Cloud-based Applications
Once your files are secure and accessible from any device, you’re ready for the natural next step: cloud-based applications.
Applications are where your users meet your business processes and your files. They’re the building blocks of your entire business – everything from Office apps like Word and Excel to specialized software for accounting, video editing or graphic design.
Applications deliver great functionality, and in the cloud, their management is centralized instead of distributed. That means they can be patched once for all users and updated quickly and easily to enhance security and ensure compliance. But depending on their age and the implementation and management practices currently in place, the applications hosted on your local servers can present new performance and security challenges every day. We address these challenges, allowing you to focus on your core business.
Cloud-Native and Virtual
There are two ways to use cloud-based applications:
- Cloud-native apps (made in cloud): Also called Software-as-a-Service, these are cloud applications that replace the ones you’d otherwise have to install on local servers or on your staff’s computers. Examples include Salesforce CRM and Microsoft Office 365. Instead of an annual, multi-user license, with SaaS you pay monthly, per user.
- Virtual cloud apps (delivered via cloud): These are traditional applications that are moved to the cloud, making them available ‘as a service’, just like cloud-native apps. You get the apps you know and love, centrally managed and made available to all users on all devices, without having to install, secure and maintain them on each one. In other words, you don’t have to wait for a certain application your business depends on to offer a cloud version. You can work with us to ‘cloudify’ it – hosting, supporting, securing and managing the app for you.
The Benefits
The benefits of cloud computing in general and the ones listed in our previous post are all true of cloud-based applications, but moving entire apps to the cloud has other benefits too:
- Reduce your IT overhead: Focusing your time, money and resources on things that impact your core business, like improving processes or creating new products.
- Support every worker, everywhere: Your office-based users and your road warriors or home-based workers all get instant, secure access to the apps they need to do their jobs.
- Protect your business: From disaster, attacks, ransomware, data leaks and regulatory breaches.
ASIDE:
Hosting your apps in the cloud ensures they are running on the latest, high-performance hardware. No more disruptive costly updates.
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