I get asked frequently whether or not the Cloud* is something that companies should consider / change to / replace their existing solution with.

Many people hear the term and sometimes the hyperbole which can surround it at times and find themselves unsure and confused as to what they should do.

The simple fact is like anything in life, Cloud computing is the answer and a great solution for some companies and it’s not for others.

First you need to understand the company and what they are trying to achieve, what their goals and drivers are and how the people in that company need to work to deliver the best results for them and their Clients.

Once you get to the bottom of that (and many other things), you can start to look at a technical solution to support the business.  That may result in a recommendation for Cloud based computing, on premise or potentially a combination of both.

To be sure, there are some great solutions which are Cloud based, CRM systems, email systems, accounts systems to name a few.  Some of these are a perfect fit for some companies, however, the best thing you can do is to get the correct unbiased advice up-front from people you can trust and who have the experience and knowledge to steer you in the right direction.

It’s very dangerous to get advice from people who want to force their current flavour of the month on you, or a solution which is earning them the best commission at present!

The two following quotes from David Hewitt, the IT Manager from Kilgraston School for Girls says it all I believe:

“OCD were the stand out supplier, the company’s focus on understanding our need and proposing a solution that fitted made them the obvious choice.”

“From the start it was clear that OCD were going to deliver not just a better technical solution, but a higher and more focused level of service. We would confidently recommend OCD”

OCD are a long standing IT Support and infrastructure provider based in Glasgow who service Scotland and the North of England.

The business model is based on the concept of proof where we let our Clients do the talking for us, as opposed to the everyday method others use which is to tell you how wonderful they are in their eyes.

Until next time,

Kevin

Definitions:

*Cloud – Sometimes referred to as software as a service, software + Service, Internet computing and so on.  In simple basic terms it’s where your servers and applications i.e. email are located in a datacentre which you access via the Internet.

*On premise – Where you have servers and applications running locally, i.e. on your business premises.