What the cloud is
The cloud means that your programs and data sit on servers you connect to over the internet, not on the computers in your office. You no longer buy and maintain your own servers.
There are three kinds of cloud:
- Public cloud. The servers belong to a provider and are used by many clients, each with its own data kept separate.
- Private cloud. The infrastructure is dedicated to a single company, which has more control over security.
- Hybrid cloud. A combination of the two, so you get both control and flexibility.
Desktop applications versus cloud applications
| Desktop applications | Cloud applications | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | On each computer, using its processor and memory | Nothing to install, they open in the browser |
| Access | Only from the computer they are installed on | From any computer, tablet or phone with internet |
| Updates | Each user installs them by hand, and some stay on old versions | Done on the server, for everyone |
| Security | Depends on each user and their computer | Managed centrally: encryption, two-step login, monitoring |
Types of applications that can be built in the cloud
SaaS applications (Software as a Service)
You use them in the browser, usually on a subscription, with nothing to install. The provider handles maintenance and updates. Well-known examples: Google Workspace, Salesforce for customer relationships, Microsoft 365.
PaaS applications (Platform as a Service)
These are used by programmers: the platform gives them ready-made tools to build, test and launch applications without dealing with servers. Examples: Heroku, Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure App Service.
IaaS applications (Infrastructure as a Service)
You rent servers, storage space and a virtual network and pay only for what you use. A good fit for companies that do not want to invest in their own equipment. Examples: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure.
The cloud applications we build
All the management applications we build run in the cloud and open in the browser:
- ERP and CRM for manufacturers, distributors, construction companies and groups of companies. See ERP applications and CRM applications.
- An accounting program in the browser, for several companies in the same account, with the ANAF (Romanian tax authority) returns included.
- A platform for restaurants, sold on a subscription: the waiter takes the order on a tablet, the kitchen sees it on a screen, and stock is deducted from the recipe with every sale.
- A platform for food businesses with several locations, where the manager sees for each location the timesheets, the stock, the waste and the orders to suppliers.
For groups of companies and store networks, the same account holds several companies and locations. See Group of companies and multi-location.
The advantages of building an application in the cloud
- It grows when you need it. For example, during a campaign the server gets more resources for the extra traffic.
- Lower start-up costs. You do not buy servers. In the cloud you pay for the resources you use.
- Access from anywhere. Laptop, tablet or phone, from the office, the building site or home.
- Updates without the hassle. New functions and security fixes reach everyone at once.
- Teamwork in real time. When the sales rep confirms an order, the warehouse sees it straight away.
Securing cloud applications
In the applications we build, security is built into the application, not added at the end:
- Encryption. Data travels encrypted between the browser and the server.
- Two-step login. Besides the password, a code from an Authenticator-type app or sent by e-mail or SMS.
- Roles and rights. Each person sees only the menus they need.
- Monitoring and audit. Every change stays in the log, with name and time. In some applications, errors are reported to us automatically.
- Backup and recovery. The database is backed up automatically, at set times. On some projects a copy is made before every update, and if the update fails, the application rolls back to the previous version on its own.
More on the Security and audit page and in the article about cybersecurity.
Cloud applications with artificial intelligence
The cloud provides the computing power AI needs. Here is where it helps:
- It takes over repetitive work. In our applications, supplier invoices are read automatically and prepared for goods receipt, and estimates in PDF are split into labour and materials.
- It anticipates. Based on past data, AI can estimate demand or customer behaviour, for example in an online store.
- It answers questions. The ERP assistant answers questions about products, partners and invoices, with a link to the record it took the answer from.
- It personalises. Product recommendations based on the customer's history, and product descriptions generated for the website.
What AI does in our applications is on the AI assistant in the ERP page.
Do you want to move your management software to the cloud or build a new one? Write to us or see our projects.