Getting Comfortable in the Cloud

Getting Comfortable in the Cloud Simple, economic, and reliable reasons distributors are moving What’s Inside… Just What is the Cloud? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Cloud is Simple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Cloud Saves Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Cloud is Reliable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Top 10 Reasons to Choose the Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Cloud for Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Keeping Up v . Getting Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Everyone is talking about the cloud, but if you don’t quite follow what they’re saying, it comes down to this: using the cloud is using technology over the Internet . When you update your Facebook page, you’re using the cloud . When you check your bank balance on your phone, you’re using the cloud. But is it that easy for business? Yes . The cloud has proven to do several things very well—improve your cash flow, increase business capabilities, and simplify processes across the board—all in an access- from-anywhere system that’s far more reliable than hardware you have on-premises . And with Epicor, the move to the cloud is as simple as working from the cloud . “Even with all the hype over cloud and SaaS, the savings and benefits have been underestimated, not overblown. The sooner you move, the sooner you will be able to realize those benefits yourself.” —Mint Jutras 2016 Enterprise Solution Study 2 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud 3 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud Stop worrying about security, backups, and verifying those backups . Forget about off-site storage and keeping up with hardware and software maintenance . Ease your fears about downtime and data . End the hassles of hardware troubleshooting and software upgrades . If you’re a distributor and have questions about the cloud, here’s your answer—it’s time to move . You’ll have less to do, and security and reliability to gain—so you’ll have more time for your customers, your employees, and other priorities . The cloud can make your business and life more simple. Business in the cloud is better business . And when you move your business software to a safe, reliable, and efficient cloud system, you’ll see how much simpler it is to focus on what matters most . The best part about the cloud? It’s easy, economical, and reliable. 4 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud 5 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud In a recent survey by Mint Jutras, the top benefits of working in the cloud all come down to the cost of doing business . Which, incidentally, is coming down . Lower total cost of ownership Cloud computing removes upfront hardware costs, and the pay-as-you-go subscription model eliminates large initial layouts for software . Easy setup and cash- flow-friendly monthly payments make it even easier to see why cloud deployments are so popular—especially when you add the fact that Epicor Cloud business software deployments typically cost 25–40% less* than on-premises deployments. More-for-your-money competitiveness The cloud gives you and all your employees access to enterprise-class technology, so no matter what size your company might be, you can take on the biggest and be the best . Because cloud computing frees up time and money, you can stay lean, nimble, and competitive . Work-from-anywhere productivity If you’ve got an Internet connection, you can work . With the cloud, you can give your employees the ability to produce wherever they happen to be . So they can enjoy the work-life balance that suits them, and you can enjoy greater loyalty and output . Economic Benefits While on-premises deployments give you the confidence of storing your data on servers right down the hall, it comes at the expense of your IT team and other resources . Right now, they’re trying to keep up with your hardware and software, when they could be working on what’s next for your business and your customers . With cloud deployments, your hardware is out of sight and out of the way . Your system is managed by teams of professionals whose primary goal is your system uptime . And you’re free to focus on growth . In the cloud, everyone sees the same information and therefore operates according to one version of the truth . Collaboration is faster and free of confusion, which reduces complexity while improving business performance . If you’re growing or want to grow, moving your ERP to the cloud allows you to increase capacity easily—without additional software, hardware, or IT personnel . If you don’t need as much, you can pull back . It really is that simple . Simplicity Get it together One of the biggest benefits of moving to the cloud is something that happens at the department level—collaboration . According to Aberdeen research*, 20% of best-in-class organizations have seen a marked improvement in collaboration between departments after adopting a cloud solution . * Epicor Cloud TCO Workshops estimate 25–40% savings over five years. Of course, any expected savings will vary from customer to customer and will also depend on adopting best business practices. *Source: Aberdeen Group; October, 2014 6 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud 7 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud Keep your data safe Sure, you’re backing up your software and data files, but if you’re keeping those backups on site, you’re not keeping them safe . If there’s a fire or natural disaster, backups are lost . Even if they’re stored in a backup facility across town—that same natural disaster could still destroy them . True backup—the safekeeping of a redundant set of data—is best left to the cloud . It’s the safest, most affordable, and efficient way to make sure that if you lose everything, all is not lost . Ensure protection Cloud systems are more stable, better monitored, and more secure than any on-premises system anywhere . Unless you have an impenetrable data center protected by intrusion detection, fire suppression, advanced power grids, backup generators, environmental monitoring, and six separate HVAC units inspected every day—all connected by multiple T3 pipelines from multiple vendors and all in a distant geographic location—you’re not as safe as you think . Assure accessibility For example, lost laptops are a billion-dollar business problem . But the greater problem is the loss and possible theft of the sensitive data stored on those laptops . When your data is stored in the cloud, you can access it no matter what, no matter where . You can remotely wipe data from lost laptops at any time . If you’re not sure if you can count on the cloud, count on this . Reliability Uptime in the cloud When an hour of downtime costs $163,000—and yes, that’s the average, according to Aberdeen research*—keeping your apps up and running is more critical than ever . Cloud-based SaaS applications are proven to do so, minimizing downtime, reducing the costs that go along with it, and keeping your people productive . *Figures based on the 2014 study “Downtime Statistics of Current Cloud Solutions .” 99.91% uptime Three 9s. You can now count on the cloud 99 .91% of the time . As technology improves, cloud availability improves, getting us closer to a perfect 100 . 8 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud 9 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud Freedom of Choice Epicor lets you choose how much to put in the cloud, so you can grow into it and get comfortable . Compelling Economic Benefits Epicor cloud business software deployments typically cost 25–40%* less than on- premises deployments . Better Use of IT Resources If your IT team didn’t have to patch the servers and keep the system running, what sorts of innovations could they be working on? Greater Security Your firewall isn’t the fortress it once was, at least not compared to the massive redundancies and failsafe procedures afforded by 24/7/365 cloud protection . Updates When you don’t have to manage upgrades anymore, you can focus on growing your business . Mobility and Collaboration Your team no longer needs to be at the office to access ERP or collaborate . The cloud brings them all together, no matter where they are . Alignment and Engagement With a standard set of processes accessible in the cloud, current and future generations of employees can engage easily, increasing productivity . Reduced Risk Redundant data backups coupled with advanced security systems run by technology experts mean you can rest assured you won’t lose critical data . Faster Time to Value Built on best practices and customized to your requirements, Epicor cloud solutions can be deployed quickly and reflect real-time updates . Social Responsibility Using cloud solutions rather than on-premises equipment minimizes impact to the environment, such as waste from retired hardware . Top 10 Reasons Epicor Customers Choose the Cloud 1 62 73 84 95 10 *Epicor Cloud TCO Workshops estimate 25–40% savings over five years . Of course, any expected savings will vary from customer to customer and will also depend on adopting best business practices . 10 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud 11 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud Epicor offers a wide variety of online services— from hosting to cloud deployment and support— so you can find a solution that fits their business and their vision . If it feels right to stay or move back on-premises, we can help with that, too . Flexible Deployment for Distributors Site Hosting Epicor will host your software where you prefer—on shared hardware at a data center or through the Epicor hosting service . We also offer a managed hosting service with which your licensed software is run in the Epicor data center . The data center manages tasks requiring physical access to the hardware such as backups, and the customer installations and upgrades . Generally, a maintenance fee and a hosting fee are required . SaaS—Software as a Service Training, support services, and automatic software upgrades are a part of the SaaS version of Epicor software, with additional training available . Customers pay a monthly fee based on the number of users or transactions . SaaS is most often used by customers who want to have their software hosted by a provider they choose . In this scenario, the customer is responsible for operations and maintenance services, database management, network and software performance monitoring, backups, installs, upgrades, and customizations . Epicor Cloud Offerings Epicor cloud solutions are proven to increase business capabilities—helping distributors in a variety of industries . Epicor cloud solutions provide: XX Order Management XX Inventory Management XX Warehouse Management XX Financial Management XX Purchasing XX Reporting XX Faxing Integration XX Forms XX Shipping Manifest Integration 12 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud 13 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud Epicor helps distributors differentiate and—ultimately—grow their businesses . We’re a high-value, low-risk, deep-experience pathway to bring your ERP systems to the cloud, and we can prove it—we have five times as many second-time ERP buyers as the industry average . Only Epicor combines the digital transformation of your business with refined distribution capabilities, and we build features like these that distributors need: XX Work Queues XX Wire Cutting XX PO Variance Queues XX Kitting, Assembly, and Production Orders XX Advanced Inventory Forecasting XX Job Management XX Vendor Managed Inventory XX Special Pricing and Progress Billing These are all rolled into a complete package tailored for distributors like you . If you want to grow your business, Epicor will help . Get Ahead with Epicor 14 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud 15 | Getting Comfortable in The Cloud This paper discusses Epicor views and opinions regarding cloud-based technology and services. The contents of this document are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Epicor Software Corporation makes no guarantee, representations or warranties with regard to the enclosed information and specifically disclaims, to the full extent of the law, any applicable implied warranties, such as fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, satisfactory quality or reasonable skill and care. Statements about cost savings, productivity gains, security, and reliability, are based on our experience and opinions. These are not statements of fact or guarantees. This document and its contents, including the viewpoints, dates and functional content expressed herein are believed to be accurate as of its date of publication, May 2016. The usage of any Epicor products or services is subject to Epicor standard terms and conditions then in effect. Usage of the solution(s) described in this document with other Epicor software or third-party products may require the purchase of licenses for such other products. Epicor and the Epicor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Copyright © 2016 Epicor Software Corporation. All rights reserved. About Epicor Epicor Software Corporation drives business growth . We provide flexible, industry- specific software that is designed around the needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industry customers . More than 40 years of experience with our customers’ unique business processes and operational requirements is built into every solution—in the cloud, hosted, or on-premises . With a deep understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions spur growth while managing complexity . The result is powerful solutions that free your resources so you can grow your business . For more information, connect with Epicor or visit epicor .com . 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