Selling ERP via the Cloud: Prepping providers for success

Whether you use the terminology of Application Service Provider (ASP), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), or the Cloud, you're probably familiar with the concepts surrounding cloud computing. After all, it has been around since the 1960s. Although the idea of an "intergalactic computer network" was introduced in the sixties by J.C.R. Licklider, it was Salesforce.com that made cloud computing a household name in 1999. The phenomenon of the cloud - external hosting of information over a network - has essentially rewired the way we share information and network with each other.

In the simplest terms, cloud computing allows software publishers to deliver their products over the Internet. This method of delivery evolved from the desire to deliver services to small and medium-sized companies that could not otherwise afford the applications offered.

Early Adopters

In September 1999, The Taylor Group developed the ASP model for internet-based delivery of Dynamics GP, which they called Managed Ops. This was truly the first appearance of off-site deployments of Dynamics and it worked very well. As with any first generation product, there was a learning curve. It was expensive by today's standards and inflexible. However, Great Plains software was a pioneer and even though it was expensive, this tactic paved the way for better cloud computing to come.

Since then, the reduced costs of hardware and bandwidth along with the trend toward doing more business over the web have allowed the cloud to become a more cost-effective and trusted approach to IT services delivery. If you're considering offering ERP services to your clients in the cloud or are already doing so, consider the ...