An Unbiased View of training and development software



62% of small business report they are using some type of cloud application, up from 48% at the beginning of the year and 28% a year ago. Let's think about that. 15% to 20% adoption rates each year. Why? Because small businesses are starting to find out that cloud based solutions aren't big and scary, nor are they cost prohibitive. Most of this growth is coming in lare scale adoptions like Microsoft 365, or online file-sharing services such as Dropbox, but most haven't moved into online productivity offerings in a big way just yet ... but they will.

If you are considering moving productivity suites to the cloud, which include word processing, spreadsheet, call center and calendar applications, adoption is incredibly slow among small business owners. Cloud-based productivity suites, like telecom solutions including IVR set-up or outbound power dialers, have the lowest adoption rates of all. Nearly two out of three businesses have no plans to use cloud-based productivity suites. Only 14% of those surveyed are currently using cloud-based productivity suites, and just 22% are thinking about adopting these services in 2013.

Cloud based solutions remove costly overhead. They do this through convenience, collaboration and accessibility. However, businesses often feel insecure about the data that's being passed through these services. This is why the lack of control over data security (cited by 73%); legal liabilities and compliance issues (49%), and reliability (48%) are the three top concerns for small business owners that are considering "the cloud". Most of these concerns are mitigated when you look at cloud solutions for phone solutions such as inbound and outbound IVR, or automated call distribution, or even power/predictive dialing features.

Another recent Deloitte survey also noted that mid-size businesses described as those with annual revenues between $50 million and $100 million are catching the fever of cloud religion. This expansive survey of 500+ executives found that more than 40% (up from 30% last year) recognize cloud computing or Software as a Service (Saas) as one of the most important technology investments for 2013. The amount of businesses that are turning to cloud based solutions to empower their call center agents will likely catch up to that in short order, as education around the value and lack of restraints improve. It's important to note that there are no compliance issues when changing to cloud based solutions. In fact, access to records is normally faster and more reliable than dealing with clunky on-premise records that may be hard copy based and easily destroyed, lost or misplaced.

In closing, there's a "quick list" of good reasons to adopt the cloud. These include:

* Accessible anytime from anywhere.

* Safe & secure data storage.

* Affordability by avoiding on-premise hardware.

* Scalability to grow as your business does.

* Compliance and ease of retrieval for key data.

As technology advances and businesses seek new and original ways to be more competitive in the modern marketplace, cloud based software has become increasingly popular. With the promise of more practical ways of doing business and lower costs tempting people into trying cloud based solutions, it is necessary to look at whether these solutions really do deliver.

There is certainly no solution in the world which is perfect - and there are drawbacks to cloud computing too - there are also several significant advantages to using cloud based software for businesses that should definitely be taken into consideration. With that said, there are four reasons why cloud based software could be right for your business.

First of all, cloud based software tends to be far more cost effective that its conventional counterparts, specifically because there is no need to buy expensive equipment, larger premises to accommodate this equipment or expensive software licenses on a frequent basis.

With all essential information and tools effectively stored in the cloud, there is little hassle and reduced expense all round. Many cloud based solutions are also very cost effective on a day to click here day basis, without the need to purchase expensive software and licenses. Instead, many solutions have a simple subscription fee that can be renewed as businesses see fit.

Apart from these financial advantages, there are also some other major benefits which mean that cloud solutions could be right for you business. One of them is that there is greatly improved accessibility, which can be perfect for businesses that have multiple locations or whose employees travel a lot.

Cloud solutions are often available from anywhere with an internet connection, which means that colleagues can work from wherever they happen to be at the time. This can mean that trips abroad or to other parts of the country are no problem, and that employees can even work on the same project as each other from home.

This accessibility means flexibility, which can be considered a major benefit for many businesses. If this appeals to you and your working practice, then it is well worth considering cloud based software.

Another major advantage of cloud solutions is that there is often access to the latest software and tools that would otherwise be unavailable. Cloud software is often updated on a frequent basis to solve issues and also provide new features to users. In a global marketplace that is increasingly competitive, this can be extremely valuable.

Companies that provide these software solutions endeavour to ensure that they listen to customers' needs and update their programs accordingly. This means that improvements are always being made, which is very different from traditional software solutions where you will update on a much less frequent basis or even have to buy a new program altogether.

Fourthly and finally, another significant benefit to investing in cloud based solutions for business is that it is a much more flexible solution, meaning that you do not have to buy whole software packages outright if you only intend to use a part of the solution that is on offer. An example of this will be with accounting tools, where you can invest in solutions appropriate to your needs only.

This idea of investing in more tailored solutions can be very beneficial to businesses, as they are not paying more money for entire software packages that they will simply not use. Instead, a 'pick and mix' approach offered by many software companies can cut down on costs and provide more targeted solutions with anything extraneous added.

These are just four of the major reasons why businesses might consider investing in cloud based solutions. If any of these sound appealing to you it is recommended to get in touch with your local provider of these types of solutions in order to find out more.

Because small businesses are starting to find out that cloud based solutions aren't big and scary, nor are they cost prohibitive. Most of these concerns are mitigated when you look at cloud solutions for phone solutions such as inbound and outbound IVR, or automated call distribution, or even power/predictive dialing features.

Because small businesses are starting to find out that cloud based solutions aren't scary and big, nor are they cost prohibitive. Most of these concerns are mitigated when you look at cloud solutions for phone solutions such as inbound and outbound IVR, or automated call distribution, or even power/predictive dialing features.

With the promise of more practical ways of doing business and lower costs tempting people into trying cloud based solutions, it is necessary to look at whether these solutions really do deliver.

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