What is Cloud Computing?

For end-user customers, cloud computing provides the means to ramp up new services or reallocate computing resources rapidly, based on business needs. It means having the ability to run an application either on-premises or off-premises (or a combination of the two) based on cost, capacity requirements, and other factors.

Watch this video explaining Cloud Computing, courtesy of Accenture:

Why should my company move to The Cloud?

A cloud computing environment can react quickly and, in some cases, automatically to changes in workload demand, and new applications can be provisioned with much less time lag and effort than with traditional computing infrastructures.

Cloud computing isn’t just about cost cutting. It’s also about using IT to drive innovation and respond to changes in the business. A more flexible infrastructure, whether hosted internally or externally, encourages more experimentation and iteration, which in turn lets businesses introduce new technologies and services more quickly and more often.

How can ERP Guru, NetSuite and The Cloud help me?

• Low overhead: Upgrades, maintenance and system administration take place in the cloud and are managed by the vendor, so you don't have to spend nights or weekends supervising a new version upgrade or a failed server. Analyst firm Hurwitz & Associates found that cloud-based business software cost 50% less than on-premise software over a four-year period for a 100-employee company.


• Ease of access at anytime, and from anywhere: Cloud computing is "always on," making it easy to grow your business and support remote workers and locations, or support a highly mobile sales or service team, because people can access the cloud any time, day or night, from any browser, desktop ormobile device around the globe, 24-7.


• High availability: Cloud software architectures are designed from the ground up for maximum network performance, so they frequently deliver better application-level availability than conventional, on-premise solutions. For example, NetSuite commits to 99.5% availability for its customers, and provides data security.


• Security: For many companies, the level of security and availability, disaster recovery and back-up provided by a software-as-a-service provider far exceeds that which they can provide themselves.


• Fast deployment: You can be up and running with ERP, CRM or ecommerce applications, on a local or global scale, within a few months, rather than the six to 12 months it would take to install and troubleshoot conventional servers and software.


• Optimized performance: The cloud adjusts to your performance needs, dynamically assigning server cycles whenever and wherever you need them, and automatically adjusting to spikes in your business.


• Subscription-based pricing: You pay as you go, often on an annual basis, unlike conventional systems where you have to make a major up-front investment in licenses, hardware and software.