FAQ

Advantages of moving to the cloud

It seems that every piece of software runs from the cloud these days, gone are the days of installing software on your PC and servers. It used to be disks and then CDs and DVDs followed by downloading the software and now nothing, it all runs from your browser in most cases.

What are the advantages of using apps that are cloud based?

The internet has come along way and web 2.0 is being delivered now. Web 2.0 was the ability to interact with websites and pages rather than just view static data.

Now we can use any software using just the browser making it not just completely interactive but also intuitive. We don’t even think about the fact that it’s using the browser, it just works.

People are used to this today and make no distinction between desktop or cloud-based applications.

The advantages are quite simple, here are just a few:

• Always using the latest version
• Can use on any device
• Can access from anywhere, anytime
• No upfront costs

Let’s look at these in a little more detail.

Always using the latest version

One of the biggest issues with installed software was that after a year or two there was another version which often required purchasing an upgrade to bring it in line. This sometimes led to people using the same software but not the same version leading to compatibility issues.

With cloud-based software this is not the case, you are always on the latest version of the software and so is everyone else. There are no upgrades to be on the latest version although you do sometimes have to pay to access other modules or functionality.

Can use on any device

In general, you can access cloud-based software on any device with an internet connection and a browser. It doesn’t always display perfectly on a mobile phone in some cases, but it is unlikely you would want to do heavy work via your mobile phone. If there’s a case for being able to work from your phone, then you’ll often find an app available in the major app stores.

You can however, access these applications from any tablet or PC providing you have your login details and use these applications just as they were intended.

Can access from anywhere, anytime

Being cloud based means you are not location dependant like with the traditional applications. Often to work from home or a hotel would mean accessing the server via a VPN or similar technology.

With cloud-based applications all you need is a device and an internet connection and away you go. This can free up your team and enable people to do more work from wherever they may be.

No upfront costs

Traditionally, purchasing software was an upfront cost and then maintenance and upgrade costs were also added. This was great for the software vendor and they did very well for many years. Some companies running legacy software may still be in this same space.

Cloud based is often a pay per user per month basis, so the costs become operational and capital based. Subscriptions are something we are used to as consumers with subscriptions with Netflix, Amazon and Spotify and cloud-based software is the same.

This makes it much simpler to budget for and much easier to add or remove users as you need to with a direct effect on cost.

Summary

Running your business from the cloud can make your life simpler and easier to manage and provide access to your business-critical data and applications whenever you need access to them.
Did you know you can even run your entire computer from the cloud and enjoy all the advantages above? We call it FlexiDesk and you can learn more about it here.

info@thintech.co.uk