10 Benefits of the Cloud
We’ve had our heads in the clouds as we continue working on our Cloud PMS but want to take a quick break to continue the education on cloud computing and how this technology is shaping the future of business, especially in the hospitality field.
Our first blog post in this series included an infographic on what the Cloud is, think of a hard drive that lives on the internet, and then we covered the history of the Cloud.
Now, we want to outline the top 10 benefits of the Cloud:
- Cost-Effective: Cloud software is most often priced in a pay as you go model and you can reduce your capital costs as cloud-based software can be used on a multitude of devices with internet capabilities and is quick to deploy, meaning once the data is loaded into the software, you’re ready to go and start taking reservations.
- Accessibility: Working from home or like to get your day started on the commute to work? Cloud software can be accessed from any internet-enabled device. Using your smartphone or tablet you can check in and see what’s happening at the property from wherever you are.
- Multiple Users: Front desk staffers Jenna and Mike need to make a reservation at the same time and with a cloud-based service multiple users can access the software at the same time without disrupting the other users’ work. Cloud software also has a variety of permission levels and allows you to assign tasks to certain users. Mike can make sure that the light bulb in the Magnolia Room was replaced while Jenna prepares a romance package in the Lily Room.
- Easy to use: As technology advances we’ve learned to keep what works and prune away or improve what doesn’t. Cloud applications are generally the upgraded and enhanced version of the software, more intuitive and designed for your daily workflow than its predecessor.
- Unlimited Storage: The storage capacity with cloud software is much larger than your traditional applications as the data is stored on multiple servers instead of trying to fit into the capacity determined by your computer. With the cloud, if you’ve reached your data cap, you don’t need a new product; you just buy more space without losing any of your previous data.
- Speed and Efficiency: There’s nothing more aggravating than having a guest trying to check in and waiting for your software to recognize you’re trying to work! Cloud software isn’t bogged down and competing with your computer’s other running programs, meaning you can work more efficiently and get your guest up to their room faster.
- Backup and Recovery: Technology can be fickle and when your computer goes down, generally all of your data goes with it. Saving your data to the Cloud means your data is safe and secure.
- Automatic Updates: Instead of hunting down updates to your system or waiting for the updates to install, cloud updates can be done seamlessly and automatically.
- Security: We take your security as seriously as you take your guests’ security. With a cloud platform and varying permission levels, you can grant or deny access to certain information with your users stopping information leaks at the frontline. We also spent countless hours researching stable and secure platforms and selected the top of the line host to ensure your data is secure.
- Environmentally Friendly: Most often we think of water consumption or natural resources when we implement green initiatives but moving to the Cloud is also environmentally friendly. Reduced energy consumption by using the Cloud servers versus on-site servers reduces your carbon emissions as Cloud servers are shared by multiple users. Instead of everyone having their own car driving down the freeway, Cloud users are on the bus hitting the open road.
What other benefits do you see cloud computing contributing to the hospitality industry? Tell us what you think in our comments section below!