While Google, Amazon and Microsoft are all set to take advantage of cloud forces, some of the other emerging names that are creating the headwind in the cloud space are AppZero, Enomaly, Long Jump and Vaultscape, Flexiant, Workbooks, CloudSigma and Cloudmore etc.
Here is a look at some pertinent reasons why businesses should abandon locally hosted software in favor of SaaS applications…
The benefit of huge resources and expertise of computing giants is available to everyone regardless of size and scale. The need for advanced software, greater memory and processing power required in case of locally hosted software is unnecessary with the cloud. Data storage, software and software development can all move online in to the cloud and users only need devices that can run a web browser.
It is possible to coordinate teams spread across different geographical locations with greater ease on the cloud. If the 28 member countries of the NATO are using cloud based software supplied by IBM, other businesses can only learn from and exploit the potential of the common platform for information sharing and decision making provided by the cloud. While many cloud offerings by definition are “public”, NATO has opted for a private platform with its own dedicated servers. The choice is entirely that of the user/institution.
Another huge benefit of cloud based software is that it can prove to be more powerful compared to software’s developed by companies and/individuals. For instance Lotus Live, a cloud based software gives users the advantage of seeing emails, sharing files, editing them in collaboration with other users, holding online meetings and instant messaging all from one dashboard. Creating software that provides multiple functionalities is beyond the budget and abilities of most companies.
Even small businesses can benefit from the cloud and gain access to technological capabilities such as reliable email and help-desk support, on par with if not more than those available to bigger firms.
The cloud is portrayed as a green option compared to traditional computing. This may be possible because any spare capacity in the cloud will always be less than what would be wasted if all users maintained their own dedicated servers, cloud computing is cheaper and as such the amount of work done by firms on the cloud will offset energy savings.
As businesses become more cost conscious and concerns about energy savings rise switching to SaaS might make better business sense when compared to investing in traditional software. Simplifying the way business is done, getting that much needed edge over competition, achieving more with less are all goals which become achievable and realistic with applications like SaaS. Embracing the cloud opens up a multitude of avenues for savings and efficiency in performance.