By: Taylor Hutchinson
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Agribusinesses and Cloud computing. It’s an unlikely romance, but it’s a match made in heaven.
Before I proceed, let me offer a quick explanation of what we mean when we talk about the “Cloud.” The Cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. When software services are offered through the Cloud, it just means that you access those services through the Internet rather than through your computer or a server inside your office.inside your office.
The Cloud offers many advantages for businesses of all types and sizes, but one industry that you might not normally associate with embracing Cloud technology is agriculture. What does cloud technology have to offer farmers and agribusiness owners? A lot more than you might think.
Mobility
Agribusinesses seldom operate from a single location, much less a traditional office building. You may have multiple offices, retail points, or employees working in the field (literally). With the Cloud, every employee can access all of their files and applications from any device and any location.
One example of the flexibility that can be enjoyed with the Cloud is mobile apps. Patten Seed Company uses a custom mobile app to access inventory and sales data for reps at their various Super Sod retail points. The app feeds data directly from their accounting system. They also have a library of spec sheets and videos that the reps can share with customers on the fly.Patten Seed Company uses a custom mobile app to access inventory and sales data for reps at their various Super Sod retail points. The app feeds data directly from their accounting system. They also have a library of spec sheets and videos that the reps can share with customers on the fly.
Security
With the right Cloud services in place, your business data will be more secure. For James Gillis of Gillis Brothers Inc., securing data was a huge worry before he moved his backups to the Cloud.
“Up until 2007, all of our record-keeping was done by hand,” he said. We decided we needed a software system to manage our records. We purchased a package designed specifically for the agriculture industry, and we were able to use it out of the box for almost five years.record-keeping was done by hand,” he said. We decided we needed a software system to manage our records. We purchased a package designed specifically for the agriculture industry, and we were able to use it out of the box for almost five years.
“From then on, I was always concerned about losing our records because we no longer had a paper trail to back us up. If our server went down, and we were not able to retrieve our information, we were in deep trouble.”
Gillis Brothers moved its applications to a secure, private Cloud server where its data is replicated and backed up regularly in multiple geo-separate locations. The company now logs into its server via virtual terminals at each of its locations, and it can connect to the server from anywhere with an Internet connection.
Hands Off
Let’s face it, farmers aren’t known for being IT gurus (but hey, systems engineers aren’t renowned for their crop predictions, either). Operating in the Cloud means you don’t have to worry about managing technology on your own. No more updates, patches, or installing the latest version of a software program. No headaches or worries about installing new applications for employees.
With the Cloud, the latest versions of your applications needed to run your business are made available to all customers as soon as they’re released. What’s more, software updates are released frequently and incrementally. Contrast this to on-premise software that rolls out a substantial update once or twice a year. These updates often include a lot of time and energy to implement and contain major changes that could take staff days or weeks to learn.
Address these potential issues before proceeding:
The Cloud offers solutions for practically every aspect of your business, but it isn’t always the best fit or solution for your problems. Here are some things to think about before proceeding with any Cloud service or application: solution for your problems. Here are some things to think about before proceeding with any Cloud service or application:
Downtime. If your Internet connection goes down, you lose access to your applications. You can mitigate this risk by using a commercial-grade Internet connection and maintaining a backup connection.
Data security. Many people don’t feel comfortable having their data in some off-site location. This is a valid concern, and before you choose any Cloud provider, you need to find out more information about where its is storing your data, how it’s encrypted, who has access and how you can get it back.its is storing your data, how it’s encrypted, who has access and how you can get it back.
Certain line-of-business applications won’t work in the cloud. For example, you might have an application like ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), which may integrate with handheld scanners, shop floor controllers, scales, meters, and any number of other local devices and may have issues integrating over the Internet.
Are you interested in moving to the Cloud but don’t know where to start?
Download our free e-book: 5 Critical Questions to Ask Before Moving to the Cloud at nexxtep.com/cloud-ebook or call 229-671-1513 and ask for Taylor Hutchinson.