No doubt many of you have faced this conundrum, often seduced by the promise of either low set up, implementation and ongoing costs afforded by cloud solutions. Alternatively, with an infrastructure in place (people and hardware), many would consider that on-premise software with its increased security and integration possibilities a no brainer. With both cloud offerings prospering and on-premise software maintaining a good market share, there are no simple answers.
Having spent many years working with, and supporting, an on-premise solution when there were few alternatives, my initial feelings about cloud / SaaS offerings were very positive. All of a sudden the opportunity of releasing software en-masse, with all clients using the same version and controlling the environment seemed like manna from heaven. Could we slim down support teams, improve customer relations and generally live a more relaxed life? My enthusiasm quickly got the better of me and I became an advocate of a cloud solution at every development meeting. However, many software houses are not unlike the Titanic, slow to turn and often reluctant to do so even when compelling stories are made. The response of many on-premise suppliers was to buck the trend and to come up with new ideas – or old ideas with a new spin. Many moved, understandably, to full web deployment and initiated development plans that focussed on ‘smart client’ technology.
Once again, Microsoft could be seen to be encouraging both sides of the equation. For on-premise suppliers, the rich functionality inherent in ‘smart clients’ offered a response to those who wanted web deployment but cursed the passing of rich local client functions.
As time has moved on there is no one clear winner in the software industry – apart from the buyer. However, whilst the buyer now has choice in abundance, they also have confusion in equal measure.
Want to read more about on-premise vs. cloud?
Read our article “Head in the Clouds or Feet on the Ground?”
At a time when expenditure on new software is uppermost in peoples’ minds, a number of questions present themselves. One of the first questions we ask ourselves is whether to take the traditional route of on-premise software with its flexibility and familiarity or do we embrace the more avant-garde cloud/SaaS offerings that are springing up all over the internet?
This article discusses the differences between cloud-based and on-premise software. Download the article now