On Premise Vs Cloud Knowledge Base

We are hearing a lot about how the Cloud is benefitting businesses of all shapes and sizes and across all industries. There is no doubt that being able to do away with onsite management of business critical systems has changed the technology landscape.

However, before implementing new software, or moving an existing one onto the Cloud, there are things that you should consider. As with anything, what’s right for other businesses might not be right for you. Whether you host systems, such as your Customer Relationship Management or Enterprise Resource Management solutions, onsite or in the Cloud depends on a number of factors, such as budget, level of control required, and in-house expertise available.

On Premise Vs Cloud – What’s right for your knowledge base system?

The Cloud is offering many benefits to businesses of all sizes and across all industries but is it right for you? Before making a switch to the Cloud, there are some things that you need to consider, both Cloud and On-Premise models have their own advantages.

What is the Cloud?

The Cloud offers you the option to access business critical systems via the internet, from wherever you are. Given below are some of the PROS and CONS of cloud service.

• Cost savings – many organisations are using Cloud access because it saves them money. Your supplier takes care of everything and although you pay them from the privilege, this is often less expensive than the costs associated with installing, maintaining, protecting, and upgrading the equipment and in-house expertise required to host your solutions on-site.

• Security – your supplier should have advanced security measures in place to ensure that any data that is stored with them is protected from virtual or physical security threats.

• Peace of mind – you don’t have to worry about the ongoing management of your CRM or ERP solution. Access will be reliable and your users will often benefit from other levels of support too.

• Lack of control – if you are an organisation that is well equipped to host and manage your own software onsite then switching to the Cloud could feel like a loss of control as you will turn everything over to your supplier.

• Customisation limitations/costs – if you require a fully customised solution, or you have customisation requirements on a regular basis and have an onsite team available to do this, Cloud based access might not be the best option for you.

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What is On Premise?

On-Premise simply means that the systems that you are using are managed by your own team, on your own servers. You are responsible for the security, user access, and upgrades. Given below are some of the PROS and CONS of on-premise service.

• Full control – if you have been hosting your own business systems onsite for a long period of time and your have the required equipment, security, and in-house IT and development teams, or you deal with extremely sensitive data or provide your own software solutions to your customers, then it is understandable that you would be wary about moving over to the Cloud. Full control of your systems might be a key selling point for your customers.

• Utilisation of in-house expertise – if you have the in-house expertise available then it makes sense to utilise that if it’s going to be beneficial and cost effective for your business.

• Cost – the truth is that many organisations simply don’t have the in-house expertise and equipment needed to effectively manage their own IT requirements, that’s why Cloud access has been so widely adopted. The cost of setting up your own IT infrastructure.

• Added responsibilities – if your team is stretched as it is, maybe providing services and support for existing systems or your customers, then it might makes sense to operate a mix of Cloud and On-Premise to ensure that your team are able to carry out their roles effectively.

• Which license type is best? The decision is entirely up to you. There is no difference in the functionality of the software for the two licensing methods or the support you get from us.

Summary

Cloud Subscriptions have a lower initial price but cost more over time and stop working if you do not renew. Perpetual Licenses cost more up-front, less over time, and never expire. Once you have decided which license type you want to purchase, you can place your order on our online SSL secure order form.