Online software and cloud solutions seem to be the new buzz
words when it comes to daily used apps.
Why is it such a big deal? What
are the benefits? What are the risks?
When you purchase software, there’s always the issue of
upgrades. Upgrades to download and
install which could take up quite a lot of time. It can be a complicated process for a non
tech savvy person and it can go wrong, forcing you to seek expert support. When you use cloud-based software, the
upgrades are done for you and you are simply notified of improvements and
benefits as soon as you log in again. You may also choose to skip upgrades but
eventually your software becomes out dated, especially if it does not keep up
to date with hardware and operating system advances.
Do you always have an internet connection? If not, online software might not be right
for you. Having a stable, always-on
internet connection is important to get the performance you expect from your
software. Paying a fixed monthly amount
and not being able to connect half the time seems like a waste.
Contrary to this, if you always have access to the internet,
you can quickly connect to your software and do what ever you need to do. Whether it’s invoices, quotes or checking on
personal things. To these things while
commuting, while on holiday or after hours at home can be a great advantage.
When you are using enterprise grade software for home or
business, you’ll probably need to invest in one or more servers to run it. Apart from the upfront investment, it can be
costly to maintain and upgrade as required.
For a medium to large sized business, you might need a whole IT
department to maintain your hardware as well as the space to store
everything. Keep in mind the security
and safety measures which should be in place to protect your servers.
Cloud computing allows for easy sharing of records. If you and someone else have to collaborate on
a project, both can access it even while in different countries or time zones. Some applications allow you to control the
level of access people have. Some cloud
accounting software have accountant/bookkeeper access. You do the quotes and invoices, they take
care of the rest. All on one easy-to-access
platform.
Some cloud solutions have limited storage included in the
service they offer. Additional storage
might cost extra if at all an option. Having
your software locally installed, gives you control over the amount of storage
space you have and can easily be adapted to your own personal needs. Sometimes hosted services can be very costly
when it comes to storage space.
When you use local installations of the software you need,
you require some form of data recovery plan in case of an emergency/theft/fire
etc. With some cloud solutions, back ups
are included in the service you pay for, meaning no additional effort is
required from your side, should you need a back up version of your records,
simply contact them to obtain it.
Taking the above benefits and disadvantages into account, it
is best to consider all the options before making a final decision when it
comes to local or cloud. For most needs,
small to medium businesses can easily use cloud software at a much cheaper
rate.
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