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Most businesses have made the shift to the cloud for popular enterprise applications, but you'd be surprised by how many have not! Here are 3 applications where it definitely makes sense to move from buying and maintaining the on-premise software version, to a cloud services model.
While there are certain business scenarios where hosting and maintaining your applications in-house makes sense, for the vast majority of us it is much more cost effective to move to the cloud.
Not only is it more cost-effective, cloud-based applications can be accessed from anywhere, provide far better reliability/redundancy, allow for easier software updates, and push more frequent performance enhancements.
All things that add to your bottom line productivity!
Here are 3 of the most popular applications which are optimized for the cloud and not only make much more sense from a cost point of view, but often include features you just can't get with the on-premise software.
Adobe Creative Cloud
If all you really need to do with a PDF file is edit a few words, Adobe Reader or even your existing Office 365 subscription will get you through.
But, if you’re creating PDFs from scratch, using Photoshop, or creating files with InDesign, Adobe Creative Cloud might be for you.
From photography suites to individual applications, Adobe lets you customize your plan and prices it accordingly.
You also get a varying amount of cloud storage with each subscription, and free limited-time access to Adobe Stock, which contains thousands of exclusive Adobe stock images for your creative projects.
Assuming Photoshop, InDesign, or any other Adobe program is a frequently-used program that you will continue to purchase as new versions are released, the monthly cost of Adobe’s Creative Cloud will save you money when compared to the up-front cost of the standalone on-premise software.
Adding in bonus cloud storage space for your projects, and the ability to include other Adobe software with your customized Creative Cloud subscription makes this a strong case for moving away from your local installation and into the cloud!
Microsoft Office 365
Remember the days of holding on to that CD copy of Office 2000 like it was a precious treasure?
You’d convert documents to other file types and waste time configuring settings so you could view files from other versions…anything to avoid buying the newest version of Office!
Well, those days are over.
Office 365 gives you the latest and greatest versions of your Microsoft Office software on every machine you work from.
With cloud saves and browser-based software, you don’t even have to download the Office products you use. You can work straight from your browser on a borrowed machine to edit and upload documents in real time from anywhere in the world!
Of course, switching your entire business to the cloud-based benefits of Office 365 can be daunting.
An IT service provider can get you the exact subscription you need, plan out the entire move, and ensure that the switch happens easily and on your schedule.
If you’re looking to upgrade from that old version of Word or Excel, now is the time to check out Office 365.
The annual subscription gets you access to the entire Microsoft suite with guaranteed support and always up-to-date software. No more Office CDs and product keys to worry about, just login and go!
QuickBooks Online
If you work in the accounting industry, you probably live and breathe QuickBooks.
While there are other pieces of proprietary software involved in your state tax calculations and overall business, Intuit rules the roost at the end of the day.
QuickBooks Online is quickly growing in popularity.
While the desktop version is still king, small businesses are beginning to see the potential greatness of all their usual QuickBooks features and necessities in a sleek, online package.
With reasonable pricing for even the most advanced financial SMBs, QuickBooks Online offers a nearly identical experience to its desktop counterpart, but with a few added features you can’t find anywhere else.
Things like scheduling transactions and adding mobile attachments, which currently aren’t available on the desktop version, are a breeze with QuickBooks Online.
If you’re on the fence, check out Intuit’s 30-day free trial. This way, you can experiment with the software, and see if the cheaper online version is enough for your business.
When it comes to accounting and financials, every SMB is different, so only you can decide!
Benefits of Cloud Computing
No matter what industry you’re in, you can benefit from cloud computing services.
We’re all beginning to realize the convenience and accessibility of remote work, and the cloud is making it possible for more of us every day.
These three apps are great examples of products that, even a couple of years ago, had to be locally installed and managed. Now, we simply log in from any internet-connected device, and have access to our files and software.
It seems like the market is still adjusting to this new approach of annual subscription services, but the overall method of paying a small amount every month for regular updates, remote access, and support for the services we use appears to be here to stay.
The cloud affects our lives in new ways every day. It’s time to embrace it!
If you’re interested in learning more about “the cloud,” and how it can apply to your business, download our white paper, “The Pros and Cons of Cloud Migration” below!
