Besides issues related to access to finance and funding, one of the main hurdles start-ups and entrepreneurs in Africa and beyond have to overcome, are challenges related to streamlining their internal processes. This is needed to turn any young venture into a well-oiled machine that can stand the test of time. To help African entrepreneurs do just that, Alto Africa has introduced Cloudbox, a new enhanced 'All-in-One' IT solution in a box. This process-aligning, cloud-based tool was built on the shopping mall concept and was specifically designed for African SMEs that are looking to up their game and grow bigger and stronger. 
 
So how does it work? Cloudbox offers affordable installation, maintenance and support costs payable at a fixed rate per month, giving small business owners the freedom to focus on their business instead of worrying about IT issues. The solution incorporates email, email backups, file sharing, computer backups, antivirus and communication into one simple package to take the complexity out of IT.
 
More importantly, Alto Africa offers unlimited support packages that are truly uncapped and includes onsite support and change requests. CEO Justin Trent adds that Cloudbox is a single product that is simple to use and easy to understand. "Cloudbox has brought simplicity to a cluttered and confusing SA cloud market. Cloudbox balances compliance and control with usability and functionality and ensures that your software is standardised throughout your company."
 
IT resources and applications are managed offsite in the cloud, so customers only pay for the services they actually need. With no unexpected costs, budgets can be projected more accurately and with only one set of licences to manage, customers have the flexibility to scale up or down as they require.
 
Trent says everything is taken care of under one roof by one vendor on a per-user, per-month basis for a flat monthly fee. "One vendor, one bill. With three packages to choose from, each Cloudbox package offers an IT toolkit designed to meet the technology needs and budget requirements of your business."
 
Cloudbox’s ‘IT human’ approach is firmly centred on excellent customer service. Unlike product-focused businesses where the incentive is to sell more, quality cloud solution providers are purely service-oriented.
 
As workforces become more and more mobile, businesses need to respond. Shared calendars, secure file sharing, corporate instant messaging and online conferencing are now a must for every SME. Also, the amount of data being generated each day is constantly on the rise and to remain competitive, SMEs require a large, full exchange mailbox, email archiving and access to additional cloud storage.
 
Data security is also a major concern for most small businesses. From multi-layered anti-virus to data encryption, Cloudbox will ensure that all company data is fully secure and backed up, and easily recoverable in a disaster.
 
Alto Africa also guarantees seamless migration to Cloudbox with zero downtime. The solution is fast to deploy with unlimited expansion capacity.
 
"Cloudbox’s success relies entirely upon being able to keep clients up and running 24/7, from everyday support to complex network monitoring and management, the dedicated team of IT Humans at Cloudbox has you covered," he concludes.