Cloud ERP Review

QAD takes technology innovation very seriously, and although we want to stay current and provide the best for our customers, we want to make sure that we’re investing in the right things. Deciding on emerging technologies is no easy task. Though QAD constantly tracks and considers newer technologies, there are some relatively recent technologies and trends closely associated with ERP solutions. Cloud, for example, is one of the more well known trends impacting the ERP space.

Why We Invested In Cloud Early

QAD was an early mover on cloud compared to most of its established on premise competitors. In fact, QAD was doing cloud before it became a popular term. With our first cloud offering, QAD Supplier Portal available in 2003, and a full ERP solution available in the cloud in 2007, QAD has remained ahead of most of its peers. Why did QAD invest early? There were three primary reasons:

  1. Creative solutions: It was clear to QAD that the collaboration afforded by the internet provided an opportunity to create entirely new solutions. For example, with QAD Supplier Portal, released in 2003, we could use the internet, or cloud, to enable suppliers and customers to share information to improve supply chain effectiveness. Using a universally accessible system like the internet, even then, seemed an obvious choice – one which has been validated to this day.
  1. Alleviate pressure on IT: IT departments, regardless of the economic cycle, have been required to do more with less. Cloud offers an option to shift some of the burden and risk from a manufacturer’s IT staff to the ERP vendor and cloud service provider (CSP).
  1. Keeping ERP current: QAD continuously enhances and adds capabilities to its solutions, but on premise customers that lag in upgrading to the latest ERP versions are not able to take advantage of enhancements. QAD Cloud ERP makes it easier for customers to stay current.

Eventually QAD believes there will be a blurring of the boundaries between cloud and on premise. Data centers, whether public or private, will increasing look like cloud systems. In the near term there remains, as estimated by several industry analyst firms, strong upside for cloud.

Do you find yourself wading through the seemingly endless new technology coming your way?

How do you weed out the fads from the useful trends? Learn more in my recent white paper.

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