A Very Different Approach to the Cloud
<p><img src="/images/default-source/Blog-images/cloud-cropped997da6391b316d6b9fc9ff00001037d2.tmb-medium.gif?sfvrsn=744ccb80_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Cloud.cropped" title="Cloud.cropped" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 20px;" />When we started to plan our cloud strategy for Adagio, we recognized that the traditional Software as a Service (SaaS) model had disadvantages for the accounting software market. Forcing everyone onto a single shared application meant that updates and upgrades were installed on the vendor’s schedule as opposed to the client’s. It meant that integration with 3rd party applications would be much more limited. It also meant that once you were operating in the cloud, moving back to an on-premise environment would be another costly migration project.</p>
<p>At Softrak, we took a very different approach. Adagio runs in the cloud as a hosted solution. It maintains the same look and feel as an on-premise (or LAN-based) implementation. Click on the Adagio icon on your desktop and Adagio Cloud looks the same as its on-premise counterpart. The biggest advantage is that our customers may schedule the installation of updates and upgrades. This way, we don’t introduce changes to the software in the midst of a customer’s tax audit, or while the customer is trying to close their year-end. The customer is able to get the upgrades installed when there is minimal impact to the business. As far as we know, Adagio is the only cloud accounting product that offers this capability.</p>
<p>In addition to frequent backups in the cloud, Adagio Cloud’s Datacare utility allows our customers to backup their data to a local storage device. The “offsite backup” for their cloud accounting can be in their own office! If there was ever a protracted interruption to internet connectivity, the customer could have its local Adagio consultant install the required accounting modules to a server and quickly get the accounting department back in business. Again, as far as we know, Adagio is the only cloud accounting product that offers this capability. And having the data in your office under your control removes any question about who controls the data.</p>
<p>Unlike most of our competitors, Softrak is committed to maintaining its on-premise offering. We offer both on-premise and cloud, knowing that our customers want the choice. Internet connectivity is a problem in many rural areas of Canada and the United States. We want to provide great accounting software at an affordable price, and we don’t want to force our customers to the cloud if they are not ready.</p>