Why Go Cloud Based?

Why invest in cloud technology for your properties and have to pay an annual software license?

There are a multitude of benefits that come along with opting in to go cloud vs an on premise system such as:

1. Cost Savings

There are many hidden costs associated with an on premise system that you do not find out about until you've actually got the system up and running since buyers usually do not ask the right question during the purchasing process. On premise systems require an on site server and because of that everything has to be managed remotely.

It is common that you go through a security integrator for this and the amount they charge you to service this system on a monthly basis actually costs you more than it would to opt in to a modern cloud system. They justify this because if you want updates or changes it all has to be managed remotely and requires the security integrator to send someone out.

First hand I have seen a 10 unit condo building pay $300 a month to have their 20-30 year old antiquated system managed which is about 3x the cost of having a cloud based system that has exponentially more benefits than a 20-30 year old on premise system.

There are other cost savings depending on your #proptech such as being able to eliminate a phone line. Phone lines are extremely expensive these days and keep rising due to big telecom wanting to get out of the landline business and push internet and VOIP.

2. Security

On premise systems on the intercom side for instance do not have a video intercom capability and are audio only. This leads to huge issues such as package theft and catalytic converters being stolen in multifamily communities. For instance at one time 90,000 packages were stolen in NYC daily. Not in New York State. In NEW YORK CITY:

3. Flexibility:

Your Property Managers have a finite amount of focus to divide between all of its responsibilities. If your current #proptech solutions are forcing them to commit to dealing a great deal of time with a clunky, outdated windows based system on an on site server to make changes then they can't focus on what is most important and that is satisfying the needs of their tenants.

The cloud offers more flexibility overall versus hosting on a local server. If you need extra bandwith, a cloud based system can meet that demand instantly, rather than going through a complex and expensive update to your IT infrastructure. The improved freedom and flexibility of cloud can make a siginificant difference to the overall efficiency of your organization. For instance, 65% majority of respondents to an InformationWeek survey said "the ability to quickly meet business demands" was one of the most important reasons a business should move to a cloud environment.

4. Mobility:

With an on premise system there is no ability to remotely manage the system and remotely take calls for instance. 2.6 billion smartphones are being used globally The vast majority of the global population is using a smart phone and with that comes greater mobility. For instance on the intercom side of things a resident at a multifamily community can take a high security video intercom call from anywhere and remotely unlock the door. Gone are the days of having to be at home to open the door for an important package that is being delivered. On the access side it is a combination of mobility and higher security by using your smartphone to open up doors.

On the management side as a Property Manager you can easily make changes to your system anywhere in the world through your smartphone or on computer browser. No need to be on site to make changes or have to rely on a security integrator to make those changes.

5. Quality Control:

With cloud systems everything is in one centralized location in the cloud. This allows everyone accessing the same information to main consistency in data, avoid human error, and have a clear record of any revisions or updates through audit logs that most leading cloud systems offer. Managing information in silos can lead to your property managers accidentally saving different versions which leads to confusion and diluted data.

Cloud-based services provide quick data recovery for all kinds of emergency scenarios, from natural disasters to power outages. While?20% of cloud users claim disaster recovery in four hours or less, only 9% of non-cloud users could claim the same.?

6. Loss Prevention:

If you are not investing in a cloud solution than all of your valuable data is tied to the on site server. May not seem like a big problem, right?

The reality is that if your local hardware experiences a problem you may end up losing all of your data. This is a more common problem than people thing since computers malfunction for a variety of reasons such as: viral infections, age related hardware deterioration, to user error.

When you do not have cloud you are in risk of losing all of your saved information. With the cloud all of the changes you have made to the system stay safe and easily accessible from any computer or smartphone anywhere in the world.

7. Automatic Updates:

As mentioned in the cost savings section you have to be on site to make changes for an on premise system. This is not easily done by that on site Property Manager so they have to rely on a security integrator to roll out a truck each time you want your system updated which is either costing you a high hourly rate or a monthly service subscription.

With cloud based systems all of the updates and maintenance happens over the air and is usually covered within your software license. This allows you to have a future proof system and stay up to date easily with the latest technology.

8. Competitive Advantage:

There are still people who prefer to keep everything locally and that is their choice however by doing that it places them at a distinct disadvantage when competing with those properties that have cloud systems in place.

If you do implement cloud systems for all of your #proptech you will be further along the learning curve by the time they catch up. 77% of businesses feel cloud technology gives them a competitive advantage, and 16% believe this advantage is significant.

If interested in #cloud based systems some of the leading companies on the access, video intercom and surveillance side include: Swiftlane , Brivo , Eagle Eye Networks . Hope this allows you to make an informative decision when purchasing your next #proptech solution.