4 big reasons to move your business to the cloud

Why move to the cloud?

Here’s a different question. Why watch a movie on Netflix when you can have the following experience?

1. Go to a storefront.
2. Browse titles and decide on a movie.
3. Purchase or rent the disc.
4. Return home.
5. Insert the disc into your DVD player.
6. Watch the movie.
7. Return disc(s) to storefront when finished.

How’s that for a relaxing evening?

Many of us would prefer the Netflix experience to the list of steps above. It’s quicker, it’s easier, and you can do it all from the comfort of your own home.

Netflix and other streaming services have nearly driven the old-school brick-and-mortar storefronts extinct because they are so much simpler and more accessible. When you stream a movie, you don’t have to go anywhere, and you don’t have to talk to anyone. No stress, no mess.

Similarly, cloud-based applications help to simplify processes and relieve stress through immediate accessibility.

For example, you may be out and about and remember you need to follow up with a prospect. No problem! You can just open the D365 app on your phone and enter a task.

Sometimes there is an obvious trigger that gets us thinking about moving to the cloud. Maybe it’s an expensive upgrade with an On Prem solution, or maybe you need to purchase a new server to host one or more of your applications.

Other times, it’s an initiative the executive team has been discussing for years and the wait is finally over.

Whatever your personal situation, here are 4 big reasons to move your business software to the cloud:

1. Enjoy convenience & accessibility

The majority of cloud applications are designed to be accessible at any time, from any device (desktop, laptop, tablet, or smart phone), and from any location that has internet access.

Using a simple URL or app, access is easy and foolproof. You can rest assured that your employees can get to the data they need and perform all necessary tasks without having to worry about the availability and current status of physical servers.

Most cloud applications offer guaranteed service levels of 99.9% or more. This ensures you will have access to your applications and data, and you will get your money back in the unlikely event something goes wrong.

2. Save time & money

A cloud solution allows organizations to focus their IT efforts and resources (whether internal or external) on projects that produce a return on investment, rather than maintaining hardware and software. Some examples of activities that can help make an organization more efficient and profitable are business process flow improvement, integration with other applications, report & dashboard development, and workflow automation.

Of course, there is a recurring cost for most online applications. But when compared to the cost of hardware, software, maintenance of the environment, and upgrade services, most organizations have found that a cloud solution will save them money in the long run.

3. Improve security

“Is my data secure?”

I get this question all the time. Most often, it’s from a small company with a physical server—that may or may not have been backed up at some point in the last year—sitting in an unlocked closet somewhere.

My answer to those companies is simple: your data will be much more secure in the cloud than it is in your closet.

A software developer that hosts your data in the cloud is required to comply with very strict security regulations. For example, here are just a few of the ways Microsoft handles Dynamics 365 data security:

Dynamics 365 uses encryption to protect your data. Connections established between customers and Microsoft datacenters are encrypted, and public endpoints are secured using industry-standard Transport Layer Security (TLS). TLS effectively establishes a security-enhanced browser-to-server connection to help ensure data confidentiality and integrity between devices and datacenters.

And you can bet Microsoft’s servers are behind more than a closet door.

4. Maintain data ownership

Who owns the data? Just like with the majority of on-prem applications, you own the data, and the software developer owns the software code.

That doesn’t mean you can’t customize your system, though. You can still add additional code and create customizations. You can even bundle those customizations up and export them as managed or unmanaged solutions that you own, just like we do with our Microsoft Dynamics 365 Productivity Bundles.

Are you ready to move to the cloud with Dynamics 365?

To learn more about what migrating to the cloud looks like, check out our other articles or get in touch. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you currently use Microsoft Dynamics on-premises, let’s talk about what a migration to the cloud with Microsoft Dynamics 365 can do for your business.

For most businesses, moving CRM to the cloud is a big step up in functionality, flexibility, and ultimately profitability.

Is your business one of them?