How Top Cloud Computing Companies can Assist Their Clients to Develop

Cloud computing is the latest and most advanced technology that all companies should optimize. Cloud computing is the most advanced IT standard that companies should optimize for improving the efficiency of their business. IT structure of cloud computing systems should give companies a more developed system that will be able to make more profit. Therefore, companies should not choose any cloud computing companies to support their business. Cloud computing will be able to help business to increase their computing capacity and improve their capabilities on using the online systems without investing on infrastructure that will suck up their marketing budget. Cloud computing will be able to help companies to improve their capabilities without training new personals. Licensing new software is also not quite important to get benefits from cloud computing system.

It will be more efficient and cheap to use the services of cloud computing companies. This service makes use the internet to efficiently run business with a compact package with internet based. The applications of cloud computing is wide and profitable. Cloud computing is something that modern business needs to face the limited time and tight business competition in this cyber world. Besides the business efficiency, there are many other reasons why people need to use this cloud computing services.

When people entrust their business to the top cloud computing companies, they will get various advantages. First of all, companies will be able to get crucial access to their applications and date from anywhere at any time and any place. Using their internal network, companies can employ any computer with the system linked to the internet. In addition, cloud computing companies can help their clients to reduce their hardware cost. With the system provided by top quality cloud computing companies, business runners will be able to press their budge on their hardware supplies since this system does not require their clients to purchase much hardware or replacing their hardware with the fastest computer.

Besides, companies can also save a lot in the software purchase since they can only pay for a metered fee to the cloud computing companies that they trust. Corporations can save their IT support and improve their business efficiency a lot better with this cloud computing services. Servers and digital storage devices take up spaces that will burden their systems but with different things occur in cloud computing services. Simply, companies should make use this system for developing their companies and managing their business a lot better.

How Cloud Computing Edges Out Other Hosting Services

At the present time, there are various web hosting services being offered by different hosting providers firms in Australia. Popular versions of which include shared hosting, reseller hosting, dedicated server hosting, virtual private server hosting and cloud computing. Even though they are under one umbrella, each kind has its own benefits, features, disadvantages and price tag. Some would say that beginners need shared hosting because it's cheap and light. Others digress and would recommend server hosting for optimum use. For those that want to gain profit, many would refer them to reseller hosting. But the million dollar question is: which is really the best among the cream of the crop? As of now, I would gamble for cloud computing.

Cloud computing is one of the unpopular hosting service nowadays. This is of course not because it is ineffective or it is costly. But, it is owing to the fact that it is not yet widely used and only several people understand its concepts. So to speak, it does not have anything to do with the cloud we see in the sky. But, the general idea revolves around it. First and foremost, cloud computing is an IT application wherein every resource needed-storage, software, applications, operating system, infrastructure- are stored over the Internet. Simply put, there is no need for hardware, like servers, to run a computer program. All you need is the World Wide Web. Free emails such as those provided by GMail and Ymail are perfect examples of what cloud computing is.

So, why bet for cloud computing? There are a lot of answers to this question. For one, it is cost-efficient. Your company will be relieved from the large expenses associated with hardware acquisition, installation and maintenance. Add to that, you do not have to hire IT experts who will monitor your tangible equipments. Second, it is flexible and easy to implement. The absence of hardware makes it convenient and fast to start the service and make upgrades at the drop of the hat. The third boon refers to remote accessibility. As long as there is Internet connection, you and your employees can browse files and other information whenever and wherever you so desire. This allows you to do your work even when at home.

Furthermore, web hosts in the Land Down Under secures your data. Their facilities have been engulfed with safety measures that will prevent or reduce the damages of natural disasters. Hosting providers have employed IT experts that are proficient in the administration and troubleshooting of their resources. This does not only mean less chances of viral attacks, hacking and data loss but also giving you ample time to focus on your core business. Next, it is environment-friendly. The lesser need for physical devices greatly reduces hardware and energy consumption. This, in turn, diminishes carbon dioxide emissions.

The evolution of web hosting services has been a great blessing for all. Cloud computing has brought a new way of doing IT services. It does not only save money to be used for critical functions. More than that, it is now possible to conduct IT activities without the reliance on hardware components. If you want to change the way you see web hosting, then go for cloud computing. And when you are ready to embrace it, hire an Australian web host to get the best results.

Customizing Your CRM Makes All the Difference

After months of research and demos / presentations, you’ve finally decided which CRM software you want to implement in your business. The next question on your mind is…now what? With the manual in hand and the support team just a phone call away, the logical first step is to tailor the system to your business’ precise needs and goals.

However, most CRM systems make customization super easy, which results in adding in lots of unnecessary fields and notifications that you don’t even end up using. So before you go on customization frenzy, take a peek at some of these helpful tips to getting your CRM solution customized to perfection.

1.      Always have a plan

Though it’s tempting to just add fields left, right and centre that you think would be of value to input in your CRM database, it is so important for you and your team to first sit down and discuss what you want to achieve with your CRM. Think about what types of reports you want to produce and therefore what data you need to have in your system in order to create them. Knowing this in advance will greatly help to ensure you have the necessary fields in each module and more importantly, that the CRM system is truly providing value to your business.

2.       Begin with the basics

Make sure to begin your customization process at a basic level. The last thing you want to do is to overwhelm your users with too many input fields as this will only make them more resistant to adopting the solution. As your team gets used to the system and as your business grows, add the other fields gradually and begin making some fields mandatory so that your CRM solution is up-to-date and serves as a true data repository.

3.       Create a mirror image

Your CRM system should work with you and not against you so when customizing, always ensure that the solution uses your lingo, reflects your business’ processes and seamlessly functions the same way you do. For example, if you need to be reminded of upcoming meetings and appointments a day in advance, set up email or SMS notifications in your CRM solution to do so for you. Alternatively, if your company refers to Leads as Prospects, change the name of the module so that the CRM system not only looks but talks like you too.

4.       Trial and error

Always be open to making changes to the way you use your CRM system. The solution must adapt along with your company so fields and processes that were once relevant when the CRM was first implemented might need to change a few months down the road. As long as your entire team is on the same track and agrees with the changes, your potential for success with the system is endless.

Though these tips may seem commonsensical, you’d be surprised with how many people dive into customizing their CRM solution without thinking them through.  Now that you have the basic know-how on how to approach the CRM tailoring process, start working on it one step at a time, because after all, customizing your CRM system makes all the difference.

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Impact of Cloud Computing in India

Did you know that the total cloud computing market in India is pegged at $110 million and is expected to reach figures of $1,084 million by 2015? An article by Zinnov Management Consulting, titled “Cloud Computing in India: Opportunities & Way Forward,” explains that in the cloud computing market in India, Software-as-a-Service has witnessed the most rapid uptake until now. The study further adds that “as components of the overall cloud market, Software-as-a-service (SaaS) in India is likely to reach a mark of US$ 650 million by 2015, while Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) markets cumulatively would touch $434 million each by then.” In fact, sometime last year, Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer had opined in the press that "India will not only see a surge in cloud computing services but companies all over the world will look to India to support their transition to cloud computing.'' 

With so much confidence being shown for cloud computing in India, the fact remains that cloud computing in India is still in its very early stages and enterprises are yet to fully comprehend the actual benefits of private clouds, public clouds or even IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. Although India has shown ample scope of cloud computing services being used by IT enterprises, enterprises are still unsure about adopting the cloud. The Indian IT industry, which grew from a $100 million industry to an industry that has crossed the $50 billion mark in 2010, relies mostly on outsourced software work. The companies that have understood the changes that cloud computing can bring to their core businesses have already started evolving to being not just providers of software solutions but also software utility companies. 

Indian enterprises are slowly growing aware that the cloud will be useful in terms of management and network infrastructure and will also help optimize service models. Additionally cloud computing will help decrease the effects of capital expenditures as the cloud will help manage costs. For cloud computing truly to prosper there is a need to deploy a platform that can be as significant and large in scale as Google and Amazon are currently. Also cloud computing providers do not have large data centers that are capable of large scale services. Issues that may hinder building better and bigger data centers in India include irregular electricity supply and network connectivity, among others. Also the bigger question of security also crops up. Yet with all such issues, there is a slow but definite shift in interest towards cloud computing by most Indian enterprises.

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Cloud Computing - What it really means

The next big trend sounds nebulous, but it's not so fuzzy when you view the value proposition from the perspective of IT professionals.

Cloud computing is all the rage. "It's become the phrase du jour,".The problem is that everyone seems to have a different definition.

As a metaphor for the Internet, "the cloud" is a familiar cliché, but when combined with "computing," the meaning gets bigger and fuzzier. Some analysts and vendors define cloud computing narrowly as an updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers available over the Internet. Others go very broad, arguing anything you consume outside the firewall is "in the cloud," including conventional outsourcing.

Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends IT's existing capabilities.

Cloud computing is at an early stage, with a motley crew of providers large and small delivering a slew of cloud-based services, from full-blown applications to storage services to spam filtering. Yes, utility-style infrastructure providers are part of the mix, but so are SaaS (software as a service) providers such as Salesforce.com. Today, for the most part, IT must plug into cloud-based services individually, but cloud computing aggregators and integrators are already emerging.

WoodApple talked to dozens of vendors, analysts, and IT customers to tease out the various components of cloud computing. Based on those discussions, here's a rough breakdown of what cloud computing is all about:

1. SaaS

This type of cloud computing delivers a single application through the browser to thousands of customers using a multitenant architecture. On the customer side, it means no upfront investment in servers or software licensing; on the provider side, with just one app to maintain, costs are low compared to conventional hosting. Salesforce.com is by far the best-known example among enterprise applications, but SaaS is also common for HR apps and has even worked its way up the food chain to ERP, with players such as Workday. And who could have predicted the sudden rise of SaaS "desktop" applications, such as Google Apps and Zoho Office?

2. Utility computing

The idea is not new, but this form of cloud computing is getting new life from Amazon.com, Sun, IBM, and others who now offer storage and virtual servers that IT can access on demand. Early enterprise adopters mainly use utility computing for supplemental, non-mission-critical needs, but one day, they may replace parts of the datacenter. Other providers offer solutions that help IT create virtual datacenters from commodity servers, such as 3Tera's AppLogic and Cohesive Flexible Technologies' Elastic Server on Demand. Liquid Computing's LiquidQ offers similar capabilities, enabling IT to stitch together memory, I/O, storage, and computational capacity as a virtualized resource pool available over the network.

3. Web services in the cloud

Closely related to SaaS, Web service providers offer APIs that enable developers to exploit functionality over the Internet, rather than delivering full-blown applications. They range from providers offering discrete business services -- such as Strike Iron and Xignite -- to the full range of APIs offered by Google Maps, ADP payroll processing, the U.S. Postal Service, Bloomberg, and even conventional credit card processing services.

4. Platform as a service

Another SaaS variation, this form of cloud computing delivers development environments as a service. You build your own applications that run on the provider's infrastructure and are delivered to your users via the Internet from the provider's servers. Like Legos, these services are constrained by the vendor's design and capabilities, so you don't get complete freedom, but you do get predictability and pre-integration. Prime examples include Salesforce.com's Force.com, Coghead and the new Google App Engine. For extremely lightweight development, cloud-based mashup platforms abound, such as Yahoo Pipes or Dapper.net.

5. MSP (managed service providers)

One of the oldest forms of cloud computing, a managed service is basically an application exposed to IT rather than to end-users, such as a virus scanning service for e-mail or an application monitoring service (which Mercury, among others, provides). Managed security services delivered by SecureWorks, IBM, and Verizon fall into this category, as do such cloud-based anti-spam services as Postini, recently acquired by Google. Other offerings include desktop management services, such as those offered by CenterBeam or Everdream.

6. Service commerce platforms

A hybrid of SaaS and MSP, this cloud computing service offers a service hub that users interact with. They're most common in trading environments, such as expense management systems that allow users to order travel or secretarial services from a common platform that then coordinates the service delivery and pricing within the specifications set by the user. Think of it as an automated service bureau. Well-known examples include Rearden Commerce and Ariba.

7. Internet integration

The integration of cloud-based services is in its early days. OpSource, which mainly concerns itself with serving SaaS providers, recently introduced the OpSource Services Bus, which employs in-the-cloud integration technology from a little startup called Boomi. SaaS provider Workday recently acquired another player in this space, CapeClear, an ESB (enterprise service bus) provider that was edging toward b-to-b integration. Way ahead of its time, Grand Central -- which wanted to be a universal "bus in the cloud" to connect SaaS providers and provide integrated solutions to customers -- flamed out in 2005.

Today, with such cloud-based interconnection seldom in evidence, cloud computing might be more accurately described as "sky computing," with many isolated clouds of services which IT customers must plug into individually. On the other hand, as virtualization and SOA permeate the enterprise, the idea of loosely coupled services running on an agile, scalable infrastructure should eventually make every enterprise a node in the cloud. It's a long-running trend with a far-out horizon. But among big metatrends, cloud computing is the hardest one to argue with in the long term.

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7 Step SDLC Process for Custom Application Development

We are used to follow predefined processes to ensure that whatever we do is perfect in all aspects and benefits us immensely. custom application development a highly competitive field is also not free from a predefined process which ensures that the software developed is developed and deployed as per the standard practices. SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle and lays down a step by step process to software development using different platforms like PHP, asp.Net, Flex, Silverlight, SharePoint, BizTalk etc.

Various models of SDLC exist, which model should be used for the custom application development project of an offshore software development company depends on the type of project and other details. Whichever process is selected the 7 basic steps for custom application development using SDLC remain the same. Here we have listed them for your understanding:

Planning:

What is software? It is a concept coded into an application to help companies ease their business processes. To transfer the concept into an application requires lot of planning as it involves lot of work and money. Planning begins once the feasibility of the software is assessed.

Design:

This step should not be mixed with designing the look and feel of the application as it relates to deciding the specifics of the application like which platform will be used and how the custom application development will be done. It is in fact a rough plan which depicts almost all the stages involved in custom software development. Project managers and designers collaboratively design the software.

Implementation:

Then comes the time to put into practice all decisions made. The first step to begin with is to develop a plan and get it approved from the stakeholders. While this is a general process for custom application development there are many offshore software development companies which believe in following the iterative SDLC process by which software development is done slowly and steadily taking client approval at each stage.

Testing:

Two main types of testing are used a) tested by users and b) professional testing. The first type of testing is useful when the application is directly deployed to the end users. Second type of testing is done in offshore software development companies where it is important to clean the application of all the bugs before delivering it to clients.

Acceptance:

This term refers to the acceptance of the software in place of the old one which is depicted through the number of people using it. It can be accepted as a new tool or a tool in place of an old tool.

Maintenance:

Once the software is developed it is never good as it is. Often changes are asked for in the existing product, maintenance of the application refers to that part where changes to the applications are made on an as needed bases. Offshore software development companies have to provide maintenance support through phone, chat or email. Product upgrade is also included as part of the service.

Disposal:

Everything that becomes obsolete needs to be disposed and similar is the case with custom software. Disposal is the last step involved in the SDLC methodology for custom application development. It is not as easy as it sounds because disposal here means complete disposal of the application so that no history of records is ever found.

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Proficiency of Custom Software Development in IT Sector

For a business, it is necessary to provide something new to the customers. It can be software, which is specifically meant to serve their business needs or personal needs. Let us discuss business needs first. For business houses, custom software development service includes programming, designing and consultancy services. This is the need of the times and one need to well verse with different aspects of software development and see that clients from all verticals are benefited from it.

Many of us would be thinking why for our personal needs we would require software. Personal software programs are required for managing the accounts, and for storing all important information like passwords, security numbers, etc.

In India there are many proficient companies engaged in custom software development in IT sector. They have experience, expertise in providing complete software solutions to the clients. In custom software Development Company, firstly look whether they can meet your needs well or not. For example, if you want software for business to business then see can they offer you with application facility or not. They should have the aptitude for making managements systems for Supply Chain, Product Catalog, content management, knowledge based management, etc. For any business office, automation software is very important, so see whether they have the expertise to develop software programs or not? For your Business to consumer business, order they should have experience in developing customized shopping cart software, order entry and fulfillment systems. If you are a financial investment company or for your finance department you are looking for software then see their competency in developing a software that can used for making budgets, financial analyzing , valuation, forecasting, and final reporting. Secondly do they have the knowledge f developing software for different industry verticals or not.

Beside the experience of company in developing customized software, it is necessary to check their record of accomplishment in terms of functionality, management of the project, deadlines, and cost. These are some factors that tell help us in knowing about the proficiency of company in development of Custom Software Development in IT Sector.

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