The benefits of cloud vs on-premise
Over the last year and a half, the emerging positions of cloud vs on-premise business systems have rapidly changed.
The idea of migrating to the cloud can feel overwhelming and with research suggesting that over 60% of companies will be primarily cloud based by the end of 2021, you may have concerns about costs, stability and security, amongst other things.
What's the difference between cloud and on-premise?
Essentially, the most important way that cloud differs to on-premise software is where it is resides. On premise software is stored in-house, on your organisations computers and servers, whereas in a cloud environment, your data is hosted on a remote server and can be accessed through a web browser or app. With a cloud-based service you have the ability to connect with employees, customers and other businesses anywhere in the world with minimal effort.
Due to the wide-spread adoption of cloud-based solutions, focus has shifted from on-premise solutions to cloud, which may leave you wondering
‘Which is best for my business?’
If you are questioning which option is more affordable, accessible and secure, then speak to an expert to find out how our cloud-based solutions can benefit your business.
How can Solutions help?
Cloud migration can improve scalability, reduce overheads and reduce the risk of a number of technical issues that could threaten the productivity of your business. At Solutions, we pride ourselves on helping our clients embrace new technology to ensure that their business operations are performing as well as they can be.
Over the last few months, we have successfully migrated a number of our clients over to Sage 200’s Microsoft Azure cloud based hosting option.
Below, we have outlined just some of the ways that migrating to a cloud-based solution could benefit your business.
Improved security
If you have concerns about the security of your data, it is worth noting that cloud systems have highly sophisticated and optimised data protection; with databases that can employ security measures beyond the affordability of most businesses. Therefore, it is often safer for your data to be hosted remotely rather than on a server in your offices.
If the last eighteen months have taught us anything it is that businesses need to be flexible, and a cloud-based solution can do just that. According to Intel, large companies lose an average of 265 laptops a year. If confidential data resides on these, then even the loss of just one laptop can pose a serious security threat to your business.
With cloud software, your data is stored securely in the cloud and is protected against potential threats, downtime or IT failures, so a missing or broken laptop becomes less of a potential disaster and turns into a mere inconvenience, ensuring the continuity of your business.
Cost effective
If you deploy on-premise software, your business is responsible for the ongoing costs of the server hardware, power consumption, component replacements and upgrades, damage protection and space used, not to mention the overheads to look after it.
Simply put, the cost of ownership for on-premise servers is often very high and requires constant upkeep.
With cloud software, you only pay for the resources that you use and the company that hosts the remote servers focus on the server upkeep and ongoing maintenance.
Remote access
One key benefit of cloud-based solutions is that they allow for unprecedented accessibility as they host all of your data and systems on secure and high-speed remote servers giving your team easy access anytime, anywhere through multiple devices. This cross-platform connectivity ensures that you can efficiently work from the office, at home or on the go with greater visibility of employee performance.
It’s now more important than ever for your company to be flexible. to be able to effectively work remotely and with a cloud-based system, your business can comply with the ongoing rise in working-from-home arrangements.
Simple deployment and scalability
As a cloud-based solution does not require any in-house IT infrastructure, it can typically be deployed within a matter of days, which means less downtime for your business.
The flexible nature of cloud-based systems allows for greater scalability, enabling you to increase or decrease your server resources, bandwidth and internet usage when you need it, depending on your business needs and demands. No matter how your business grows, your software can be scaled according to your budget, goals and size.
In addition to this, we also offer additional or bespoke addons for cloud software, so the system can be tailored to your exact business needs.
It’s clear that the way businesses are operating is changing, the pandemic has shaken society and allowed businesses to re-think how they will operate moving forwards. Cloud technology is enabling the change and allowing businesses to operate in a new, flexible way that works both for the company and its employees enabling the greater work/ life balance that many have enjoyed over the last 18 months. Many companies are harnessing the power of cloud-based systems to provide greater flexibility, reliability and security removing the headache of updating and maintaining your in-house systems; therefore, allowing you to put your time, money and effort into achieving your business goals.
How can Solutions for Accounting & CRM help?
Our expert team consists of qualified accountants, product-accredited staff and talented developers, which means we can develop innovative add-ons and connectors to help you get more from your Sage Intacct solution, use it to its full capabilities and maximise your return on investment.
So, if you’re considering migrating to a cloud product and want to be sure you’re making the right decision, get in touch today to see how we can help.
