Moving
Should You be
Moving to the Cloud? By Gabe Authier
A
s the construction industry emerges from economic hardship, more companies are moving resources out of internally-managed IT departments and saving money by moving into externally-hosted environments —aka the “Cloud.” Cloud computing brings a convenient, affordable and on-demand computing structure, an alternative to customers having to buy, license, configure, optimize and back-up in-house software applications. Leveraging a Cloud platform gives several distinct advantages, including smaller expenditure for IT resources, hardware, and maintenance, as well as efficiencies related to those expenses. With Cloud computing, multiple users can access and update their data without purchasing licenses for different applications. Here’s how Cloud computing could benefit your business: 1. Avoid hefty capital expense and save costs by using software and hardware without having to buy it. (Smaller contractors, especially, find better pricing with Cloud compared to traditional on-site software and IT resources – plus they can deploy new applications faster.) 2. Security concerns are almost eliminated, along with backup and recovery, downtime and other related hardware and software maintenance. 3. The Cloud has more speed and flexibility than typical storage systems, and is able to scale up or down quickly, which is helpful when you have a workforce that changes when projects begin or end. 4. It offers enhanced team collaboration and productivity for an important competitive edge, helping you to finish projects more efficiently and with increased collaboration. How to Evaluate Your Cloud Move When moving to a Cloud platform, look for the easy ways to get what’s most critical to your company: Easy to Buy. Look for an offering that: – is scalable to meet your requirements as you grow – provides valuable savings on what would be a hefty capital expense 50
Easy to Install. Be sure that your choice allows: – a worry-free IT environment by a vendor that configures, manages, and supports the platform – no need to hire additional IT resources – no downtime, hardware crashes, or need to handle upgrades or backups for disaster recovery – faster deployment with newer technology applications that your users want and need Easy to Use. Everyone on the team will appreciate a solution that: – looks like your office desktop – allows browser-based access to all your applications – is supported by a knowledgeable technology partner offering convenient assistance A Decision to Design and Deliver Construction management software on the Cloud offers a simplified and flexible IT experience that shifts the burden and associated headaches of upgrades, maintenance and backups from your business to the software producer. This gives you the freedom to focus on what you do best – building great projects. There’s no need to worry about infrastructure and investments in hardware: When more computing power or storage space is needed, most Cloud-based systems scale with your firm; you’ll never go without what you need, nor pay for what you don’t. Cloud-based construction management software offers the following key benefits: • effortless browser experience that looks and feels just like your office desktop, with your applications accessible from anywhere, anytime • uninhibited use of graphic-intensive applications like Google Earth, AutoCAD, and 3-D applications • easy access to Enterprise Resource Planning solutions that keep everyone in your firm on the same page, as well as access to most
November-December 2014
• • • • • •
other mission-critical third-party applications flexible, scalable, and cost effective storing and computing power -- allowing you to easily scale up and back based on your business and project needs worry-free IT experience as it manages software upgrades, hardware investments, backups, testing, and maintenance saves time for end users: computing is faster on data-center resources designed for speed; work progress is never lost, even if local internet goes down unrestricted printing ability—printing is no longer hobbled by plug-in incompatibilities. complete flexibility, with software updates delivered on your schedule allows more focus on your construction business, leaving the IT worries to the software manufacturer
The Ultimate Question So, to circle back on the ultimate question at hand, let’s ask: “Why are construction companies moving to the Cloud?” Let’s acknowledge that most construction project teams are temporary, fragmented, multidisciplinary, and multi-company. Co-location of teams can be costly and disruptive, but creating fast, secure and reliable IT infrastructures is also challenging and expensive, particularly as this often must be dismantled at the end of a project. A Cloud platform supports business in a variable economy. In today’s tough business and economic climate, if the IT resource can speed up the implementation of vital line-of-business software, improve management of a growing stockpile of valuable data, and/or decrease computer infrastructure costs, then it can have a vital impact on the success of the organization. Ideally, organizations should be able to obtain the necessary IT resources when and as they’re needed, paying only for what they use. In a healthy economy, this can support growth and speed up new initiatives. In a bad economy, it can mean survival, as it can foster efficiency and save costs. So it certainly appears to be a worthwhile move at some point for every construction organization, when the requirements align with technology offerings. Author: Gabe Authier, Product Manager: Cloud Computing, Viewpoint Construction Software. Gabe has more than 14 years’ experience in information and web technology, overseeing IT resources, implementation and management for organizations, including the telecom and web-hosting industry. Gabe joined Viewpoint in 2012, and serves as Product Manager for Viewpoint’s Cloud Computing, overseeing development and deployment of Viewpoint’s Cloud product/service offering. Gabe holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from University of Arizona and an Executive MBA from the University of Oregon.
A complete “toolkit” for the construction inspector
Packed with comprehensive inspection checklists, that ensure you don’t overlook a single detail.
Construction Inspection Manual $76.95 (9781557016423)
Call Toll FREE 1-888-BNi-BOOK (1-888-264-2665)
November-December 2014
51
Moving to the Cloud? By Gabe Authier
A
s the construction industry emerges from economic hardship, more companies are moving resources out of internally-managed IT departments and saving money by moving into externally-hosted environments —aka the “Cloud.” Cloud computing brings a convenient, affordable and on-demand computing structure, an alternative to customers having to buy, license, configure, optimize and back-up in-house software applications. Leveraging a Cloud platform gives several distinct advantages, including smaller expenditure for IT resources, hardware, and maintenance, as well as efficiencies related to those expenses. With Cloud computing, multiple users can access and update their data without purchasing licenses for different applications. Here’s how Cloud computing could benefit your business: 1. Avoid hefty capital expense and save costs by using software and hardware without having to buy it. (Smaller contractors, especially, find better pricing with Cloud compared to traditional on-site software and IT resources – plus they can deploy new applications faster.) 2. Security concerns are almost eliminated, along with backup and recovery, downtime and other related hardware and software maintenance. 3. The Cloud has more speed and flexibility than typical storage systems, and is able to scale up or down quickly, which is helpful when you have a workforce that changes when projects begin or end. 4. It offers enhanced team collaboration and productivity for an important competitive edge, helping you to finish projects more efficiently and with increased collaboration. How to Evaluate Your Cloud Move When moving to a Cloud platform, look for the easy ways to get what’s most critical to your company: Easy to Buy. Look for an offering that: – is scalable to meet your requirements as you grow – provides valuable savings on what would be a hefty capital expense 50
Easy to Install. Be sure that your choice allows: – a worry-free IT environment by a vendor that configures, manages, and supports the platform – no need to hire additional IT resources – no downtime, hardware crashes, or need to handle upgrades or backups for disaster recovery – faster deployment with newer technology applications that your users want and need Easy to Use. Everyone on the team will appreciate a solution that: – looks like your office desktop – allows browser-based access to all your applications – is supported by a knowledgeable technology partner offering convenient assistance A Decision to Design and Deliver Construction management software on the Cloud offers a simplified and flexible IT experience that shifts the burden and associated headaches of upgrades, maintenance and backups from your business to the software producer. This gives you the freedom to focus on what you do best – building great projects. There’s no need to worry about infrastructure and investments in hardware: When more computing power or storage space is needed, most Cloud-based systems scale with your firm; you’ll never go without what you need, nor pay for what you don’t. Cloud-based construction management software offers the following key benefits: • effortless browser experience that looks and feels just like your office desktop, with your applications accessible from anywhere, anytime • uninhibited use of graphic-intensive applications like Google Earth, AutoCAD, and 3-D applications • easy access to Enterprise Resource Planning solutions that keep everyone in your firm on the same page, as well as access to most
November-December 2014
• • • • • •
other mission-critical third-party applications flexible, scalable, and cost effective storing and computing power -- allowing you to easily scale up and back based on your business and project needs worry-free IT experience as it manages software upgrades, hardware investments, backups, testing, and maintenance saves time for end users: computing is faster on data-center resources designed for speed; work progress is never lost, even if local internet goes down unrestricted printing ability—printing is no longer hobbled by plug-in incompatibilities. complete flexibility, with software updates delivered on your schedule allows more focus on your construction business, leaving the IT worries to the software manufacturer
The Ultimate Question So, to circle back on the ultimate question at hand, let’s ask: “Why are construction companies moving to the Cloud?” Let’s acknowledge that most construction project teams are temporary, fragmented, multidisciplinary, and multi-company. Co-location of teams can be costly and disruptive, but creating fast, secure and reliable IT infrastructures is also challenging and expensive, particularly as this often must be dismantled at the end of a project. A Cloud platform supports business in a variable economy. In today’s tough business and economic climate, if the IT resource can speed up the implementation of vital line-of-business software, improve management of a growing stockpile of valuable data, and/or decrease computer infrastructure costs, then it can have a vital impact on the success of the organization. Ideally, organizations should be able to obtain the necessary IT resources when and as they’re needed, paying only for what they use. In a healthy economy, this can support growth and speed up new initiatives. In a bad economy, it can mean survival, as it can foster efficiency and save costs. So it certainly appears to be a worthwhile move at some point for every construction organization, when the requirements align with technology offerings. Author: Gabe Authier, Product Manager: Cloud Computing, Viewpoint Construction Software. Gabe has more than 14 years’ experience in information and web technology, overseeing IT resources, implementation and management for organizations, including the telecom and web-hosting industry. Gabe joined Viewpoint in 2012, and serves as Product Manager for Viewpoint’s Cloud Computing, overseeing development and deployment of Viewpoint’s Cloud product/service offering. Gabe holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from University of Arizona and an Executive MBA from the University of Oregon.
A complete “toolkit” for the construction inspector
Packed with comprehensive inspection checklists, that ensure you don’t overlook a single detail.
Construction Inspection Manual $76.95 (9781557016423)
Call Toll FREE 1-888-BNi-BOOK (1-888-264-2665)
November-December 2014
51
