Large organisations and enterprises have IT requirements which match their scale and complexity. Robust communications systems and methods are needed, often between different countries and time zones; reliable computers are needed for staff members, as well as responsive, mobile devices capable of handling messaging and if necessary reading and editing attachments. A powerful IT infrastructure, including a strong enterprise application support service, is necessary to pull all the strands together.
Specific Software demands
On the software front, an enterprise will need applications which home in on key processes and systems, such as: finance/accounting, procurement, manufacturing, sales and service, distribution and fleet management, customer relationship management, and HR. Such software must be able to offer senior executives a joined-up bird’s eye view of the whole organisation, as well as providing staff with the means of granular day-to-day control of numerous linked operations and processes.
The cloud – an attractive alternative
Traditionally, enterprises have attempted to manage their hardware and software in-house. Servers have been housed in suitable premises within company offices, and an IT team has been on hand both to maintain the equipment and provide application support services. However, increasing levels of internet bandwidth and new technologies, such as virtualisation, have converged to enable the development of a new way of delivering IT services: The cloud. In a cloud system, hardware is managed remotely by a contracted provider, and software is delivered over the internet to client PCs (and mobile devices). The software usually operates comfortably within an internet browser, so that company staff members will only need an internet enabled computer with a compatible, up-to-date, secure web browser, and they will be able to do the bulk of their work.
In a cloud hosting arrangement the enterprise client pays for the software on a straightforward subscription basis. Remote support is commonly bundled in with the package.
Benefits of cloud hosting
Large companies and organisations are increasingly recognising the many benefits of cloud hosting. Amongst these are the following:
Cost savings: Because a major part of a company’s IT infrastructure is managed externally for a fixed fee, there are immediate savings to be made in terms of in-house and equipment costs.
Simplified on-boarding of enterprise applications: Using services such as the Oracle cloud make setting up application such as Oracle E-Business Suite when compared to more traditional IT systems. No complicated roll-out, perhaps requiring extra staff to be hired, is needed: Users simply log in through their browsers and they have access to the full range of applications to which the company has subscribed.
Dedicated application support: A cloud hosting service will typically come with an enterprise application support service, which will benefit from being focussed on the one product, with no distractions from other parts of the IT forest.
For example, the Oracle Cloud service from ourselves here at Interoute Application Management, benefits from 24/7 support, 365 days a year. The team consists of 25 accredited professionals, who together bring years of in-depth Oracle experience to the table.
