If you are in any kind of business whatsoever that relies heavily on the Internet, you are probably more than well aware of all the hype being given to working in the cloud. What you may not know is that it makes sense to understand just what it means to your company in terms of cost and ROI to explore the benefits of an integrated Platform as a Service, commonly referred to simply as iPaaS.
Here are the main benefits you will derive by subscribing to a cloud-based integration platform such as NetSuite.
What Exactly Is Platform as a Service?
One of the most difficult, yet easiest, concepts to understand is exactly what a PaaS, Platform as a Service, is. In general terms, it simply means that everything you need to do on a computer to run your business is based in the cloud and you will not need to go to a huge expense to load tons of software onto a mainframe at your place of business. Everything is based in the cloud and through a series of integrated software solutions, every department has what they need to do their job while communicating with all other departments. It is, without a doubt, one of the greatest innovations to ever hit the market when it comes to business operations. So, let’s take a look at those major benefits of an iPaaS so that you can understand why there is so much excitement over working in the cloud.
1) Cost Effective Cloud-Based Technology
The first major benefit is the fact that an iPaaS is cost effective. There is no reason to spend tens of thousands of dollars setting up a mainframe at your place of business while also spending even greater amounts of money on the software you will need to accommodate every single department. An integrated Platform as a Service offers all the software integrations from front to back end that you will ever need.
2) Seamless Integrations from Front to Back End and Beyond
With NetSuite being by far the largest Platform as a Service, it helps to understand that there are companies that develop ways to integrate all functions so that all your departments can work together seamlessly. Celigo provides NetSuite integrations so that a customer can log on, make an inquiry which is then logged onto your database, receive an answer, or place an order. And from there, every department within your business is able to access what they need to fulfill that order. From the initial customer contact to warehouse and shipping, one system does it all.
3) No More Upgrading!
Then there are those dreaded upgrades that your accountant dreads every year. Not only do they cost a small fortune every time you need to upgrade hardware or purchase the latest software, but they are time consuming to install. Techs need to be called out to your premises and then your staff needs to be retrained in the proper use of each and every upgrade. With an iPaaS, updates are done at the server end and all done in the background while you continue with business as usual. Yes, it does all boil down to cost, which makes it more cost-effective, but it is also a key feature in productivity. Nothing stops the flow of work because there will be no technicians running around tearing things down only to build them up again. That’s one of the real beauties of working in the cloud!
4) A Totally Scalable Solution – As You Grow, So Does Your Platform
One of the things which many businesses have come to love about an iPaaS is the fact that it is totally scalable. You can start small with a basic package that has everything you need to begin integrating all aspects of your business in one platform. As your business grows and you branch out into new endeavors, add departments, grow your client base and even enable various new functions, an iPaaS can be scaled up as needed. Whenever you need to scale up, it’s easy with integrations from Celigo and should you find the need to scale back down, they can do that too!
5) The Combined Resources of the Best Minds in the Industry
And, speaking of Celigo, this brings to mind perhaps the very best benefit of all. With a platform like NetSuite and some of the best minds in the industry developing integrations for companies like yours, you have the benefit of the world’s greatest talent at your disposal. No, it isn’t an open source platform but one that has the ability to accept software applications that can be easily integrated into the functionality of the main platform. Instead of relying on a local tech team that may or may not be up to date on the latest technological advances, you have at your disposal the greatest minds in the industry on a global level without the need to bring them to your place of business. They’re already there – somewhere out there in the Cloud!
Wrapping It Up
So, as you can see, most of these benefits save you invaluable time which equates to money. From having the ability to simply download a platform to your computer to getting frequent updates to scaling as your business grows, the return on your investment (which is minimal in this context!) is enormous. You can do anything, go anywhere and grow as you go with an iPaaS and only pay for what you need and what you will use.
So that’s what all the hype is about e-commerce and literally any business that relies on the Internet for a large portion of their functions. From communications to business operations, it’s all there in one package and the only thing you need to do is subscribe! It’s amazing where technology has brought us and if this is any indication as to where it’s headed, that cloud will get bigger and bigger as will your bottom line. That’s the excitement in a nutshell.
