One of the fastest growing Information Technology (IT) trends is Cloud computing. Over the last 10 years, there has been a monumental shift from traditional, locally hosted software to software hosted on the Internet. Cloud computing has already been integrated into business computers. It is now being adjusted so that mobile devices can get in on the action.
Traditionally, the software had to be installed in the in-house machines at businesses and organizations. It would be installed on each machine or in a server. This was time-consuming and even expensive. A whole team of technicians was required to secure, run and test one software resource. If more than one resource was needed, then this effort had to be multiplied until all the software resources were installed. Thanks to Cloud technology, software can now be hosted on the Internet and businesses can access and use it. This service is administered by a Cloud services provider such as Salesforce. The business can pay only for the software that they need. This is more cost effective than buying software for each machine in the building. There are much more ways in which Cloud computing is better than traditional computing methods.
Why is Cloud computing better?
Thanks to Cloud computing, the expensive and time-consuming processes required in maintaining business machines are eliminated. The responsibility of maintaining software belongs to the provider for example Salesforce. They host all the software and therefore are responsible for making updates and scaling. If an individual business were to do this for over 1,000 machines, they would have to spend quite a lot of time and money. However, by subscribing to Cloud software access, the business only has to pay the subscription fee. There are no other costs involved; everything else is handled by the provider.
It is easier to afford the Cloud-based software. The providers give businesses a collection of software to choose from. Then the business can choose the ones that they would want to use. Once they do, they can subscribe to those and leave the rest. The businesses can leave these software resources running all day and night for days on end and they will still be affordable because they are paid for through subscription. These software resources are also easy to access. The employees only need to start up a browser session. After that, they can log in and begin to use the software that they need.
There are all kinds of business applications in the Cloud. Examples of these are accounting, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and project management software. Providers such as Salesforce give access to these software resources to small, medium-sized and even large companies on a subscription basis. The infrastructure of the Cloud computing providers is strong and their security is top notch as well. It is important to vet a Cloud services provider before you invest in them. The technology has become widespread and very popular. As such, there are many companies indicating that they provide Cloud services yet their infrastructure has no Cloud element in it.
What is Salesforce?
Salesforce is a company that provides Cloud services to businesses on a basis known as Software As A Service (SaaS). Thanks to this service, businesses do not have to maintain their own hardware or software. Salesforce will do this for them. All that the employees have to do is open up a browser, log into the Cloud and begin working with the software that they need to. They can do this from any Internet-compatible device. Examples of these are laptops, tablets, and smartphones. From there, they can access a collection of business software. Examples of these are application construction, analytics, marketing, ERP, sales, CRM and customer satisfaction software. Salesforce has a number of products that are geared towards various departments of a business. Read on to discover them.
Software products provided by Salesforce
This Cloud computing software provider has a number of products in their portfolio. They include:
- Sales
- Customer service
- Marketing
- Community
- Business analytics
- Application development
Sales Cloud software
Salesforce has a Cloud software resource that is geared towards helping businesses to manage their sales better. The software increases the productivity of their employees, maintains a flow of leads and helps the business sell more products or services in its day to day business.
Customer service Cloud software
The customer is king. Any business that wants to be successful knows this. Therefore, it is very important to respond to the needs and requirements of the customers. Salesforce has a number of software that makes this possible. Examples of these are call-center software and portals for self-service. This software is maintained and updated by the company.
Marketing Cloud software
Modern businesses strive to interact with their customers better so as to increase sales. There is some Cloud-based software from Salesforce that helps them accomplish this. The software helps the businesses to create customer journeys that are personalized and cover more than one channel at a time. In this way, the business is able to maintain a strong brand presence across social media, the Internet, mobile platforms and even email.
Community Cloud software
There are large communities on the Internet that get together to discuss and purchase products and services. If a business taps into a community and maintains its presence, it can reap big rewards. Salesforce provides its clients with software that can make this possible. The Cloud software assists businesses to tap into and even create communities online. It also helps the employees to improve their productivity and levels of innovation. Moreover, distributors, resellers, and other business stakeholders can use these communities to close deals much faster and increase turnover.
Conclusion
The Cloud platform makes business easier. All that one has to do is log into the Cloud portal of their company and begin working. It makes telecommuting quite possible. Salesforce is one of the top Cloud services providers in the world. Their services in relation to Cloud computing are indicated above.
This article is written by Sujain Thomas, a Cloud computing expert. She is involved in integrating this technology in modern businesses and has over five years of experience in this industry. She has worked with large, successful companies such as Salesforce git and others in the industry. Her knowledge has made this report possible.
