We want you to know that Blytheco is here to support you. We have team members in the area, and we want you to know you can reach out to us, in the event you need anything, and we will do what we can to assist. The last time there was a major storm in the area, we even had team members delivering water to clients in need.  Please don’t hesitate to ask.

As you take the next day to prepare, we ask that you remember to back up your systems and take those back-ups with you to safety. You will also want to test your back-ups (if you have them happening on a regular basis) to make sure that they are working and recoverable. If you need assistance with this, please do not hesitate to reach out to our support line for help. Below, you will find important information for reaching us should you need help with your backup.

We know that times like these are hard and carry a certain amount of uncertainty. It is also a time when people bind together to build back stronger communities. We are here to support your business for the long haul.

Stay safe!

The Blytheco Family

Support@Blytheco.com

Support Line: (877) 411-2339 (Open until 8pm EST)

Support Website

The post Blytheco Urges It’s Clients in the Path of Hurricane Irma to Backup Their Data appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

With the myriad responsibilities involved in running a successful business, it should come as no surprise that preparing for a sales and use tax audit is not exactly a high priority or favorite topic of conversation among business owners. There are only so many hours in a day, and many companies choose to put examining their compliance process on the back burner; at worst, the idea is ignored entirely. Even business owners who are ready and willing to tackle the issue rarely know where to begin. But sales and use tax audits don’t have to be a specter that looms in the mind of every well-intentioned business person. Instead, in the same way, we are told the benefits of “knowing thy enemy,” knowing one’s compliance process as it relates to industry-specific audit risk can make all the difference in the world.

Sales and Use Tax Audits Uncovered

First, an important clarification: Auditors are not the enemy in this scenario, audit risk is. The current tax system is, for many, extremely complex and difficult to navigate, but auditors are simply those tasked with ensuring that business owners — with all the tools at their disposal — are honoring what’s owed to the state. Every year, it seems there are fewer states not suffering from a budget deficit, and as a result, states are finding more ways to maximize the amount of sales and use tax revenue, including significantly increasing the audit workforce across the country. In short, auditing is easy money. Furthermore, not only are states adding to their audit divisions, but many of those newly hired auditors are setting up shop outside of their home state and auditing out-of-state businesses. With nexus legislation and use tax reporting requirements proving difficult to pass or enforce, it’s no wonder states turn to their audit professionals to save the day.

So, what do you do if you’re a remote auditor charged with bringing home the bacon? Easy: You target companies with an obligation to collect and remit your state’s tax, and you focus on the industries most prone to error when it comes to compliance. That list is shorter than you might think. According to a study Avalara conducted with Peisner Johnson & Company, nearly 60 percent of state audits are spread among just four or five industries: retail, manufacturing, construction, wholesale/distribution, and food service. This reality is the basis of the newest Avalara white paper, Sales and Use Tax Audits Uncovered: Who Gets Audited, Why They Get Audited, and the Impact on Companies.

As the whitepaper reveals, certain industries get targeted by auditors due to the nature of how they operate, like how food service companies are frequently audited because they’re cash-based and known to leave cash unreported. Beyond that, the primary reason these industries are targeted is that they historically fail to adhere to state and local sales and use tax regulations. In fact, according to the California Board of Equalization, the number one most frequent error of noncompliance made by businesses typically involves untaxed purchases from out-of-state vendors. Consequently, the data suggests that the bulk of audit assessments resulting from these errors came from use tax not being paid. And these are no small assessments: Avalara’s joint study also found that the average cost of an audit is approximately $114,000 including penalties, fees, and professional counsel. That’s quite a price to pay for something so avoidable.

Ultimately, when it comes to sales and use tax audits, the best offense is a solid defense. In the whitepaper, Sales and Use Tax Audits Uncovered, you’ll learn the most common audit triggers for each key industry, as well as how best to prepare and support yourself before or during an audit. Sales and use tax compliance may be tricky, but with the wealth of tools and information available today, business owners have never been in a better position to eliminate risk and safeguard themselves against a costly audit.

Sales and Use Tax Audits Uncovered – Download and Read Now!

The post The Truth Behind Sales Tax Audits appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

Well if you’ve answered yes, then you are in the right place. We have created a re-cap from our Salesforce twitter chat regarding just that. Get great solution ideas to common issues and learn how to get the most out of your data!

How important is user adoption for Salesforce?

User adoption is the most important asset you have.  Not only the best way to get data, but this helps in calculating ROI.  The more users entering data into Salesforce, the more data you have to report and analyze business trends.

See 6 Best Practices for User Adoption: http://bit.ly/2srFRsi

How do you maintain the integrity of your data?

Step 1: Profile your data
Step 2: Control your data
Step 3: Integrate your data
Step 4: Augment your data
Step 5: Monitor your data
Step 6: Assign ownership, train users, & commit to a data-quality process.
Follow these practices & data will be perfect!

Check out Best Managing Data Quality in Salesforce: http://bit.ly/2tPnafZ

Do you use controls on profiles (CRUD) or create validation rules? How successful is this?

I think validation rules are great since it stops the user from continuing until all data is entered. I also like searching before another record is created to avoid duplication.

Access our Whitepaper on Managing Data Quality in Salesforce: http://bit.ly/2tPnafZ

One way to avoid data duplication is integrating Salesforce with your ERP. Do you integrate your solutions, why or why not?

There are numerous integration tools. Use your ERP as the master controlling data in Salesforce eliminating duplication. Blytheco can assist your organization with integrating Salesforce & ERP.  Contact us at salesforce@blytheco.com.

Link to AppExchange to find your ERP integration tool.  https://appexchange.salesforce.com/category/erp.

Should you use classic Salesforce or Salesforce Lightning?

Salesforce Lightning has great features to eliminate “fat fingers” such as the Kanban screens.Drag & Drop in a flash! Path feature in lightning allows reps to gather needed info & guide them to their next step, eliminating useless info.

Check out our Comparison Guide for Salesforce Lightning & Salesforce Classic http://sforce.co/2sidvSx.

What else should you know before adopting Salesforce?

Look at our Pros and Cons of hiring a full-time Salesforce Admin vs. a Consultant.  http://bit.ly/2tlN3XX

Meet Christa Krompolcas, our Salesforce guru
She is not only a Salesforce guru but also a Salesforce Admin.
Connect directly with her at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christakrompolcas 

Or send your Salesforce questions in advance to Salesforce@Blytheco.com.

The post See what you missed from our Salesforce Twitter Chat appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

When it comes to protecting your business’ intellectual property (IP), the mantra “launch first, patent later” should never be a part of the plan. Think of your IP as currency — it is the foundation on which a business stands. If your business begins to experience growth, then protecting the IP will be critical to the long-term success of the company.

Trade Secrets and Non-Disclosure Agreements

Protection of your intellectual property does not begin until the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) grants the protection. In order to keep sensitive information safe until the USPTO grants ownership, keep it on a need-to-know basis to prevent possible leaks. Creating non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and including provisions in employment contracts will also assist in safeguarding trade secrets as well as IP that is critical to the business. In addition to keeping sensitive files in a secure location, a business should also invest in cyber security to prevent trade secrets from being spread online.

Trademarks, Patents and Copyrights

The three most common forms of protection are trademarks, patents and copyrights. Selecting the correct category will depend on the type of work a business wishes to protect.

A trademark protects words, names, symbols, sounds or colors that identify goods and services. They are frequently used to protect a business’ brand. A trademark lasts for 10 years with the option to renew it for an additional 10 years at its expiration. Registering a trademark adds a new level of protection by expanding coverage to a federal level.

Patents cover inventions, from machines and industrial processes to product formulas. While under the protection of a patent, the owner can prohibit the manufacturing, selling or use of the invention in the United States. Unlike trademarks, patents have a limited lifespan of 20 years. Once they expire, anyone can obtain access to the information.

The protection of stories, artwork, songs, graphics and other artistic works falls under the coverage of a copyright. The length of protection of a copyright lasts the lifetime of the creator, plus 70 years. After its expiration, the work becomes public domain and can be used by anyone. Copyrights begin when the work is created, making registration voluntary. Unregistered work may not be eligible for damages and attorney fees, so registering the work is recommended.

Best Practices

When a business starts to implement new product ideas and beings to obtain licenses, they should identify which facets of the company need to be protected. The process can take months, so starting the paperwork and procedures early is advised. As mentioned above, avoid disseminating sensitive details about any intellectual property until the patent is approved by the USPTO. Otherwise, there is risk that competition may use the products, designs or ideas. Should infringement occur, the first step is to issue a cease and desist letter. While a business can send the letter itself, it is much more effective when it is from a lawyer. If that fails to stop the theft of IP, request a court injunction to stop the offender. Final steps may include filing a lawsuit, in which working with a qualified, professional attorney is heavily recommended.

Protecting a new product of business idea is similar to purchasing insurance. Business owners typically do not expect their brand to be replicated, but if it does happen it can reduce the company’s income. If infringement occurs on unregistered work, then there is a greater risk that the violation will go unpunished. While there is a chance that intellectual property may never be stolen, it does happen, and having proper registration will reduce many complications.

Mason Cole, founding partner of Cole Sadkin, LLC, focuses his practice on intellectual property. Whether you are looking to start a small entrepreneurial business or wanting to protect the next million-dollar idea, Mr. Cole specializes in guiding you from the initial incorporation or trademark to your exit strategy and every stage in between.

The post Is Your Intellectual Property Protected? appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

Presented by:

Adaptable cloud and mobile technology- two elements needed in a modern ERP solution. Is your company up to speed? 

Built on the world’s best cloud and mobile technology, Acumatica is designed for businesses looking for modern enterprise software powered by the cloud.

Tune into our webinar where you will learn:

• The basics of Acumatica and how to use it
• How Acumatica can increase your productivity
• And more…

Meet Your Speaker

Jessica Gadbois, Acumatica Pre-Sales Specialist.

Ms. Gadbois is a pre-sales specialist who has focused on ERP software for her entire career. From Oracle, to NetSuite, and now Acumatica Jessica has always remained passionate about digging deep into a prospect’s needs and presenting a solution that is crafted specifically to solve their business problems.

Jessica also manages Acumatica’s Independent Software Vendor (ISV) program which consists of third-party applications built by Acumatica partners.

Ms. Gadbois holds a Bachelor of Science in Business administration from Bryant University in Rhode Island.

The post [Webinar] Accelerate Your Business with Acumatica appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

Launching a startup is no easy feat, as the path to success is cluttered with fatal mistakes. The challenge is that these mistakes are easy to commit. Additionally, it is nearly impossible to be an expert in every facet of building a new company. While an entrepreneur may be an expert in one category, many have little to no experience in the business world. Challenging problems will surface while nurturing a rising enterprise, and the best way to evade disaster is to be prepared.

Poor Hiring Decisions

No one is perfect at everything. Properly establishing the infrastructure for potential investors, financing and legal issues can contribute to a significantly healthier future. Should the founder of the startup not have expert-level knowledge of a core facet of running a business, they should seek out a business partner and employees to complete the team. Otherwise, the entrepreneur may find themselves consumed in activities that are not contributing to the growth of the company.

When finding a business partner, it is crucial to look for qualities that round out the partnership. Picking the wrong person to go into business with can be a fatal mistake for a company. The best approach is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the potential business partner. If their strengths and weaknesses do not overlap with the entrepreneur’s, then that is a strong relationship, as a partner’s aptitude should balance the skillsets of the founders.

Early hires are another foundational pillar for a budding company. When hiring employees to an early team, look for an alignment in morals, values and decision-making. Workers that challenge viewpoints and direction are counterproductive to the team and can inhibit progress at a crucial business stage. Another factor to consider is their ability to maintain their composure under stress. Launching a new company is not easy and requires significant amount of time, effort and dedication. It is critical to surround a young company with like-minded, success-seeking individuals with similar attitudes and ethics.

Mishandling Finances

Every startup begins with a laser-like focus on raising capital to launch their company. While money is essential to grow a new business, obtaining large sums of financing can be the killing blow. A key aspect to handling the significant influx of cash is to spend it wisely and on facets that will directly grow the company. Too many startups receive their investments and begin to spend superfluously on marketing, hiring and other nonessential items. One way to prevent mishandling finances when hiring is to seek out employees that want a stake in the company over a large paycheck, as they are more likely to be dedicated to the success of the business.

Maintaining Course

The beginning stages of a startup are chaotic. There are many things that demand attention from the entrepreneur, but avoiding distractions from nonessential items is key to realizing success. With the sheer volume of countless decisions to make, an entrepreneur needs to remain focused on the product, audience and strategy. While it may need adjustments, it is important to keep on the original path. Be methodical and selective of which ideas are pursued, as wasting time on failing ideas is siphoning time from building the business.

While there can be a myriad of problems that arise when starting a business, building a strong core of support through sound hiring decisions, properly handling finances and maintaining focus can position a startup for long-term success. Launching a startup is quite complex and time consuming, and the more focused an entrepreneur is on core aspects of building the business, the more likely they are to reach success.

Mason Cole, founding partner of Cole Sadkin, LLC, focuses his practice on intellectual property. Whether you are looking to start a small entrepreneurial business or wanting to protect the next million-dollar idea, Mr. Cole specializes in guiding you from the initial incorporation or trademark to your exit strategy and every stage in between.

The post 3 Common Mistakes Startups Make appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

This past Thursday, June 29th, Blytheco held our Salesforce Twitter Chat.  We thought it would be great to share the content for those who were not able to attend.

The theme of our chat was around data integrity along with getting the most of your data. See below for our recap.

The first question we posed to the audience was “How important is user adoption for Salesforce?” We feel the best response was that user adoption is the most important asset a company has, not only the best way to get data in Salesforce, but this helps in calculating ROI.  The more users entering data into Salesforce, the more data you have to report and analyze business trends.

The resource to reference on six best practices for user adoptions is: http://bit.ly/2srFRsi

Next, we moved into maintaining the integrity of your data.  While there are numerous ways to do this, Salesforce has provided the best way to manage data quality.  Here is an overview of the steps, as well as a link to the article:

1. Profile your data
2. Control your data
3. Integrate your data
4. Augment your data
5. Monitor your data
6. Assign ownership, train users, & commit to a data-quality process.

Follow these best practices for managing data quality in Salesforce & data will be perfect! http://bit.ly/2tPnafZ

Controls on profiles are critical.  For those newer to Salesforce CRUD is an acronym for Create, Read, Update, and Delete.  You should always review these for your users to maintain data integrity.  While some users should have the ability to create, update, and delete capabilities; some should have read-only access.  These items should be reviewed carefully in your Salesforce Org.

I think validation rules are great in Salesforce since it stops the user from continuing until all data is entered. I also believe searching is best before another record is created to avoid duplication in Salesforce.

For more great info on managing data, refer to this document: http://bit.ly/2tPnafZ

Did you know that you can integrate Salesforce with your ERP?  This is another way to avoid data duplication.  There are numerous integration tools. Your organization can use your ERP as the master controlling data in Salesforce eliminating duplication.  Blytheco has assisted with several of our clients with integrating their Salesforce organization & their ERP.  Contact us at salesforce@blytheco.com for more information.

Here is a link to ERP integration tools on the Salesforce AppExchange to give you some ideas about what can be done.  https://appexchange.salesforce.com/category/erp

Are you still using classic or have you made the switch to Salesforce Lightning? Salesforce Lightning has many great features with more announced with each release.  Some features will eliminate “fat fingers” such as the Kanban screens. Drag & Drop in a flash! The “Path” feature in lightning Leads and Opportunities allows reps to gather needed info & guide them to their next step, eliminating useless info while making sure your reps gather vital info needed for your organization.

A great resource to compare Salesforce Classic and Salesforce Lightning can be found at the following link: http://sforce.co/2sidvSx

The last item highlighted during our Twitter Chat was the Pros and Cons of hiring a Full-Time Salesforce Administrator versus hiring a Salesforce Consulting Firm.

We provided some additional information along with an infographic to assist with your decision process. http://bit.ly/2tlN3XX

We hope you found our Twitter Chat and recap useful.  Please feel free to reach out to us at Salesforce@Blytheco.com for any questions or comments.

Look for future Salesforce blogs at: http://blog.blytheco.com/category/software/crm-software/salesforce

The post Salesforce TwitterChat Recap Blog appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

When you think back to older versions of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Solution, most likely a glorified Rolodex comes to mind. There was not much in solutions back when they first started to really come out. You had the business name, contact name, address, and phone, along with minimal note history for the account. The older CRMs also did not integrate with a wide array of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) or accounting solutions. It truly was a struggle to keep all the information regarding your accounts organized. You had Excel documents tracking your opportunities, Word documents for proposals and quotes, let along an email to track your written communications. At a minimum, Sales Reps were looking in four different locations to piece the whole picture together. This was truly inefficient when a colleague popped up at your desk asking, “How is ABC company’s proposal coming along? Did they have any questions on it and by the way, did you list that in your opportunities to close this month?” Good luck searching to ensure the proposal was sent out, when it was sent out, looking for the last email from them inquiring about a different price, and not to mention opening your opportunity spreadsheet for this month to make certain it was in your numbers to hit your quota.Fast forward to 2017…

Fast forward to 2017…

Salesforce is a solution for success in any business and for any Sales Rep. While I have had my fair share of Sales Reps tell me, “Salesforce has ruined my life…”, I wholeheartedly believe the complete opposite. The amount of data in Salesforce is beneficial in numerous ways. For instance, Sales Reps can use Salesforce 1 to locate other accounts in the area, while visiting a new account. Considering the old way might be to reference a binder full of accounts, or call someone back at the office and spend 20 minutes on the phone to determine that account is too far away from the current location.

Another great example, Sales Reps can use the Kanban feature on opportunities to update the opportunity with a drag and drop in an instant. I am baffled how this feature can ruin a Sales Reps life unless the opportunity does not close when expected in your pipeline. In that case, a rep will run into this situation no matter what CRM solution they use. Furthermore, all the information is at your fingertips. To get the information needed, you do not need to go to great lengths to find it, especially with it all being in one place and a few clicks of the mouse.Dashboards within Salesforce can be intimidating if you are not a competitive player on the team. Nonetheless, if you are competitive, then you will be spending every waking minute figuring how you can win the annual trip to Hawaii for beating out other reps. A trip to Hawaii or an annual bonus, and so on? How does this ruin a Sales Reps life by being competitive and winning? In this instance, not only does the Sales Rep win, but the company wins in gaining more business from those closed opportunities.

Dashboards within Salesforce can be intimidating if you are not a competitive player on the team. Nonetheless, if you are competitive, then you will be spending every waking minute figuring how you can win the annual trip to Hawaii for beating out other reps. A trip to Hawaii or an annual bonus, and so on? How does this ruin a Sales Reps life by being competitive and winning? In this instance, not only does the Sales Rep win, but the company wins in gaining more business from those closed opportunities.

With AI or Artificial Intelligence, such as Salesforce’s Einstein, you can take full advantage of working smarter not harder. Who does not want a lighter day at the office while accomplishing those sales quotas, contacting all those clients, and assistance on what’s next on the “to-do” list?

In contrast to Grandma’s CRM and with some examples of today’s Salesforce, we have surpassed the look, feel, and capabilities of an antiquated CRM for a modern and efficient means of CRM.

The post Not Your Grandmother’s CRM appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

It’s exciting to implement a new business tool like Salesforce, but your new system won’t run itself. Managing a CRM system requires continual training, developing customizations, implementing new applications, and maintaining your company processes.

Does that sound like a full-time job? That’s because it is and someone has to do it.

As you begin to work with the Salesforce cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, it is customary to entertain the idea of hiring a full-time Salesforce Administrator. But what works for one company may not work for another. There are certainly benefits to hiring an in-house Salesforce Administrator as well as benefits to contracting an independent Salesforce consultant or firm.

Weighing the Benefits

Having an in-house Salesforce Administrator ensures that your users will get the most out of their experience when it comes to the database. Your full-time Administrator will be able to run reports, clean duplicate accounts, host internal trainings, and help with various aspects of the organization‘s usage of the system on a regular basis.

It could also be an economical option. It is important to keep in mind, however, that he or she is likely to be continually interrupted during their workday and in most cases, they may have more tasks on their plate than simply maintaining Salesforce. It’s much like asking your Uncle Bob to help you finish your basement. He will get the task done, but it may take more time and resources than you think.

Alternatively, contracting a certified Salesforce consultant entails medium cost with the highest value. It may cost a little more upfront in comparison, but you are more likely to experience ROI faster. With an outside consultant, you have options. You can determine which company you work with, which projects receive priority handling, and you will have a written commitment as to how many hours that project is going to take. You will be getting dedicated help on the projects that matter most to you.

3 Flavors of Salesforce Contractors

When exploring the contractor route, your first step to hiring a consultant is to evaluate the nature of the projects you need completed. There are three types of project categories which your consultant could fall under:

The Salesforce Solution Architect: Identifies technical needs and solutions for current problems, and provides a framework for the project(s) which they communicate back to the stakeholders.

The Salesforce Developer: Engineers the shape of the Salesforce database for the end user experience. They are heavily involved in the back-end coding process.

The Salesforce Administrator: Generates content for the company, trains departments, determines user dashboards, runs reports, cleans data, and other tasks that fall in line with daily usage of the software.

Managing Your Salesforce Projects

Once the scope of your projects has been determined, the search for the right consultant can begin. It’s a frequent misconception that hiring a consultant creates a leaner budget. While at times that is the case, it is also greatly dependent upon how many Salesforce projects you foresee encountering. By predetermining the scope of your projects, you’re able to better assess what needs to get done and in what order, and the priority level so that you can budget accordingly.

Consultants will also provide you with laser focus on projects. Their goal is to complete specific tasks, whereas an in-house Salesforce Administrator is continually inundated with “urgent” requests, while maintaining their daily Salesforce tasks.

Your Return on Investment

Hiring a full-time Salesforce Administrator can cost $65,000+ per year, considering the total compensation and benefits package you offer. In most companies, this person is likely to be tasked with also administering other programs, which can dilute their Salesforce focus. In contrast, hiring an outside consultant will increase focus, but will likely increase overhead fees involved in the total cost.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to Salesforce administration. Hiring a consultant versus a full-time Salesforce Administrator is largely dependent on the structure and needs of your organization. If you have a full-time Administrator, it may be time to see if you can supplement that position with a consultant who can provide support and offer a fresh perspective on processes

Blytheco offers a Rent An Admin program, where you are guaranteed a set number of consulting hours dedicated to administering, developing, and/ or maintaining your Salesforce platform. It’s the hassle-free way of bridging users and deploying customization that are tailored to your business needs. Rent your Admin today and let Blytheco become an extension of your team! Call us at 949-268-4371 for details.

Article reprinted from the Summer 2017 issue of Bellwether.

Read more insightful articles from this issue for free here.

Subscribe to get a copy mailed to you each quarter for free.

The post In-House Salesforce Consultant vs Contracting a Consultant: Which is Better? appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.

A recent Forrester Research brief^* outlined 10 critical developments in cloud computing. The researcher asserted that those key developments will shape the industry in 2017 and beyond. The important takeaway for me was the emphasis on industry innovation and responsivenes to customer. There are four key areas from the Forrester Research brief that I believe businesses utilizing cloud computing – or those considering taking that leap – should keep on their radar:

1 – Innovation Breeds Innovation

Cloud computing, itself a significant development, is driving additional innovation. The boom in cloud computing has led to an entirely new software genre: cost management SaaS tools. These applications (Cloudability, Cloud Cruiser, CloudHealth and Cloudyn) are relatively inexpensive and help organizations reduce the costs associated with increased cloud usage across the enterprise.

2 – Biggest Isn’t Always Best

The mega cloud vendors including AWS, Google, IBM and Microsoft may be setting the pace for innovation, but they are not the only significant players in the game. Smaller, regional cloud companies can offer more personalized service levels, have the ability to pivot quickly to market changes and can innovate faster to meet the needs of a specific vertical market. In today’s market, customer service is king so cloud vendors of every size must maintain high satisfaction levels to remain competitive and successful.

3 – Shun the Complex Suites

Enterprises will shun large, complex and costly private cloud suites, favoring purpose-built tools that minimize the costs of components and software licenses, while providing precise functionality that businesses ask for. Simple, straightforward functionality that is easy to use and easy to maintain will prevail.

4 – Security by Design

As more companies push their workloads from on-premise to the cloud, data security is an increasing concern. Customers are demanding robust security measures from their cloud service providers, prompting the roll-out of cloud security gateways (CSGs) that bring sophisticated data protection measures to the cloud.

Shun the Complex Suites

Enterprises will shun large, complex and costly private cloud suites, favoring purpose-built tools that minimize the costs of components and software licenses, while providing precise functionality that businesses ask for. Simple, straightforward functionality that is easy to use and easy to maintain will prevail.

Security by Design

As more companies push their workloads from on-premise to the cloud, data security is an increasing concern. Customers are demanding robust security measures from their cloud service providers, prompting the roll-out of cloud security gateways (CSGs) that bring sophisticated data protection measures to the cloud.

The Industry’s Response to Trends

Enterprise companies continue to favor cloud services and SaaS applications over on-premise solutions. In response, software publishers continue to migrate their applications to cloud-based deployment models, and develop new applications native to the web and accessed as a service.

For our team at Paramount WorkPlace, these trends have caused us to drive further innovation in mobility for requisition and approvals, to support busy managers and C-suite leadership teams as tablet and mobile phone usage outpaces laptop usage. Our newest mobile release gives procurement users the ability to enter a requisition from a list of pre-defined catalogs and submit the request from their mobile device, even when there is no internet connection; syncing automatically occurs when the mobile device is back online.

Users can also approve transactions and check the status of submitted requisitions on their mobile and tablets at anytime.

As cloud computing reaches critical mass, software publishers in all industries must respond to consumers’ demands by continually innovating and improving their offerings, and by adapting their technologies and services to respond to concerns or they risk being left behind. It’s heartening to me that good old fashioned hard work and customer service are still trending in 2017 and beyond.

^*Forrester Research, November 2016, Predictions 2017: Customer-Obsessed Enterprises Launch Cloud’s Second Decade, Ten Key Developments In Cloud Computing Shape The Industry In 2017

About the Author

Salim Khalife is the founder, president and CEO of Paramount WorkPlace, a technology company that develops, sells, and supports advanced web-based and mobile requisition, procurement, and expense software solutions for mid-market organizations. Learn more at http://www.blytheco.com/paramount.

Article reprinted from the Summer 2017 issue of Bellwether.

Read more insightful articles from this issue for free here.

Subscribe to get a copy mailed to you each quarter for free.

The post Current Trends in Cloud Computing appeared first on The Blytheco Blog.