Cloud Hosting: Pros and Cons of Moving Your ERP to the Cloud

Cloud hosting – is it for your business? With 47% of companies surveyed by Gartner planning on moving their core systems to the cloud in the next 5 years, you may be wondering if this is something you should hop on before you miss the bus. Moving ERP to the cloud is not just a passing trend. There are real advantages to cloud hosting that can put your company in a better position regarding its IT strategy and flexibility. Key factors to consider are the size and nature of your data, your required level of data security, the mobility of your employees and their need for data access, the size and skill level of your IT staff, the overall longevity of your solution, and of course, the resources you have available.

Cloud Hosting

Pros:

• Lower initial investment and predictable monthly costs.
• Remote access to your critical data.
• Managed IT services - focus on your business outcomes, while we handle updates and maintenance in the background.
• Rapid implementation.
• Complete data backup & disaster recovery services.
• State-of-the-art security from experienced data center security staff.

Cons:

• Possible higher cost of ownership in the long run as the “rent vs. own” model takes effect.
• Certain industries required that sensitive data be kept within an on-premise network.
• As you grow, you may face unexpected costs as your user subscriptions increase.

On-Premise

Pros:

• One time investment. No recurring payments and monthly subscription costs.
• Gain full system control with restrictions, monitoring, and data management.
• Full control over custom development and integration.
• Greater data security via an on-premise network.

Cons:

• Higher upfront investment. Hardware is required to host on-premise solutions.
• On-premise software licensing is more costly upfront than subscription licensing.
• A larger, highly skilled IT staff is required to maintain your systems and hardware.

  For a high level estimate of your investment in Microsoft Dynamics GP, get a free Microsoft Dynamics GP Quick Quote! If you have questions about ERP in the cloud or would simply like to speak with a GP expert, contact us today:     By Turnkey Technologies, Inc. - Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky Microsoft Gold Dynamics GP and Gold Dynamics CRM Partner.