In 2015, more and more Australian businesses will take the leap and move some of their local applications into a cloud environment.
The big drivers for cloud migration are reduced costs, increased efficiencies through better integration, and mobility.
Let’s look at three software applications that you should consider moving to the cloud.
1. CRM: Microsoft Dynamics, Capsule and Streak
Modern CRMs provide you with a single view of all your important customer data. This makes it easier to build stronger relationships and take advantage of new business opportunities.
Since your CRM is running in the cloud, you can access it any time, from any device. No longer are you restricted to your local PC and local server.
Why you need a cloud-based CRM:
- Enhanced reporting
- Easy integration with other applications
- Access to CRM while travelling and/or onsite with clients
CRMs to choose from:
- Microsoft’s Dynamics CRM is our recommended solution because it integrates easily with other Microsoft products. It is fully customisable to meet almost all your business needs.
- Capsule is a lightweight CRM popular with very small businesses (1-5 staff). It’s easy to set up and will help you better manage all your business relationships.
- Streak CRM is the perfect CRM for startups. It runs as an add-on for Gmail so you can have your CRM inside your email.
2. Cloud accounting: Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks
According to a study by Xero, three out of five SMBs are set to make the move to a cloud accounting software solution in 2015. Business owners cited mobility as the greatest cloud accounting advantage (61%), followed by real-time syncing (38%).
Instead of paying upfront installation and licensing costs, these cloud accounting providers charge a monthly price for the service that includes a software license and infrastructure hosting.
Why you need cloud-based accounting:
- Eliminate inefficiencies by automating tasks. For example, Xero automatically pulls data from bank feeds, reconciling and categorising transactions in seconds.
- Enable greater collaboration with multi-user access for your team and your advisers.
- Quickly see all your financial data in one screen.
Cloud accounting software to choose from:
- Xero is our recommended solution because of its impressive cloud ecosystem. Easily integrate Xero with other cloud-based applications to improve efficiencies in all areas of your business.
- MYOB has a cloud-based version that is similar to its old faithful desktop version.
- QuickBooks Online by Intuit is simple and easy to use. By drawing on experience from their market-leading US solution, QuickBooks Online has become a solid alternative to Xero for Australian businesses.
Related: Learn more about Xero and the Xero ecosystem
3. Productivity suite: Office 365 and Google Apps
Increasing productivity is on the minds of executives around Australia. The right technology tools can help your team work smarter and more efficiently.
Microsoft’s Office 365 is the leading productivity suite for Australian businesses. Essentially, Office 365 is the cloud-friendly version of Microsoft Office.
Instead of hosting Office on your personal computer, Office 365 can be deployed and managed in the cloud. With Office 365 in the cloud, you and your team can access your documents from any device, anytime. All you need is an internet connection.
The alternative option to Office 365 is Google Apps. Although Google Apps offers great real-time collaboration and easy integration with Gmail or Google Drive, it’s definitely lacking the features found in Office 365 (i.e., Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
Why you need a productivity suite:
- Mobility: access your files and information anywhere, anytime, on any device.
- New product updates are regularly and automatically added to your solution so you have the best and latest features at your disposal.
- Integration with other systems and applications is easier with cloud-first productivity tools.
Cloud accounting software to choose from:
- Office 365 for Business: Market-leading solution with all your favourite Microsoft products, now hosted in the cloud.
- Google Apps for Work: A good alternative for smaller teams that prefer using Gmail and Google Drive.
Talk to us about cloud-based software applications
Are you ready to take the leap and move one or more of your software applications to the cloud? We specialise in migrating businesses to a cloud environment. Call us on 1300 562 886 or request a call back to discuss how our migration and custom software solutions can help you.
Learn more about our software integration and application migration services.