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.
Territory management is the process of segmenting customers into groups by geography or other factors to optimize sales efforts and resources.
Account-based advertising is a hyper-focused B2B strategy that targets key accounts with personalized ads across multiple channels.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) is a business model where companies sell products directly to customers, bypassing traditional retail middlemen.
Enrichment is the process of adding third-party data to your existing customer profiles to get a more complete picture of your leads.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search results.
Learn about business development representative, including skills and qualifications for BDRs, & roles and responsibilities of a BDR.
Sales objections are reasons or concerns raised by a potential customer as to why they are hesitant or unwilling to make a purchase.
Channel partners are third-party firms that help market and sell a company's products or services, acting as an indirect sales force.
Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication method allowing users to access multiple applications with one set of login credentials.
The decision stage is where a well-researched buyer chooses a vendor. They compare specific products and pricing before making their final purchase.
Load testing is a type of performance testing that determines how a system behaves under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
A Customer Data Platform (CDP) is software that gathers and organizes customer data from various touchpoints into a single, unified profile.
Learn about batch processing, including benefits of batch processing, best practices for implementation, & common use cases.
Mobile compatibility ensures your site or app works flawlessly on mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, for a seamless user experience.
Going dark is when a once-responsive prospect suddenly stops all communication, leaving you wondering what went wrong.
Cost Per Impression (CPI) is the price an advertiser pays for each time their ad is displayed to a user, irrespective of clicks.
An on-premise CRM is a system hosted on a company's own servers, offering complete control over data, security, and system maintenance.
Ad-hoc reporting is the creation of one-off reports to answer specific business questions as they arise, providing instant, targeted insights.
Voice search optimization is the process of optimizing your content, SEO, and online listings to appear in and rank for voice-based searches.
Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in code, allowing developers to collaborate and manage project history effectively.
Omnichannel marketing creates a seamless, unified customer experience by integrating a company's various communication and sales channels.
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.
GPCTBA/C&I is a sales qualification framework for understanding a prospect's goals, plans, challenges, timeline, budget, and authority.
Learn about below the line, including key strategies for below the line marketing, & distinguishing above and below the line tactics.
Signaling is using credible actions to convey information about quality or intent to a less-informed party, effectively building trust.
The Challenger Sales model is a methodology where reps teach prospects, tailor their pitch, and take control of the sales conversation.
A small to medium-sized business (SMB) is a company whose employee count and annual revenue fall below certain industry-specific thresholds.
Ramp-up time is the period a new hire takes to get fully up to speed and become a productive member of your go-to-market team.
A Single Page Application (SPA) is a web app that interacts with the user by dynamically rewriting the current page rather than loading new pages.
The buyer journey maps the path a potential customer takes, from first learning about a product to the final decision to buy.
Learn about B2B demand generation, including strategies for effective B2B demand generation, & key components of a demand generation program.
Pipeline management is the process of tracking and managing potential customers as they move through the different stages of your sales process.
Data warehousing is the process of storing and managing large sets of data from various sources for business intelligence and reporting purposes.
A Champion/Challenger test pits a new 'challenger' against the current best-performing 'champion' to see which one performs better.
Yield management is a dynamic pricing strategy that adjusts prices based on demand to maximize revenue from a fixed, perishable inventory.
Revenue Operations KPIs are quantifiable metrics that track the performance, efficiency, and health of a company's revenue-generating engine.
Consumer buying behavior is the study of how individuals select, buy, and use products and services to satisfy their needs and desires.
Accounts Payable (AP) is the money a company owes its suppliers for goods or services bought on credit. It's listed as a current liability.
X-Sell, or cross-selling, is a sales strategy of selling additional, related products or services to an existing customer base.
A Request for Information (RFI) is a formal process for gathering information from potential suppliers before issuing a more detailed proposal.
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 sales quota is a time-bound sales goal for a rep or team, measured in revenue or units sold, to be met within a specific period.
Email engagement measures how your audience interacts with your emails. It includes key actions like opens, clicks, replies, and forwards.
Net new business is revenue from customers who have never purchased from your company before. It’s a crucial indicator of sustainable growth.
An Operational CRM is a system that automates and improves customer-facing business processes like sales, marketing, and customer service.
A Target Account List (TAL) is a focused list of high-value companies that a business specifically aims to convert into customers.
The open rate is the percentage of recipients who opened an email. It's a primary indicator of a subject line's effectiveness.
The buying cycle is the journey a customer takes from first realizing they have a need to making the final purchase decision.
A sales bundle groups multiple products or services into a single offering, often at a discounted price to provide greater value to customers.
Sales forecast accuracy is a key metric that compares your predicted sales revenue against the actual sales revenue you ultimately achieve.
A positioning statement is a concise description of your target market and how your product or service uniquely fills their needs.
A payment gateway is a service that authorizes and processes payments for businesses, acting as a secure link between the customer and the merchant.
Learn about brand equity, including understanding its importance, building strong brand equity, measuring brand equity, & real-world applications.
An electronic signature is a digital method for getting consent on electronic documents. It's a legally binding way to sign agreements online.
Total Audience Measurement (TAM) provides a holistic view of content consumption, tracking viewership across all platforms and devices.
A canary release is a deployment strategy where new software is rolled out to a small user group first, minimizing risk before a full release.
Demand is the economic principle describing a consumer's desire and willingness to purchase a specific good or service at a particular price.
Serverless computing is a cloud model where the provider manages servers, so developers can focus on code without worrying about infrastructure.
Average Customer Life is the average time someone remains a customer. It's a key metric for predicting revenue and measuring customer loyalty.
Customer Retention Cost (CRC) is the total amount a company spends to keep an existing customer over a certain period of time.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is the total revenue a business expects from a customer throughout their entire relationship with the company.
A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is a sales specialist who finds and qualifies new leads, building a pipeline for the sales team.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a system of integrated software that businesses use to manage and automate their core day-to-day processes.
A cloud-based CRM is a customer relationship management tool hosted online, letting teams access and manage customer data from anywhere.
“End of Quarter” (EOQ) refers to the final weeks of a business quarter when sales teams rush to meet quotas, often leading to a flurry of deals.
Customer Retention Rate (CRR) is the metric that measures the percentage of customers a company has kept over a specific period of time.
Real-time data processing is the method of analyzing data the instant it's generated, enabling immediate actions and decision-making.
The customer lifecycle is the journey a person takes from first becoming aware of your brand to becoming a loyal, repeat customer.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are measurable values that demonstrate how effectively a company is achieving its key business objectives.
A pain point is a specific, recurring problem your target customers face, causing them frustration, inefficiency, or added costs.
Trigger marketing uses customer actions or events to automatically send highly relevant, personalized messages at the perfect moment.
Learn about brand loyalty, including how to build brand loyalty, benefits of brand loyalty, measuring brand loyalty, & strategies for increasing loyalty.
Customer centricity is a business approach that puts the customer at the heart of every decision, aiming to build loyalty and long-term value.
Revenue forecasting is the process of estimating a company's future revenue, using historical data and market trends to guide strategic planning.
A sales kickoff (SKO) is an annual event for a sales team to celebrate wins, align on goals, and get motivated for the upcoming year.
An Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of rules that lets different software applications talk to each other and share information.
Lead routing is the automated process of distributing incoming leads to the right sales reps based on predefined criteria.
Intent-based leads are potential customers whose online actions—like searches or content engagement—signal a clear interest in buying a solution.
Smarketing is the process of aligning your sales and marketing teams. This integration focuses on shared goals to improve lead quality and drive revenue.
Email personalization uses subscriber data—like their name, interests, or past behavior—to create highly relevant and targeted email campaigns.
Direct sales involves selling products directly to consumers in a non-retail setting, such as at home, online, or person-to-person.
Deal closing is the final step in a sales cycle. It's when a prospect signs a contract and officially converts into a paying customer.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other and exchange information.
A lead magnet is a free incentive offered to potential customers in exchange for their contact details, like an email, to generate sales leads.
Account-Based Analytics measures engagement and impact across target accounts, not just individual leads, to guide B2B sales and marketing efforts.
A Software Development Kit (SDK) is a set of tools that allows developers to create applications for a specific software package or platform.
The Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework focuses on understanding customer needs by identifying the specific 'job' they are trying to accomplish.
Feature flags let you remotely control features in your app without new code. This enables safe testing, gradual rollouts, and quick rollbacks.
Virtual selling is the process of selling to customers remotely using technology like video calls, rather than meeting them in person.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) software helps teams coordinate personalized marketing and sales efforts to land high-value customer accounts.
Workflow automation uses rule-based logic to run a sequence of tasks that would otherwise require manual human effort to complete.
Revenue Operations (RevOps) is a business function that aligns a company's sales, marketing, and customer service teams to drive predictable revenue.
Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior for a given situation.
A marketing automation platform is software that automates marketing actions. It helps manage tasks like email campaigns and lead nurturing.
A sales territory is a specific group of customers or a geographic area that a salesperson or sales team is responsible for managing.
Digital analytics is the analysis of data from digital channels to understand user behavior and optimize online experiences for business goals.
Learn about business intelligence, including key components of business intelligence, the role of BI in decision making, business intelligence tools and techniques.
A spiff is a short-term sales incentive, often a cash bonus, paid directly to a salesperson for selling a specific product or service.
Sales funnel metrics are key data points that track how effectively you're moving potential customers from awareness to a final purchase.
A Call for Proposal (CFP) is a document that solicits proposals, often through a bidding process, for a specific project or service.