Cloud has become a four letter word.

Frequently when we meet someone and mention “cloud” computing, I see their teeth grit. “I had a horrible experience with the cloud” they say. After a few more questions, it becomes obvious that what they were involved in was not “cloud” at all, but rather something they were told was cloud.

Let’s say that you had never eaten steak before (apologies to the vegans, but it’s just to make a point). I told you that I was an absolute expert in steak, a true connoisseur, and I would hook you up. We meet up and I am taking you to the best steak place in town. As we pull up, it is obvious that I know what I am talking about, you can tell just by the name of the restaurant… “Steak ‘n Shake”. Don’t get me wrong, I like a Steak ‘n Shake “Steakburger” every now and then, but to compare that piece of meat to a bone-in ribeye… well, let’s just say it is not the same. Not the same at all.

The word cloud has been applied to just about everything in technology these days. According to Wikipedia:

Who is to say what is, or isn’t cloud? All I can speak to is our definition, which is similar to the above. I think the biggest differentiation is “Where is your data?”. Is it down the street at some local hosting company? Or is it somewhere safe and solid. Our “Cloud Services” are one of two places; on Salesforce.com or Microsoft. Huge data centers, with global redundancy, run by the biggest operators on the planet. I know I feel better. The issues of data safety and security are not a concern for me, how about you?

Let’s just take an easy example to illustrate the cloud confusion: Hosted Exchange. Given the complexity and cost of on-premise Exchange, it is not surprising that a lot of companies have looked at the hosted option. What a lot of people hear from are local, or even national companies offering Hosted Exchange as a service. Basically, they have installed Exchange on their servers and they manage it, instead of you. This is all well and good if the company you contract with is a big operation, with appropriate controls and backups in place. But for every big operator with the right setup, there are hundreds of fly-by-night operators running cobbled together systems in their garages. In the world of website marketing, you cannot tell who is a big operator from the fly-by-nighters by looking at their website, the internet is the great equalizer in that way. Hosted Exchange is basically a Software as a Service Cloud offering. What many people do not know is that Microsoft recently started offering Hosted Exchange directly via their Office 365 product. I have a feeling this has a lot of the other guys more than a little worried. I mean, who would you feel more comfortable with, a third-party hoster, of any size… or Microsoft, the people who created it?

Microsoft is one of many global technology companies to embrace the cloud delivery model, it is their primary focus right now. Along with Salesforce.com and Oracle, SaaS is the fastest growing technology today. Yes. if I were a third-party hoster, I would be nervous too.

As businesses move over to “Cloud” solutions backed by these global operators, with flawless operation at massive cost savings, I expect “Cloud” to move off the dirty word list.

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“In today’s hyperconnected world, customers need to be able to access their business-critical data on the device of their choice from wherever they are,” said Dennis Michalis, general manager of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, in a statement. “These advancements, combined with the strength of the Microsoft platform, make Microsoft Dynamics CRM an obvious choice for any business.”

The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Q2 2012 service update also includes enhanced social functionality and new enterprise-class features, and adds multiple Web browser options for users, including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, running on PC, Macintosh, and iPad devices.

Using the cloud-based, cross-platform, native mobile client service, users will be able to sync their information and sales pipelines offline, helping them stay connected on the road.

Through the xRM application development framework of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, users will also be able to mobilize their extended CRM applications by having seamless integration between Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile and their existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM environment.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile will be available at a starting price of $30 per user, per month and supports the use of up to three devices per user.

Building on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM November 2011 service update, the new release will include more social capabilities with Activity Feeds that give people the ability to like and unlike status updates, improved status filtering, and the capability to view all statuses relating to a particular record view.

CWR Mobility partnered with Microsoft to enhance the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile product.

“Consumers and businesses are more dependent on advanced mobile solutions and distributed environments than ever,” Michalis said. “CWR Mobility’s Mobile CRM solution enjoys strong acceptance among Microsoft Dynamics CRM users, and with this partnership and the new Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile solution, we are delighted to deliver the most advanced cross-platform solution for mobilizing CRM in the industry for our customers.”

“Until now, Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers requiring cross-platform native mobility were obliged to rely on CWR Mobility as a third-party vendor,” added Mark H. Corley, CEO of CWR Mobility. “By adding the advanced capabilities of CWR Mobility’s mobile solution to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft will make it much easier for businesses around the world to get closer to their customers and stay there.”

Microsoft will offer Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile to customers with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online deployments as well as customers with on-premises Microsoft Dynamics CRM with Internet Facing Deployments (IFD) who would like to run their mobility solution in the cloud. The cloud-based service will provide a cross-platform native mobile client solution for Windows Phone 7.5, iPad, iPhone, Android; and BlackBerry mobile devices. Microsoft Dynamics CRM partners will be able to offer this solution to their customers in these deployment scenarios.

CWR Mobility will continue to offer CWR Mobile CRM to Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers with on-premises deployments as well as Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 deployments. CWR Mobility partners will continue to be able to offer these solutions to their customers in these deployment scenarios.

As CWR Mobility continues to evolve the capabilities of CWR Mobile CRM, these enhancements and updates will also become available in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile.

Among the many capabilities combined in this single solution are the delivery of the familiar Microsoft Dynamics CRM user experience in native mobile applications that run on users’ own devices, constant access to CRM data regardless of network connectivity (online, offline, and hybrid modes), automatic background synchronization, productivity features such as mobile dashboards, mapping and navigation, integration with native mobile applications, multi-device access, and easy deployment through popular mobile application marketplaces. IT features include a multiplatform, metadata-driven and server grid architecture that is managed entirely from within Microsoft Dynamics CRM, enables zero IT-touch software upgrades, allows for scalability, fail-over, load balancing and data center operation in the most demanding environments, and provides multi-tenant hosting support, robust security and support for LOB/XRM applications.

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Customer Service (No…Really)

A lot of companies talk about customer service. Obviously they realize it is an important component in a Client’s mind, particularly when it comes to IT services. Let’s just say the IT services industry has not been known for “Exceptional” customer service. How many times have you sat on hold with an IT support department? Connected to someone who speaks another language? Waited a week for a simple fix for your email server? Sat there as everyone pointed at some other entity as the cause of a problem? Been told that you can’t do something, that you can see your competitor is doing? Well guess what, all of that is about to change.

Why is that about to change? Well, I can tell you one thing, it is not because the IT community just woke up and decided it was the “Right thing to do”. It is instead about Survival! It is a sad fact of human nature that we treat people differently after we get what we need from them, in life, and in business. In your own business are you more likely to be attentive, concerned and cooperative before you get the order, or after the final bill is paid? What if there was no final bill? What if instead of collecting a nice big chunk of cash, you were instead being paid a small amount every month. Maybe your business model is this way and you understand, but the IT model has not been this way.

The entire IT industry has been working the same program for a very long time. Make that big sale!

Big contracts = big commissions, and as in most commission based businesses, you will not find a more attentive person than the salesman… at least until you sign the deal.

In the middle market space these deals are usually at least 5, and often 6 figures. Servers, workstations, software licensing, setup… it’s a lot, and it costs a lot. But once everything is in place, and the big check has cleared, what does your technology provider have to look forward to? Your ongoing maintenance agreement? A few tweaks here and there? Or are they looking for that next big check from a new client?

The fact that the majority of clients are not satisfied with their technology provider’s support after the sale should come as no surprise. What if there were no servers to sell? No software licences to sell? No VPN setup, no Exchange servers, no VMware, or racks or switches or routers? What happens to the big contract? It no longer exists.

A quiet war is raging... between the fat cat technology companies preserving the status quo, and the new nimble Software as a Service providers.

Fortunately for us, the fat cats will have to learn what Customer Service even is.

Born in the Cloud, we at Forceworks understand, Customer Service is all there is.

Forceworks

Forceworks is pleased to announce the following recent Certifications and Partnerships:

Microsoft Office 365 (Certification)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM (Certification)

Salesforce.com (Certification)

CWR Mobility (Partnership)

Pardot (Partnership)

Eloqua (Partnership)

Elevate (Partnership)

Forceworks

Okay, the cloud drumbeat has been getting progressively louder over the last few years, so by now, I am sure you have heard it. You have probably heard the usual stuff about saving money, eliminating headaches, access on any device, blah, blah.

In this 5 part series, Forceworks will present some other aspects that you may not have thought about, or heard in the typical elevator pitch. In no particular order:

Your “IT” guy

I know a lot of very good IT guys, and as in many things, I think the 80/20 rule apples to this profession as well. 80% are awesome and dedicated to their employers, but that 20%… well, not so much. In this post I am referring to that 20% minority, so I guess that means there is a 1 in 5 chance that your guy is described below.

Often when we introduce a CEO to Software as a Service solutions I detect a sense of uncertainty. This is not surprising, whatever their business may be, they are probably not experts in technology. Frequently I hear something along the lines of “This sounds very interesting, let me run it by my IT guy and get back to you”.

Consider this: Microsoft, the world’s largest maker of on-premise software, is throwing everything they have into Software as a Service solutions running in their cloud environment. Don’t take my word for it, just go to microsoft.com and see for yourself. Microsoft is not the only one; the number of new software applications designed to run on-premise (installed on your computer or server) has slowed to a trickle. Meanwhile, the number of applications built to run in the cloud (accessed via a browser) is exploding. The writing is on the wall: we are all going to be doing our business 100% in the cloud very soon. Software as a Service is not a “Revolution” but rather an “Evolution”.

But what does this mean to the “IT guy” who has collected a paycheck for keeping all the black boxes with blinking lights in that back room running? This is not good news at all. Like a Detroit Auto Worker, his job is going away, or at least destined to radically change. If the black boxes are no longer there, and the software on all the machines is no longer there, he is not going to have a lot to do. In fact, him and his whole staff, if he has one, may well be replaced with a single person, possibly the receptionist, who does a little bit of administrative work part-time.

So it should not be surprising that many IT guys will give a litany of reasons why your particular organization should continue to maintain the status quo, each of which can be shot down with a rubber-band.

Hopefully this does not describe you, but some CEO’s have confided in me that they actually feel like hostages. Most businesses have evolved to become dependent on their technology to some degree, for many, it is mission critical. The fact that a ticked off IT guy can bring down your whole organization with two mouse clicks is a legitimate concern for some. If you are a middle market company, your IT guy may have evolved into that role starting as the person who best understood technology in your organization. With no formal training or certification, who knows what kind of system has been cobbled together. The busier your it guy is, the more likely he does not have a enough knowledge and instead runs around putting out fires constantly.  What happens to your business when your email goes down? When a backup is lost? When a server crashes? All this fear and uncertainty just to maintain the status quo, never mind the fact that your organization is not even benefiting from the latest advances in software.  Worst of all… you can’t get rid of him if you wanted to!

For many CEOs, an additional significant benefit of Software as a Service is regaining control of their business.

Okay, I agree, for many of you, this post will seem over-the-top. Again, I am speaking about a minority here. We get it, that’s why you won’t hear these things in a elevator pitch, but I know from experience that this will resonate with some of you.

Software as a Service will give you back control of your business.

Forceworks

Forceworks

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Microsoft Office 365, the company’s next-generation cloud productivity service, is the first and only major cloud-based platform to offer leading information privacy and security standards for customers operating in the European Union and United States. As part of its contractual commitment to customers, Microsoft will now sign the EU’s model clauses, which will help customers certify compliance with the European Commission’s stringent Data Protection Directive, and the U.S.-mandated Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Microsoft also announced the availability of the Office 365 Trust Center. The site provides in-depth information about the privacy and security practices for Office 365 and was recently redesigned to be more accessible and easy to understand. The new site can be accessed at http://trust.office365.com.

Compliance Updates

In February 2010, the EU released these standard contractual clauses (commonly referred to as “model clauses”) to legitimize the transfer of personal data via international networks to locations outside the European Economic Area (EEA). When included in service agreements with data processors, the model clauses assure customers that appropriate steps have been taken to help safeguard personal data, even if data is stored in a cloud-based service center located outside the EEA. European regulators have the option to request that customers halt the use of a service that hasn’t taken appropriate steps to safeguard personal data until they have evaluated the service and deemed it compliant with EU data protection and security standards.

Along with furnishing the model clause provisions, Microsoft has gone a step further than other cloud providers to include a data-processing agreement for EU customers. Some of the 27 member states have more exacting requirements than those of the EU-wide Data Protection Directive. To streamline the use of cloud-based services for customers operating under additional compliance requirements, Microsoft has included with the model clause provisions a robust data-processing agreement that was developed in view of the specifics of member-state regulations.

“Developing cloud-based productivity tools that meet the needs of European businesses means more than simply building apps in a browser,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, president, Microsoft International. “Microsoft has a more complete approach to European data protection and security laws than any other company, and we’re proud of the work we’ve done to ensure the widest range of organizations can move to the cloud with confidence — or choose an equally functional on-premises option.”

As the first major cloud-based productivity service to obtain certification under ISO/IEC 27001, a rigorous information security management benchmark, Microsoft submits to a yearly audit of its information security policy by an independent expert and shares the results with its customers. Additionally, Microsoft has developed its online services to provide physical, administrative and technical safeguards that facilitate full compliance with HIPAA requirements.

“Until recently, concerns about the security and privacy of patient data have been the most common barrier to healthcare organizations realizing the full potential of cloud-based technologies,” said Michael Robinson, general manager for U.S. Health & Life Sciences at Microsoft. “Microsoft is helping remove that barrier by embedding privacy and security capabilities in Office 365 that enable health organizations to address their HIPAA compliance requirements. Today, Office 365 can help hospitals, insurers and clinics confidently empower their staff to be efficient and productive virtually anytime and almost anywhere while substantially reducing their IT operating costs.”

About Office 365

Office 365 brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online in an always-up-to-date cloud service. With Office 365, moving to the cloud does not require people to change the way they work because it’s based on the familiar, industry-leading productivity tools people know and trust. Employees get new ways to work together with ease, on virtually any device or mobile phone, using familiar applications such as Office that they already know and love. Business owners get the reliability, security features and IT controls they need in the cloud.

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