Posts Tagged software-as-a-service
What are Software Companies Looking to Improve Most with Cloud Technology?
Posted by Kevin Lalor in Bi101 News on September 21st, 2011
We ask our software clients what they want most from cloud technology and this is what we hear:
“Efficiency, Reliability, Security, Price of IT, Mobility & Collaboration”
The volatility in the financial markets is just another reminder that companies now more than ever need to run their businesses leaner than ever before. We’re finding our clients also need to be operating on the most recent version of their software in order to stay ahead of the competition. With cloud-based technology you can automatically upgrade to the latest versions as you like – fully customizable and always secure. This is surprising to many but very familiar to us here at Bi101. We’ve helped hundreds of clients make the switch over to the cloud and have found each client has unique needs and custom requests that can be accommodated with cloud technology.
We have found it helps for new clients to hear how others are using the cloud to run their businesses faster and more efficiently. So this month, we’d like to introduce you to two Bi101 success stories. The following client testimonials demonstrate the different ways our clients have improved their businesses with better Efficiency, more Reliability, increased Security, new Mobility & Collaboration all at a good Price
• North Naples Fire District Case Study
Are you ready to move your business to the cloud? Not sure? Try our Cloud Readiness Assessment Survey. This will give you a Bi101 Cloud Readiness Score that you can use to see how your business compares to others considering making the move to the cloud
Kevin Lalor
President & Founder
How Cloud Computing is Impacting your Business – Upcoming Cloud Event in Palo Alto
Posted by Kevin Lalor in Bi101 News on August 1st, 2011
Join Business Intelligence 101, Google and Netsuite for an exclusive lunch event, “How Cloud Computing is Impacting your Business,” on Thursday, August 25, 2011 from 12:00 – 3:00 pm in Palo Alto, CA. At this event, you’ll discover how cloud computing is changing the financial and business operations of companies all over the world.
This will also be a great opportunity to talk with other professionals who are considering moving to a cloud-based model.This event will feature guest speakers from Google and NetSuite, as well as a Bi01 client who made the transition and moved to the cloud — slashing IT cost and increasing productivity.
What You Will Learn
At this event you will learn:
- What the buzz around cloud computing is all about—and why it’s becoming a business priority
- How cloud computing and SaaS-based applications have evolved and what the emerging trends and technology are
- Why cloud computing and SaaS applications are relevant to finance, accounting professionals, CIOs and IT staff alike
- Why cloud computing is the faster, more efficient, cheaper and greener way to reduce both IT costs and energy usage
When
Thursday, August 25, 12 – 3:00 pm
Where
Buca di Beppo – Palo Alto
643 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA
bucadibeppo.com
RSVP
There is limited seating so please register by August 21, 2011. Register on-line or call Bi101 and speak to Susan Petty at 1-866-552-4101 ext. 614.
Cloud Readiness Score: a new way for companies to test their readiness for the Cloud
Posted by Kevin Lalor in Bi101 News on July 19th, 2011
Livermore, CA July 12, 2011
Bi101 to offer the first-ever Cloud Readiness Score. Respondents can use this score to calculate their company’s cloud readiness compared to other organizations. Scores can range from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. The higher the score the more likely your organization will be able to benefit from cloud computing.
Experts in Cloud Technology, Bi101 has built a strong reputation in cloud collaboration, financials, identity and access management, and security and compliance solutions for hundreds of companies around the world. The company has leveraged its well-developed customer base and real-world management experience to develop this proprietary scoring technique and is excited to introduce it to the business community.
“We continuously track the industry in order to bring our clients the best options available,” said Kevin Lalor, President of Bi101. “We strongly believe in Cloud technology but equally understand that each company’s cloud needs are unique. “Bi101’s Cloud Readiness Score will give companies a sense of what area of the business, if any, should make the transition to the cloud.”
Get your company’s Cloud Readiness Score
About Business Intelligence 101
Bi101 provides the tools and expertise necessary to help companies achieve the benefits of cloud computing. Cloud computing refers to applications that are available from anywhere through a browser. The advantage to users is that they don’t need to worry about maintenance patches, updates, or backups because these services are managed centrally, and costs are shared across all users. We specialize in companies back office infrastructure; specifically their financial, messaging applications. We provide our customers with a more flexible solution that allows them to collaborate easier, is always available, more secure, at a significantly lower cost than they can achieve with a traditional on-premise alternative.
Productivity and Collaboration Gains with Using Google Apps – Forrester Report
Posted by Kevin Lalor in GoogleApps & Postini on December 8th, 2010
Recently, Forrester released a report that indicates that switching to Google Apps can have a return on investment of over 300%.
This report was commisioned by Google to measure the “Total Economic Impact” that a typical large organization could expect over three years from moving from an on-premise solution to the cloud (using Google’s cloud solutions). Their research shows that the value of improved productivity and collaboration can actually be larger than the substantial cost savings.
Google and Forrester do strongly suggest companies conduct their own impact analysis, Business Intelligence 101 can assist you in by conducting a free analysis of your IT infrastructure.
What is Cloud Computing and why is it so important?
Posted by Kevin Lalor in Cloud Technology News on November 11th, 2010
Cloud computing is really just a fancy term for utility computing. In other words, applications, platforms or infrastructure are made available from a central service provider, similar to our
utility companies for electricity, water and telecommunication. This concept is explored in some detail in Nicholas Carr’s The Big Switch. A must read for anybody trying to get their hands around the cloud concept.
Unlike a traditional IT infrastructure (in which computer hardware is physically located within the office), the hardware in a Cloud infrastructure is located off-site in a datacenter. Using only a PC and an internet connection, clients gain access to a full-featured enterprise-grade IT infrastructure (such as ERP, VOIP, E-Mail, Storage), while paying only for the resources consumed. In fact, applications such as Google Apps for Business provides 25 GB of Space for every account. Think of how many servers that equals.
Cost Savings
Since Cloud is fully-managed off-site (24 hours a day, 365 days a year), it can be far more cost-effective than deploying and supporting an IT infrastructure in-house. The infrastructure is “rented,” so there are no up-front hardware costs (think back to those servers). There’s also no burden of electricity costs, of dedicating space to hardware storage, and no need to hire/retain IT personnel to support hardware on-site.
Consumption-based Billing
Consumption is billed on a utility basis (by resources consumed, like electricity) with little or no upfront cost, making the Cloud particularly attractive to start-ups for whom deploying a new infrastructure in-house may be expensive. Specific applications may be rented by the seat, with any upgrades or bug fixes applied automatically through the back end.
Think of the Cloud as electricity—you can have as much or as little of a service as needed— making it easily scalable for business growth. If you need more outlets in your house, you put in a couple, and plug what you need into them. Determine your scalability needs and the adjustments can be made seamlessly and quickly on the back-end . You scale back, don’t use them.
Cloud can also double as a Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity program. Since data is stored off-site, even if all your servers got flooded or damaged in an earthquake at your place of business, your data would be unaffected and employees could continue working using any internet-connected PC.
In future blogs, I will be exploring practical, value filled uses for Cloud computing and software for businesses. It is a tranformational technology, one that every business can use to drive down costs, increase efficiencies, and change the workplace.
