With ransomware and computer hacks plaguing businesses around the world daily, small and medium companies are increasingly looking for solutions but often don’t have the expertise or financial resources to implement cybersecurity on their own.
Enter Greenville’s Green Cloud Defense.
Since its founding in 2011 as Green Cloud Technologies, the company has focused on meeting the needs of small and medium businesses with cloud computing solutions but recently shifted to providing top-tier cybersecurity to those same companies.
Charles Houser, Green Cloud co-founder and executive vice president of sales and marketing, says increasing cyberthreats in recent years have made it imperative for businesses of all sizes to take digital security much more seriously.
After acquiring Cascade Defense in early 2021 and rebranding itself as Green Cloud Defense, the company is poised to meet the security needs of smaller companies, Houser says.
“Security is critical,” Houser says. “We’re trying to bring Fortune-1000 technology to medium and small businesses.”
He says Green Cloud will provide companies with a full suite of cybersecurity services that rival anything available to huge corporations with significant resources but at a price that smaller businesses can afford.
“Companies want this level of security but the cost [of developing it on their own] has been prohibitive,” Houser says.
He adds that while the service is not cheap at an average of about $300-400 per month, it will provide smaller businesses with a level of data security that has previously been unavailable to them.
He adds that as cyber threats proliferate, small businesses can’t afford to remain vulnerable.
“It’s a dangerous time, and that’s why I think we’re in the right business at the right time,” he says. “This isn’t an issue that’s going away. The bad actors are out there.”
Green Cloud started out providing data storage centers and worked with managed service providers (MSPs) who in turn provided IT services to small and medium companies. Houser says this gave the company valuable experience in understanding and meeting the needs of those companies. That understanding gave the company insight into how to tailor its new security products to help companies averaging 25 employees or fewer.
Green Cloud Defense continues to serve those cloud computing needs, especially now that so many ordinary people have become accustomed to using cloud backups for their personal devices. Apple’s iCloud and the widespread use of cloud backups for mobile phones has normalized the concept, Houser says, which makes it easier for companies to understand the virtues of moving their data services off site.
“The wave of cloud computing is really starting to trickle down to medium and small businesses,” Houser says.
With about 75 employees, Green Cloud Defense generates about $36 million in revenue annually and serves about 325 IT service providers representing between 3,000 and 4,000 small and medium businesses.
Houser says that with the introduction of cybersecurity services to its offerings, his company expects revenue to double in the next two to three years.
For more information, visit greenclouddefense.com.
Green Cloud Defense by the numbers
- Founded in July 2011 as Green Cloud Technologies to provide cloud computing services for small and medium businesses
- Rebranded to Green Cloud Defense in 2021 after acquiring Washington-based Cascade Defense
- Employs 75 people and generates roughly $36 million in annual revenue
- Offers comprehensive cybersecurity suite of services averaging between $300 and $400 monthly
