Cloud solutions and Software as a Service (SaaS)
November 17, 2020The Cloud can seem like an abstract concept to some, but you might be surprised to learn that we are using the Cloud in many ways in our day-to-day lives. Whether it be to back-up your phone, using your GPS to get to your destination, ordering items online, or unwinding using a media streaming service, these daily activities involve the Cloud. The Cloud is extremely useful to many businesses, and their users and/or clients. When contemplating upgrades to your company’s IT hardware infrastructure, moving to the Cloud and ensuring your business software is Cloud-ready should be at the forefront of your thinking.
With the Cloud, you could potentially avoid the up-front cost and capital expenditure of owning your own IT infrastructure. The Cloud allows you the flexibility to pay for what you require when you require it. It can be likened to a car lease vs owning a car.
Cloud computing can be defined as services that provide remote network servers to your business which are cost effective, scalable, secure, and reliable. The operating costs of the Cloud are fixed based on your business requirements, realizing greater infrastructure efficiency while allowing you to benefit from the ability to scale as needed, with minimum effort.
There are 3 types of cloud setups currently available:
- Public: All computing resources, hardware, software, licenses are owned and managed by the provider.
- Private: Typically, physically located at a company’s data center, managed by a 3rd party service provider; servers and licenses can be owned by the business.
- Hybrid: a mixture of public and private cloud servers communicating effectively together.
Software solutions on the cloud versus on-premises
Software providers are often able to provide cloud-based solutions and on-premises solutions.
Cloud solutions allow you to take advantage of SaaS solutions. Software as a service (SaaS) can be defined as web-based applications managed by a software provider on a subscription basis.
When it comes to software implementation projects, there has been a significant shift to cloud-based software as a service solution. With the Cloud, small and medium Businesses (SMB) are benefitting from a lower cost of entry, greater stability, ease of access when embarking on implementing new business systems.
In comparison, on premise solutions require larger upfront capital investment in servers, infrastructure, in addition to significant license fees, and maintenance fees, versus the cloud SaaS solution.
The reason that we are seeing such a significant shift to cloud-based SaaS solutions is that setting up in the cloud provides many benefits:
- Ease of connectivity utilizing both web and mobile access.
- Standardized pricing based on defined requirements.
- Lower cost of entry than typical on-premises solutions.
- Increased security and scalability.
- Eliminates the need for software customization.
- Reduction of internal operating overhead related to management of hardware, and infrastructure.
- Decreased implementation time for software projects vs. typical on-premises solutions.
- Upgrades and maintenance are part of the subscription fee.
The Cloud, combined with SaaS, can be a hassle-free solution which will allow you to focus on what truly is important for your business. Momentis provides cloud-based SaaS solutions using Microsoft Azure technologies, as well as on premises solutions. Reach out to Momentis to discuss which solution is best for your business.
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Momentis has over 30 years of experience in providing ERP solutions to wholesalers and retailers in the fashion apparel, accessory, and footwear industries, and has recently expanded their offering to manufacturers of home goods and textiles.