Why business cannot ignore cloud computing
Posted by Writer on Jul 13, 2009 in Advertising • No comments
All of the technology and business contacts I regularly talk to keep mentioning cloud computing. But what is it, what does it really mean for business and what are the economic and tangible upsides?
Cloud means Internet. The computing occurs on the Internet – in place of the software you use being installed on your computer, it’s hosted on the Internet on a server installed in a data centre commonly staffed by people who are proficient in managing technology. This type of “cloud” software is commonly known as “on demand” or Software as a Service (SaaS).
Some best of breed examples of popular Software as a Service are:
Web based CRM Software (Customer Relationship Management) – Salesforce.com pricing approximately $9 per user/month.
Small business management and accounting software (small business ERP) – Salesorder.com pricing $45 per user/month.
Medium sized business ERP software – NetSuite pricing around $99 per user/month.
There are three substantial benefits for every business here:
Time, cost savings and reliability
Businesses don’t require a permanent IT expert to help them identify, bed in and manage the technology platform thus decreasing operating expenses and time to implement. The burden of constantly backing up data is eradicated as this is often an inherent feature of the “cloud” software. Cloud software “operators” normally have stand by systems that can be switched on in minutes should a catastrophic problem occur.
Easier selection and wider choice
With just a web browser, businesses now have immediate access to hundreds of applications they can in the majority of cases immediately appraise and swiftly decide if the software meets their needs at minimal expense. This makes it straightforward for employees in large enterprises to by pass the standard information technology buying processes and easily assess and justify their business case.
Better user experience
The cloud provides immediate feedback to system makers and has driven substantial progress in user interface design resulting in easier to use systems thus reducing learning times and increasing user satisfaction. This of course means quicker adoption and higher productivity.
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