The Cloud: Changing the Game for Small Businesses

There is a consensus among cloud experts that the onset of cloud computing will benefit small organisations the most. In fact, many even go as far as saying that the cloud and small businesses are a match made in IT heaven. How much of this is true and how much of this is merely part and parcel of the hype surrounding cloud computing?

The Cloud as the Great?Equaliser

If you closely examine the essential characteristics of cloud computing, particularly public cloud services, you will see why small organisations would be very interested in the cloud, and would eventually flock to it, like moths to a flame. And why not? Cloud computing is turning out to be the weapon that can allow small and medium organisations to compete on a more level playing field against large enterprises.

Here are some cloud computing benefits that may just close the gap between the two.

  • Significantly lower IT spending. With little to no investment at all on hardware infrastructure and practically zero maintenance costs, SMBs that would have required substantial capital for IT are now finding it easy to get a business started from scratch or develop and test out new products by using the cloud as the backbone of their IT set-up. The pay-as-you-go pricing scheme that cloud computing offers allows companies to start small and scale up as needed, or when the revenue starts coming in.
  • Higher employee productivity. Licensing fees for software applications can run high even if you don’t have a large staff. Good thing there are now a host of cloud-based office tools – word processors, spreadsheets, presentations, accounting systems, etc. – that can boost employee productivity without the corresponding costs that small businesses can ill afford. Plus, team members in remote locations can continue to collaborate with the rest through any internet-connected device in real time.
  • Easier, better communication. The easy accessibility of communication apps has also changed the way employees interact with fellow employees and more importantly, with customers. Whether through email, instant messaging, or social networks, cloud services have given individuals and businesses more ways of giving and getting feedback. The best thing about it is that most of these services don’t cost much or are even free, giving SMBs ample tools to create better products and improve service.
  • A Look at the Figures Many small businesses are already seeing the potential in the cloud, with SaaS (Software as a Service) applications most commonly used among the early adopters. These services include email and other communication apps, file sharing, and backup.

In a February 2012 Edge Strategies survey (commissioned by Microsoft) of 3,000 small businesses in the US, the following data came to light:

  • The number of small companies with 2 to 10 employees using paid cloud services will triple in the next three years;
  • Current cloud users report purchasing an average of 4 services in the cloud now and expect to use 6 in the future;
  • Fifty percent agree that cloud computing is going to become more important for businesses such as theirs.

Further, a survey of 323 SMBs recently released by social business site Spiceworks and sponsored by EMC reveals that from 48 percent at the start of 2012 and 28 percent a year ago, 62 percent of the businesses surveyed now use some type of cloud app.

What these numbers show is that cloud adoption among small and medium enterprises is starting to gain ground and for sure, more will do the same as understanding and awareness increase. Yes, these businesses should still perform their due diligence as there is no one-size-fits-all cloud solution. But for those companies who have managed to find the right cloud apps and services for their needs, it’s all sunny skies up ahead.

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IT Security and the Threats from Within

When the economy makes a downturn, companies, then eventually, employees suffer. Now, I’m sure you’re wary of frustrated laid-off employees stealing valuable data. Who knows? That information might end up in the hands of your competitors. Then as if that threat weren’t enough, there may be jobless IT specialists who turn to rogue activities either to earn a quick buck or simply out of lack of anything productive to do.

That’s not all, as we’ve got more news for you. When we think of IT Security, what instantly comes to mind are hackers and acts laced with mal-intent. However, a recent worldwide survey on IT security showed organisations were more inclined to expect data leakage as a result of accidental exposure by employees (45%) than of anything maliciously performed by an external entity (15%).

If you’re not aware of this, you’ll be focusing your spending on protection against incoming attacks while exposing your innards through accidental leakages. Our solution? While we’ll naturally provide your data with protection from outside threats, we’ll also put special attention in protecting it from the inside.

The defences we’ll put up include:

  • Data Loss Prevention
  • Network Security
  • Firewalls
  • Malware
  • Authentication and Access Control
  • Mobile Security
  • Forensics
What are the benefits of digital forms data collection
Field Service Workers are regularly engaged to collect data or carry out inspections and assessments when visiting customer sites or remote area locations. The data collected by Field Service workers, will be used by businesses who will analyse, process and build reports based on the large volumes of data collected. The accuracy and reliability of data collected is vitally important. Traditionally businesses may have deployed mail surveys, telephone interviews, door-to-door surveys and interviews performed by Field Workers to collect data. Digital Transformation is gradually changing many business operations and a great deal of processes which were traditionally executed manually are now accomplished making use of digital methods. Technology is having a major impact not only how businesses research and analyse data, but primarily how data and information is collected. New tools and processes to data collection are improving data collection and analysis, leading to dramatic improvements and maximisation and optimisation of resources and operations. Utilising Digital Data Collection methods enables organisations to not only obtain results quicker but also use the data to make data based decisions faster.

What is a Digital Form?

Digital Forms, also known as Mobile Forms are electronic versions of paper forms that can be completed using:
  • Laptop
  • Tablet
  • Smart Phone
  • Any Mobile Device

Why Use Digital Forms ?

Digital forms can be a simple yet highly effective solution to overcome the challenges presented by paper based forms. Digital forms can be filled out directly using Smart phones and tablets in the field
  • When not connected to the internet or even low speed internet connections
  • When working in remote locations
  • To avoid damage, illegible handwriting or even lost and misplaced forms.
Digital forms can also include data validation logic to ensure field workers complete every form as expected and required, which will enforce and ensure data integrity . Field Service teams appreciate these features and help ensure the validity and accuracy of the data and insights they collect and can be confident regarding making business critical data based decisions. Data and Information collected using mobile forms can be accessible in near real-time, helps enable field teams to sidestep potential obstacles to productivity, and act on opportunities and increasing business agility.

Advantages of Digital Forms

Time and Cost Saving

Using Digital Forms instead of paper-based forms provides a significant impact on improving time and cost savings on printing, storing and distribution costs. Businesses also spend a significant amount of time and money in Administration and double data entry processes incurred by paper based forms. Transferring information from paper based surveys is an error prone process.
Digital Forms can save up to 20 man hours a week in administration costs

Improve data accuracy

Digital Forms can auto-populate fields based on prior data entered and also enable field-level validation. Digital data collection also eliminated data entry errors and data loss. Additional data can also be automatically be gathered such as Username, Geo-location and Time & Date.

Real Time Reporting

The issue with Paper-based data collection is that there will always be a time lag before reports or decision can be made. With a digital platform, such as FieldElite – Mobile Workforce Management , data can be processed and analysed as it is collected. Providing data driven insights to provide proactive rather than reactive reports to improve and optimise operations in real time.

It’s time to go Digital Forms!

Data Collection using Digital Forms will propel your company into the future and transform your data collection, data entry and analysis providing accurate data driven insights in real time. Digital forms are also mobile-optimized, updated in real time, and accessible by multiple parties, eliminating unnecessary meetings and emails. If you have a business and still haven’t used digital forms to gather information, contact Denizon today to organise a Demo of FieldElite – Mobile Workforce Management and discover how we can help you to transform your Field Service Operations

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Monitoring Water Banks with Telemetrics

Longstanding droughts across South Australia are forcing farmers to rethink the moisture in the soil they once regarded as their inalienable right. Trend monitoring is an essential input to applying pesticides and fertilisers in balanced ratios. Soil moisture sensors are transmitting data to central points for onward processing on a cloud, and this is making a positive difference to agricultural output.

Peter Buss, co-founder of Sentek Technology calls ground moisture a water bank and manufactures ground sensors to interrogate it. His hometown of Adelaide is in one of the driest states in Australia. This makes monitoring soil water even more critical, if agriculture is to continue. Sentek has been helping farmers deliver optimum amounts of water since 1992.

The analogy of a water bank is interesting. Agriculturists must ?bank? water for less-than-rainy days instead of squeezing the last drop. They need a stream of online data and a safe place somewhere in the cloud to curate it. Sentek is in the lead in places as remote as Peru?s Atacamba desert and the mountains of Mongolia, where it supports sustainable floriculture, forestry, horticulture, pastures, row crops and viticulture through precise delivery of scarce water.

This relies on precision measurement using a variety of drill and drop probes with sensors fixed at 4? / 10cm increments along multiples of 12? / 30cm up to 4 times. These probe soil moisture, soil temperature and soil salinity, and are readily re-positioned to other locations as crops rotate.

Peter Buss is convinced that measurement is a means to the end and only the beginning. ?Too often, growers start watering when plants don’t really need it, wasting water, energy, and labour. By monitoring that need accurately, that water can be saved until later when the plant really needs it.? He goes on to add that the crop is the ultimate sensor, and that ?we should ask the plant what it needs?.

This takes the debate a stage further. Water wise farmers should plant water-wise crops, not try to close the stable door after the horse has bolted and dry years return. The South Australia government thinks the answer also lies in correct farm dam management. It wants farmers to build ones that allow sufficient water to bypass in order to sustain the natural environment too.

There is more to water management than squeezing the last drop. Soil moisture goes beyond measuring for profit. It is about farming sustainably using data from sensors to guide us. ecoVaro is ahead of the curve as we explore imaginative ways to exploit the data these provide for the common good of all.

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