It’s amazing how everyone recently is proud to announce that they are ‘on the cloud’! Indeed, it is great to be tech-savvy, particularly when the competition is growing stronger by the day. Technology has swiftly made its way into every nook and cranny around the world and its about time for those who haven’t yet. For instance, accountants are now counting on smart business management solutions such as Sage 100 cloud instead of doing it manually. However, if you are still unaware of what the cloud is, it is simply an IT infrastructure that is remotely located but accessible from your local, in-house computer system having internet connectivity.

This implies that you can save your data (which is otherwise stored on your personal computer) on the cloud or the remotely-located data center. Now, there can be many reasons why one would want to migrate their information into the cloud. Ranging from security to mobility, whatever the reason may be, the cloud is undoubtedly a rage all over the world and its about time a traditionally running set-up be transformed into a cloud-based one.

But, before you take the big step, having a thorough understanding of how the cloud works and how it will affect your existing business process is necessary. There may be a need to train your employees, you may need time to find a hosting provider who is suitable for your business type, and maybe a few more steps in the process.

Let’s discuss the 5 things you should know before taking your Sage 100 on the cloud:

Decide The Services You Need

There are two important aspects you need to consider before taking your Sage 100 to the cloud. One, carefully choose the cloud environment. You can opt between a single or multi-cloud environment depending upon your needs and when you are done with that, your next step should be to identify the services your cloud vendor is offering. Your chosen vendor may be giving you software-as-a-service (SaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), or platform-as-a-service(PaaS), and you can go for the option that you think is ideal for your business type.

Know The Risks You Are Taking

When you put all of your data on the cloud, your internet dependency multiplies. Also, since you are storing your critical data on third-party servers, it becomes necessary to ensure that your data is safe and sound. So, before you finally migrate into the cloud with your services provider, make it a point that the risk of migration is minimized. There should be ample security measures in place, such as data encryption, anti-virus protection, security surveillance, etc, and the vendor must promise a high uptime for a glitch-free business. Going off the grid can prove to be quite expensive for a cloud-based firm.

Double-Check the Service Level

When talking about server uptime, it is best to do a little background check of your Sage 100 hosting provider. Check their uptime history. If you find recurring incidences with high server downtime, you might need to rethink your decision. Talk to your provider about their strategy of coping with server downtime and what is the cause behind it. Also, the availability of round-the-clock customer support is also important when it comes to technical glitches.

What Are the Costs Involved?

Every business does and should follow a pre-defined budget. Undocumented and unplanned expenses should be a huge no if you wish to retain your investment. Since taking your Sage 100 to the cloud will involve some costs in the process, thinking it through can help. Although moving to the cloud costs a lot less than installing your own in-house server and maintaining it, you should still do thorough research to know the actual costs involved and if you can afford it.

Go Through the Cloud Options 

Now,  this step needs you to do a little bit of thinking. With the variety of cloud options that are available out there, ranging from public, private, virtual, and hybrid cloud, making the right decision is necessary. While bigger firms usually go for a private cloud environment, plenty of smaller firms also opt for the public and hybrid cloud environments. While private clouds are usually more secure compared to the public cloud, the costs involved may be higher in the former compared to the latter.  However, the freedom of choice lies with you.

Lastly

Cloud computing has a plethora of benefits to offer to its users. However, making the right decisions at the right time can be somewhat daunting. But, having the right technology partner to guide you through the process and offers affordable pricing without burning a hole in your pocket can make your journey into the cloud a smoother one.