Cloud Services in SMB
At L2TC we feel there is a time and a place for everything. And that includes cloud services. We recommend, sell, and support a variety of cloud based services. These include email hygiene, hosted meeting services, and hosted exchange, as well as hosted web and collaboration services. The services we offer compliment a client's infrastructure approach. We do not have any clients on an entirely cloud based services infrastructure. We are not convinced it's the best solution for any business. Perhaps there are some out there, but the people we talk to and deal with daily, weekly and monthly all need a localized infrastructure, whether that's PBX (we offer hosted PBX) or collaboration, or simple file and print. We are seeing an uptick in adoption for cloud based services and have in a couple of occasions parted company with clients who felt they could save money on cloud services. Unfortunately, they were not provided the full story by the other IT guy in their ear, and in all cases have reverted back to at least a mixed approach.
My point is that I think Microsoft is on the right track with their Software Plus Services approach, rather than Software as a Service, that others are offering. The day may come that Internet based infrastructure will be affordable and reliable enough to move to the cloud entirely, but I do not see that happening anytime. And each client's needs are different. Some are more risk tolerant, some are more conservative than others, and so, when the subject comes up from clients, we are keen to manage expectations and relay the full picture. It is a lost art the analysis of Total Cost of Ownership and Return on Investment. In this hectic, fast paced world, people want the bottom line, and sometimes, not taking the time to hear the full story, people get burned.
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