The cloud is currently all the rage as the place to store data and run apps. In the recent past, cloud providers have undoubtedly benefited from this boom - not least due to the large number of employees working from home. But is the cloud the right choice when it comes to your customer relationship management software? For some companies, the cloud is the only option, while others are hard-pressed to convince themselves that on-premises solutions are not always the best choice. But what is the reality? Do these two types of CRM balance each other out? And do we have to choose one or is there a third alternative?
Self-hosted or in the cloud?
The most obvious difference between a locally installed and a cloud-based solution is where the data and software are stored. A self-hosted system requires servers at your company location and/or installation on local PCs or laptops, while a cloud solution stores data and CRM software on remote servers and is accessed over the Internet.
Advantages of the Cloud
Lower infrastructure costs: One of the main advantages of cloud-based japan chat telegramsoftware is that there is no initial capital outlay required for purchasing or installing hardware. You don't have to worry about resources or software maintenance.
Effortless maintenance: Since the software is hosted in the cloud, your provider takes care of all technical details and updates. You don't have to do anything.
Scalability: Cloud services are scalable, making them much easier to adapt to business changes. Increasing (or decreasing) your storage capacity simply requires a change in subscription, saving you the high cost of additional servers.
Increased productivity and universal availability of data: The cloud makes collaboration between departments faster and easier, which optimizes processes and workflows. Everyone involved has access to the latest data from anywhere, as it is continuously updated in real time. Version conflicts are a thing of the past. With locally installed software, conflicts can very well be a problem if different versions circulate within the team after a change.
But is the cloud the ideal solution for everyone? Some considerations:
Security: Security is often at the top of the list of concerns for cloud critics - even though the cloud is often more secure than many private data centers. A good cloud provider will take appropriate measures to ensure that your data is both protected and accessible at all times, and will create regular backups.
System outages: While outages are rare among major cloud providers, companies for whom a disruption would have catastrophic consequences are still rightly concerned about them.
Control: While locally installed solutions can also be affected by security issues and outages, with cloud software you are "at the mercy" of a third-party provider. How concerned you should be depends in part on the trust you have in your cloud provider. Additionally, some companies want to decide for themselves when their software is updated. With an on-premise solution, you have control over when updates and upgrades are performed.
Data recoverability: Data in the cloud is often stored in proprietary formats. You may need to submit a paid service request to recover it.
Can I combine the best of both worlds?
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