Overview of The Benefits of Cloud Server Solutions

Any solution has advantages and disadvantages. “Cloud” solutions are certainly not perfect but have considerable advantages in certain aspects. Here is a little note to better understand some of the strengths of the "cloud" approach.

The Cloud, Why Must Cloud?
To begin it, it is quite confusing to fully understand what the "Cloud". We see so many solutions taking the turn that we are drawn to them without really understanding what it is all about. Simply put, the word "cloud" is just a trending phrase for Internet servers and services. We used to say: "I sent my files to an external computer". Now we will rather hear people say: "My information is synchronized in the cloud". It's more "cool" but it doesn't change the reality: the files are still being transmitted to a server. 

Still, the cloud shift has brought a new mindset to paying for solutions online instead of installing solutions on corporate computers. These solutions have many advantages over local applications because they generally require less maintenance.

On a personal level, using software is fairly easy to maintain, although for some it remains a real headache. At the business level, it gets complicated quickly because the needs are often much more advanced. The biggest advantage of the "Cloud" is that the tools do not require any implementation or distribution strategy. You do not need expensive specialists to implement the solutions, although you still need to be well advised in your choices.

You want to run your business using tools without having to worry about understanding all the computer mechanics behind it. Why the Cloud: "because we want it to work, just that! "

"Cloud" solutions make it possible to avoid paying for infrastructure and IT services for the implementation of its software. They are generally better suited to businesses and at lower costs because the efforts are centralized.

Investments or Services?
Businesses often feel that IT is just an expense, a necessary evil. There is still a part of truth in this assumption. IT solutions are expensive, complex, fragile and depreciated over the years. "Cloud" services are still a good response to this reality because the billing model is often based on a service consumption model rather than on purchase. As if we took a rental vehicle: "If it doesn't work, we return it".

However, it is wrong to think of IT as just an expense. In the absence of efficient management IT systems, employees turn to paper solutions or scattered files (such as Word, Excel, etc.). Sometimes it's even worse, email is used as the primary information archiving solution. These working methods are not efficient at the operational level and cause additional salary expenses. Good software will bring greater efficiency and therefore greater profitability.

It is also wrong to think that all solutions must provide a direct return on investment. Security and backup solutions have no directly visible ROI and yet are essential. It's more like insurance: "if you don't have it, you jeopardize everything else." Once again, “Cloud” solutions provide a certain advantage because they offer guarantees of security and backups without having, as a consumer of the service, to manage these aspects.

Be Well Informed
There are many solutions on the market and it is often difficult to disentangle all of that. The most important thing is to be careful when implementing a solution that it will be compatible with the rest of the solutions required by the company.

Ideally, you should take the time to fully understand the desired full picture and verify the possible solutions that will meet your long-term goals. Too often a company is left with dozens of independent solutions and it becomes impossible to bridge these solutions. This results in entering information in several places which causes errors and additional transaction costs.

Common bases of business needs often revolve around the following list:

1. Billing
2. Product and / or service inventories
3. Documentation
4. Task / appointment management
5. Customer management
6. Communication

ERP, CRM, GDE or SFA type solutions are good avenues to check. Be careful, however, to validate the costs and capacities of these solutions. Many companies buy solutions that are too expensive for their needs or they equip themselves with a solution that will never be able to perform all the required tasks.

It’s not easy to find someone you trust who can identify the best strategy for a business, but it’s the starting point. Each company should seek advice annually on existing solutions and the possibilities of improving its tools in order to protect its assets and increase its efficiency.

If you own a business today and have no idea what cloud solutions exist, you have been misinformed. This doesn't mean that the “cloud” solution was the best for your business, but you should be able to compare to make an informed decision.

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