Thursday, November 19, 2009

How to Improve Business Performance with Software Plus Services

These days, new technologies are touted daily as being the ones that will revolutionize the industry. Too often, they fall short. But software plus services is a valuable option for companies that want to save money while improving business performance through the increased collaboration and business intelligence today's technology offers. By outlining four advantages of software plus services, we explain how customers can use software plus services to customize their IT environment to improve business performance.

Choice is paramount. Especially for you, our customers. Having two software options in today's unsteady economic environment is a huge advantage if you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Not only will it expose cost savings but greater operational efficiencies will be revealed. In the technology industry, it's called "software plus services."

Because of the low start-up costs, cloud computing stands out as a compelling choice for businesses; however, it's not for everyone. But a hybrid approach—such as software plus services that combines on-premise software with software as a service (SAAS)—might be a more realistic solution.

Let's take a look at some of the advantages of the software plus services approach:

Advantage No. 1: Flexibility
Online services and online software give your customers the option to explore new ways to handle their business needs. For instance, the Halloween store down the street has much higher sales in September and October than it does in February and March. Instead of purchasing additional servers to handle the load during the busy times (and sit idle during the slow times), the store can purchase additional server capacity for a fixed period of time, for a fraction of the cost of physical servers.

Advantage No. 2: More innovation
Access to the cloud allows companies the opportunity to create a richer and more diverse customer experience. For instance, there are Web applications available that allow organizations to share their data across several devices for a seamless, synchronized experience. Remote workers will also benefit from this arrangement because they will have easier access to information and realize faster results.

Advantage No. 3: Varied deployment
Do you choose your tactics based on your customers' demands? Or do you base your solution offerings on your business strategy? Regardless of which way you lean, there are options to handle both situations. An IT decision that is best for one company might not even be a remote possibility for another. Therefore, taking advantage of both sides of the equation—on-site and off-site deployment—is key. It just comes down to what's best for your organization.

Advantage No. 4: Greater connectivity
With this approach, the barriers between your PC, the Web and your mobile device will dissolve. Applications are no longer platform-specific; the agnostic nature of their usability means you will experience the same functionality on your computer that you do on your mobile phone. For instance, the foreman at the construction site will have immediate access to his company's inventory on his mobile device in real time to ensure that they have the correct materials. This saves time and money, and it’s one less trip to the warehouse.

In a world that has become increasingly more integrated, connecting people seamlessly to information and communications is a necessity.

Contact us today to learn more about Cloud Computing and Software as a Service. www.thinkitworks.com or email me at russell@thinkitworks.com.

1 comment:

Darcy Grubaugh said...

Before installing any software, better read some reviews. With that, you are aware of the performance of every business software program! Gathering information is an advantage because you can compare the business software and may able to find out what software is good for you.

Darcy Grubaugh