategy from the outset can help mitigate vendor lock-in and simplify future transitions.
Customer Data Management (CDM) is the process of collecting, organizing, and analyzing customer data to create a unified view of your audience.
CRM integration connects your CRM software with other tools, creating a unified system for all your customer data and business processes.
Learn about B2B intent data providers, including evaluating intent data quality, leveraging intent data for growth, & B2B intent data: key providers comparison.
Channel partners are third-party firms that help market and sell a company's products or services, acting as an indirect sales force.
A cloud-based CRM is a customer relationship management tool hosted online, letting teams access and manage customer data from anywhere.
Sales operations analytics is the practice of analyzing sales data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire sales process.
Learn about bounce rate, including understanding bounce rate implications, key factors affecting bounce rate, & reducing your bounce rate effectively.
Discount strategies are pricing tactics used to attract customers and boost sales by temporarily reducing the price of products or services.
Prospecting is the process of identifying potential customers, or prospects, to build a sales pipeline and generate new business opportunities.
Accessibility testing is a software testing method that verifies an application is usable by people with disabilities, like vision or hearing loss.
The buying cycle is the journey a customer takes from first realizing they have a need to making the final purchase decision.
Network monitoring is the continuous process of tracking a computer network's performance and health to detect and resolve issues proactively.
A drip campaign is a series of automated messages sent to prospects or customers over time to nurture leads and drive engagement.
Database management is the process of organizing, storing, and maintaining data in a database to ensure its accuracy, security, and availability.
Direct mail is a marketing method where businesses send physical promotional materials directly to potential customers' mailboxes.
Omnichannel marketing creates a seamless, unified customer experience by integrating a company's various communication and sales channels.
Supply Chain Management oversees the entire production flow of a good or service, from raw materials to final delivery to the consumer.
Marketing Operations (MOps) is the engine of a marketing team, managing the technology, processes, and people to run campaigns effectively.
Enrichment is the process of adding third-party data to your existing customer profiles to get a more complete picture of your leads.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a system of integrated software that businesses use to manage and automate their core day-to-day processes.
Lead enrichment software adds crucial data to your leads, like contact info and firmographics, to help you better understand and engage them.
Customer engagement is the ongoing, value-driven relationship a business builds with its customers to foster brand loyalty and awareness.
A sales coach is a mentor who trains and guides sales reps to enhance their skills, boost performance, and ultimately close more deals effectively.
Regression analysis is a statistical method for estimating the relationships between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.
Average Revenue per User (ARPU) is a key performance indicator that calculates the average revenue generated from each user or subscriber.
A sales forecast is a projection of future sales revenue. It's a crucial tool for businesses to make informed decisions and allocate resources.
An inside sales rep sells products or services remotely from an office, using digital tools like phone and email to connect with customers.
Compliance testing ensures a product or system adheres to specific regulations, standards, or policies set by governing bodies or organizations.
Digital advertising is the practice of delivering promotional content to users through various online and digital channels like social media or search engines.
Freemium is a business model offering a product's basic features for free, while charging for advanced or supplemental features.
Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired goal, like a purchase or sign-up, out of the total number of visitors.
Learn about brand loyalty, including how to build brand loyalty, benefits of brand loyalty, measuring brand loyalty, & strategies for increasing loyalty.
A Customer Data Platform (CDP) is software that gathers and organizes customer data from various touchpoints into a single, unified profile.
Lead enrichment tools are platforms that automatically add missing data to your leads, like contact info, firmographics, and buying signals.
An on-premise CRM is a system hosted on a company's own servers, offering complete control over data, security, and system maintenance.
A sales demonstration is a presentation showing a prospect how a product or service works and how it can solve their specific problems.
Multi-channel marketing uses various platforms—like email, social media, and direct mail—to engage with customers wherever they are.
Predictive lead generation uses data and AI to find prospects most likely to buy, helping teams focus their efforts on high-value leads.
Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is a method where all expenses are re-evaluated and must be justified from scratch for each new budget period.
Outbound leads are potential customers a business proactively contacts through outreach like cold calls, emails, or social media.
Serviceable Available Market (SAM) is the segment of the total market that your business can realistically serve within its geographical reach.
Closed Lost is a sales term for a deal that didn't go through. The prospect decided not to buy, or the sales team disqualified them.
Agile methodology is an iterative approach to project management and software development, focusing on delivering value in small, incremental steps.
A small to medium-sized business (SMB) is a company whose employee count and annual revenue fall below certain industry-specific thresholds.
Average Order Value (AOV) tracks the average dollar amount spent each time a customer places an order on your website or mobile app.
Click-through rate (CTR) is a metric that measures the percentage of people who click on a specific link, ad, or call-to-action.
A demand generation framework is a strategic process for creating awareness and interest in your product, ultimately driving new business.
Hot leads are prospective customers who have shown significant interest and are ready to buy, making them a top priority for sales teams.
Yield management is a dynamic pricing strategy that adjusts prices based on demand to maximize revenue from a fixed, perishable inventory.
Key accounts are a company's most valuable customers, vital due to their significant revenue contribution and strategic importance for growth.
User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content, like images, videos, or text, created and shared by users on online platforms.
Learn about B2B data enrichment, including benefits of B2B data enrichment, implementing B2B data enrichment strategies, B2B data enrichment vs. data cleaning.
Demographic segmentation divides a market into groups based on traits like age, gender, and income, allowing for more targeted marketing efforts.
Sales compensation is the total pay a salesperson receives, including salary, commissions, and bonuses, structured to motivate performance.
Sales Performance Management (SPM) is a suite of tools and processes that help businesses monitor, analyze, and boost sales team performance.
Competitive intelligence (CI) is the ethical gathering and analysis of market data to inform strategic business decisions and gain an advantage.
Data appending is the process of adding new data fields to your existing database records to enrich and complete your information.
CRM data is the information businesses use to manage customer relationships. It covers contact details, purchase history, and communication logs.
Content Rights Management involves controlling the use and distribution of copyrighted digital media to protect intellectual property.
A vertical market is a niche where businesses cater to a specific industry or group of customers with specialized needs, not the mass market.
Customer Retention Rate (CRR) is the metric that measures the percentage of customers a company has kept over a specific period of time.
Learn about B2B marketing analytics, including key components of B2B marketing analytics, & getting started with B2B marketing analytics.
Lead Velocity Rate (LVR) is the growth rate of your qualified leads, measured month-over-month. It's a key indicator of future revenue.
CPM, or Cost Per Mille, is a key advertising metric. It's the cost an advertiser pays for one thousand views or impressions of a single ad.
Lead scoring models rank prospects by assigning points for their behaviors and demographics, helping sales teams prioritize their outreach.
Load testing is a type of performance testing that determines how a system behaves under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
A cold email is an initial outreach sent to a potential customer with whom you've had no prior contact, aiming to introduce your business.
Inbound leads are potential customers who proactively reach out after finding your business through content, social media, or search.
Tokenization is the process of breaking down text into smaller units called tokens, such as words or characters, for AI to process.
Competitive analysis means identifying your rivals and assessing their strategies to pinpoint your own business's strengths and weaknesses.
The C-suite, or C-level, refers to a company's most senior executives. Their titles usually start with 'Chief,' such as CEO, CFO, or CTO.
Geo-fencing creates a virtual boundary around a real-world location. It triggers actions on a device when it enters or exits this area.
Customer segmentation is dividing customers into groups based on shared traits. This allows for more targeted and effective marketing efforts.
A decision-maker is an individual with the authority to make significant choices for a company, especially regarding purchases or strategy.
The buyer's journey maps the path a potential customer takes, from first becoming aware of a problem to making a final purchase decision.
HubSpot is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform with tools for marketing, sales, and service, all aimed at helping businesses grow.
Fulfillment logistics is the entire process of getting an order to a customer, from storing inventory to picking, packing, and final shipment.
Total Audience Measurement (TAM) provides a holistic view of content consumption, tracking viewership across all platforms and devices.
Gamification applies game mechanics like points, badges, and leaderboards to non-game activities to boost engagement and motivate users.
A sales call is a real-time conversation between a salesperson and a prospect, aiming to persuade them to purchase a product or service.
Cold emailing is sending unsolicited emails to potential customers you haven't contacted before, aiming to start a business conversation.
Going dark is when a once-responsive prospect suddenly stops all communication, leaving you wondering what went wrong.
The FAB technique is a sales framework connecting product features to advantages and then to the specific benefits for the customer.
Psychographics categorizes people by their attitudes, interests, and lifestyles, revealing the 'why' behind their purchasing decisions.
Lead scraping is the process of automatically extracting contact information and other relevant data about potential customers from online sources.
Learn about brand awareness, including understanding its importance, building an effective strategy, key metrics to track, & examples in the real world.
A Master Service Agreement (MSA) is a foundational contract that sets the general terms for an ongoing business relationship between two parties.
Funnel optimization is the process of improving each stage of the customer journey to maximize conversions and drive revenue growth.
Learn about bulk API, including how it works, the advantages of using it, common use cases, and tips for optimizing it.
Warm outbound is a sales strategy for contacting prospects who've shown interest in your brand through prior engagement, like website visits.
Email engagement measures how your audience interacts with your emails. It includes key actions like opens, clicks, replies, and forwards.
Sales performance metrics are key data points that measure a sales team's effectiveness in achieving its goals and driving revenue.
Learn about B2B marketing KPIs, including identifying key B2B marketing KPIs, setting achievable KPI targets, B2B vs B2C marketing KPIs: understanding the differences.
A Quarterly Business Review (QBR) is a recurring meeting to assess performance against goals and align on strategy for the next quarter.
A horizontal market is one where a product or service is designed to meet a common need for a wide array of customers, regardless of their industry.
A warm email is a message sent to a prospect with whom you have a pre-existing connection, like a mutual contact or a prior interaction.
“Always Be Closing” (ABC) is a sales mantra meaning every action a salesperson takes should be with the ultimate goal of closing the sale.
Multi-touch attribution is a marketing analytics method that credits multiple touchpoints on the customer journey for a conversion.
A Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is a concise statement that clearly communicates the unique benefit a customer gets from your product or service.
An account is a company or organization that you're targeting for sales. It can be a prospective, current, or even a past customer.