What is The Cloud?
- You want to be more effective: Integration is the name of the game and it’s easier with Cloud based systems. Why not have some (or all) of your accounting or social media information available in your CRM system, or have people who follow you on Twitter automatically loaded into your CRM system which can then tweet out a thank yous.
You have seasonal work loads: If you supply a service or product that has a seasonal swing meaning you recruit temporary labour then the cloud services subscription model gives a better cash flow than traditional systems investments. You purchase user licences when you need them and for how long you need them, there is no need to invest in software licences for seats that are not used for a number of months a year.
Your current IT is outdated or you have little investment in existing IT: Some of the resistance from businesses we talk to about cloud services is their current investment in existing technology and sometimes we agree. But if you are about to buy new IT or invest in IT for the first time give Cloud serious consideration. A move to the cloud is not an all or nothing it can be in stages.
You’re no IT guru: You got into business because you liked what you do, not because you wanted to look after IT. Cloud services allow you and your business to make the most of enterprise level software but all the headache of looking after enterprise level hardware etc is left to an expert and its all part of the monthly price.
You spend your time installing updates: With Cloud services the software is always up to date and by choosing the right supplier you can expect it to be constantly being improved. No longer will you nee to run around machines installing updates and patches.
You want increased Productivity: People can work wherever they are, sometimes even without an internet connection. This means downtime associated with travelling and weather etc. can be overcome making staff more productive.
You have/want geographic independency yet have employees working close together: Collaboration features delivered by Cloud services allow teams of people to work together as if they were in the same room, even if they work on different continents.
You’re worried about Security & Backup of your data: Cloud services are built with security in mind, teams of experts will know of and prevent security breaches without you even knowing about them, what’s even better is that they will be monitoring systems 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year.
You want your staff to be happier: Cloud services are delivered through a browser, the benefit of this being it does not matter if your staff want to use Desktop, Laptops, Tablets or Phones. Nor does it matter if the operating system of choice is Windows, OSx (Mac) or even Linux/Unix as long as the system can run an Internet Browser your staff can work. This means they can choose whatever hardware they like, perhaps even bringing their own device (BYOD) to work. Policies can also be put in place to help prevent data leaving your systems.
You can’t be not working due to a hardware failure: If a desktop PC stops working you can be up and running within five minutes just by starting up another PC or a laptop, and with services such as Google Docs you can carry on working from where your desktop stop working as it is constantly saving as you type.