Why Your AE Firm Should Look to the Cloud – Part 4: Performance

Posted by Jeremiah McNicholas on February 19, 2014

AE Industry News   Firm Management   Software Implementation  

cloud

Blog Series: Five Reasons Why Your A/E Firm Should Look to the Cloud

This is the 4th in a 5 part series. To read Part 3 click here.

Download full whitepaper “Five Reasons Your A&E Firm Should Look to the Cloud”

Part 4: Optimized Performance

There are a number of great reasons to use the cloud including streamlined setup,enhanced security, zero maintenance, improved performance, and a proven disaster recovery plan. Over the next few weeks we’ll explore each of these benefits in great detail.

This week, we will discuss how to improve software performance by migrating to the cloud. Let me clarify by explaining exactly what performance means in this context. In terms of computer hardware and software, performance refers to how a system accomplishes its intended tasks with respect to responsiveness and stability under a particular workload. The key attributes that are used to measure performance are resource usage, scalability, and reliability. Each of these attributes is equally important when considering to migrate to the cloud.

It is important to review an application’s recommended hardware rather than just the minimum requirements. Many IT administrators will try to scrape by with the minimum, but the stresses on meager hardware configurations become apparent in long load times, freezes, and software crashes. These inconveniences can add up to a significant loss of productivity and trust in the software. Think about just the few extra seconds it may take for a report to load and multiply that by the number of employees accessing that report and how frequently it is accessed. The time can really begin to add up. Not to mention that these hiccups can create dissatisfaction with the software and discourage its use. When you utilize a cloud solution, the hardware and software systems supporting the cloud are typically optimized for the application being hosted. This optimization eliminates these inconveniences by offering performance gains that may have been too costly to implement with an on premise solution.

If you are running into performance problems today, you will continue to experience challenges as the business grows. In the AE industry especially, if your business is not growing it may be at risk. With such an emphasis on growth, is anyone in your organization responsible for ensuring your IT infrastructure will scale with your firm? You may have in-house IT staff to maintain your systems, but ensuring your hardware and software operate sufficiently for your business today is not enough. Your IT infrastructure needs to be ready to accommodate your firm’s projected growth. With a cloud solution, scalability is no longer an obstacle to business growth. Cloud servers are typically prepared to handle much more use than the average business requires and they’re audited frequently to ensure optimal performance as your firm’s software usage increases.

Even if your software is performing well, this fact becomes irrelevant if access to the software is unreliable. The reliability of a software solution is yet another key component of performance. Situations such as server maintenance, network or power loss, or even a server crash could leave your team without vital business information. With your firm’s software in the cloud, reliability and accessibility are no longer a concern. Most cloud offerings can guarantee 99% uptime; a figure that typically far exceeds any on premise solution.

If optimal performance of your firm’s software is important to you, consider looking to the cloud.

Click here to proceed to part 5 in series.

Download full whitepaper “Five Reasons Your A&E Firm Should Look to the Cloud”

For more information about the Ajera Cloud click here.

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