SaaS Archives - Cloud Source

2 Key Benefits of Software as a Service Solutions

January 18, 2023 by Cloud Source

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States, the lockdown created significant changes in the lives of individuals and organizations. Companies were, in some situations, forced to either change their business model or close their doors. Employees were abruptly shifted to remote work, and in-person sales were exchanged for e-commerce. For many companies, this major pivot was made possible by software as a service.

For those businesses that were already in the process of digital transformation, the pandemic introduced a few adjustments to their business processes. But for those that were still relying on legacy technology, the shift to remote work exposed the downside of hanging on to older tools.

The pandemic represents just a single disruptive situation that exposed the vulnerabilities of businesses. On a smaller scale, your business is put to the test many times each day. With the adoption of software as a service applications, you can shield your business from a major disruption while future-proofing your technology.

You can see this demonstrated in the two main benefits of software as a service, often referred to as SaaS:

Flexible Adaptability: During the pandemic, the importance of adaptability was demonstrated in the flexibility inherent in SaaS applications. Online orders suddenly dominated, adding stress to eCommerce sites and putting additional burdens on inventory management systems.

A SaaS solution offers flexibility to scale usage up or down depending on the pace of demand. Automation makes it easy for the solution to scale, allowing you to focus on serving your customers rather than managing tech issues. With SaaS, you are also positioned well to manage growth or seasonal fluctuations in your business. It also makes it easy to add new locations when your business is in a growth pattern.

Easy Integration: The pandemic expanded the everyday use of digital, with people using more channels than they previously did. An increase in omnichannel commerce has followed, with businesses utilizing multiple channels to connect with their market. This trend demands that companies also have the technology to manage data across various platforms.

SaaS allows for integration across different platforms, increasing visibility and data management so companies can manage inventory and compliance concerns. As the company grows, it also makes it easy for businesses to pull in new integrations to accommodate new technology requirements or the changing needs of customers.

The disruption of the pandemic is just one example of how having the right technology can help your business navigate unexpected challenges. To learn more about software as a service and the benefits it will introduce to your company, contact us at Cloud Source.

Tips on Developing a Better Cloud Security Strategy

October 8, 2018 by Cloud Source

Cloud security is a hotly contested topic. For those who believe the cloud partner is solely responsible for securing data, they’re in for a rude awakening. In truth, partners are responsible for some cloud security issues, but there is a shared responsibility between the partner and the customer.

The Ponemon Institute looked into the issue in 2017 and found that 32% of those surveyed said they follow the shared responsibility aspect of cloud security, while 34% were evenly divided on the topic.

Sharing Responsibilities

There are a few different cloud service models that allow for a shared responsibility. These include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

When implementing an IaaS model, the partner will manage the facilities and data center(s). They will also be involved in managing processing and interfaces. However, the customer will have the responsibility of managing virtual networks, operating systems, data, middleware, applications, and virtual machines.

In the PaaS model, the partner is responsible for virtual networks, middleware, virtual machines, and operating systems. The customer is limited to managing data, applications, and interfaces.

In the SaaS model, the partner takes on all management responsibilities except data and interfaces.

As you can see, data is the responsibility of the client — always. Cloud security strategies must include backup plans, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions. This is often tied to compliance issues, which spell out ways in which data, particularly that related to sensitive client information, must be protected.

Define Who’s Accountable for What

When you evaluate your partners, look at the various risk factors and how those risks are mitigated. Every security feature must be fleshed out and your clients need to know how to use them. Also, break down how responsibilities are divvied up in regard to cloud security protocols. Documenting all your internal controls can also help monitor your risks.

Before choosing a partner, you must be able to define exactly what your requirements are in regard to security, and prioritize each need. Also, if you’re going to migrate data to the cloud, you’ll need to know how that’s going to impact your policies.

Everyone’s role needs to be clearly defined before a contract is signed. This is the best way to ensure accountability.

To connect with a partner that you can trust, contact Cloud Source today. We’re focused on connecting our clients with the right technologies including those that provide clear and concise cloud security solutions. Don’t struggle to find the technology that fits your business needs — let us assist you.

Choosing the Right SD-WAN Vendor

August 21, 2017 by Cloud Source

Implementing a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) provides many benefits, including the ability to access any number of transport technologies to connect users, quickly launch new branch offices, and increase agility. Utilizing SD-WAN is also a great way to reduce network costs.

Even as enterprises are seeing the need for SD-WAN, they also must take care to choose a vendor that can meet their needs. Finding the right solution can be time-consuming, because implementing SD-WAN may take lower priority than other items in your digital transformation timeline. As time goes by, the products available are subject to innovation and change, making the selection even more confusing and complicated.

As a result, many companies are hiring providers to manage their SD-WAN. This choice allows for not only the security, maintenance, and updates that come with any as-a-service IT solution, but it also comes with the insight of specialists for whom SD-WAN conversation is their native language.

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Vendor

There are a few questions you should consider before choosing your SD-WAN vendor. You must know whether your vendor can support your current needs as well as future requirements that come up as your company grows and implements a digital transformation plan. Ask these questions before settling on an SD-WAN vendor:

Does the SD-WAN service provider have the ability to guarantee predictable performance on all applications, whether SaaS (Software as a Service) or on-site?
Will the service optimize connectivity to any type of cloud?
Are there high availability alternatives?
Can the provider support new and custom applications?
Is the SD-WAN service compatible with integrated WAN optimization at various company locations?
How will SD-WAN interact with your current routers, secure web gateways, and firewalls?
How will the use of SD-WAN help streamline branch office infrastructure?
Will the provider supply a centralized orchestration console for your use in managing various applications’ QoS and security?

Carefully consider how your vendor will meet each of these qualifications, particularly if your enterprise embraces the need for increased performance and agility through cloud migration. Changing vendors after you’ve realized your SD-WAN solution isn’t meeting your needs could be costly and time-consuming.

If you’re struggling to find the right technology for your business, talk with us at Cloud Source. We help you simplify your vendor selection process and choose a set of solutions that supports your business and provides the agility and performance you want.

Still Afraid of the Cloud? Remain in Control While Improving Services

August 7, 2017 by Cloud Source

Despite the growing adoption of cloud-based services throughout the global enterprise space, there still exists discomfort, distrust, and fear of the cloud. It’s accepted by industries of every kind — even healthcare — yet there remain holdouts who stay tied to on-premise investments.

Perhaps the largest roadblock for these decision makers is that they feel they’re giving up too much control to a managed service provider. The advantages of the cloud are clear, but there may need to be an extra push to convince them that there is value to cloud-based solutions they can no longer ignore.

Savvy MSPs and IT service firms are jumping at cloud solutions and wholly embracing them. Here’s what they have to say about cloud’s benefits:

Flexibility and Scalability Are Key
If you’re managing your own servers, you may find it difficult to scale up and down as required. As your clients grow, their needs for extra services will increase. This can often put on more pressure than can be accommodated if you’re running your own servers, especially if you don’t have room to grow.

With a cloud-based solution, everything is off-premise and managed by a team of experts that can scale up and down with no limitations. When your cloud service provider is using Level IV data centers, disaster recovery strategies ensure you always have access to your data.

Security Is Central
Major cloud players put security at the top of their list of priorities. It matters to them because a breach is extremely hard on a company’s reputation and could result in many, if not all, clients leaving for a more secure provider.

For those who maintain their own servers, security is also important, but the measures an independent IT staff take to safeguard data just can’t compete with what the major players can handle.

The Technology Is Superior
When you partner with a cloud-based provider, your time spent researching the latest and greatest technology comes to an end. The cloud service provider is monitoring it and continuously updating hardware and software to give clients the best service possible.

You Save Money
If you were constantly upgrading your equipment, you know how much it costs. You likely had to pass those expenses on to your clients. When you go to the cloud, you’re no longer making large capital expenses, which means you can be more competitive, offering your clients better SaaS (Software as a Service) solution pricing.

Cloud Source is a company that simplifies the vendor selection process for your IT operations. We provide you with a single point of contact for your business communications, cloud solutions, and connectivity. If your business is only as good as your ability to communicate, then you need Cloud Source on your side.

SaaS: Security Considerations

January 23, 2017 by Cloud Source

Across homes, schools, and a growing majority of businesses, Software as a Service (SaaS) applications are moving closer to the center of everyday life. But in business contexts, this move to cloud-based software such as Google’s G Suite or Microsoft’s Office 365 may open up security challenges that businesses aren’t equipped to address.

The Popularity of SaaS

Businesses have a number of reasons for switching to SaaS architecture, including cost effectiveness, centralization of files and work processes, and a degree of standardization and support for bring your own device (BYOD) workplaces. And the convenience of cloud-based architecture is convincing: according to a report by BetterCloud, a significant proportion (25% to over 50%) of businesses that already use the G Suite or Office 365 plan to migrate to entirely cloud-based software environments by the end of the decade.

However, that same report revealed that over 60% of businesses running SaaS applications consider themselves underfunded for addressing cloud security – and many of those businesses simply don’t recognize cloud security in their budgets at all.

Security and SaaS

Several factors may be responsible for this discrepancy, including poor understanding of what SaaS security entails on the business end. Server security, for example, falls under the auspices of the service provider. However, companies are responsible for a number of critical security topics, including:

Managing employee authentication and access, including requiring strong passwords, limiting the creation of accounts, and disabling account access when employees leave the company. Employees should also have access only to the files and applications they need in order to perform their jobs – access should never be granted across the board.
Mandating secure access points, using (for example) VPNs or secure web gateway applications, and requiring all connected devices to have passwords and idle screen locking. Employees who take advantage of BYOD policies should be prepared to keep their devices up to date and configured to the standards developed by their company’s IT security team.
Thorough knowledge of emerging cloud security standards, as well as work done by groups such as the Cloud Security Alliance, and insistence that SaaS applications meet security standards as a prerequisite for adoption. As SaaS is more and more widely adopted, these standards will become more finely-tuned.
Thorough knowledge of security implementations on the part of the SaaS provider. While IT security managers may have little or no ability to affect the security profile of a SaaS application, they should nevertheless know the details of the cloud’s security. This will enable them to judge whether or not the implementation is in compliance with security standards, and whether or not it’s in compliance with company- or industry-specific regulations.

While SaaS removes a number of concerns from the IT team’s wheelhouse, security can never be entirely outsourced. For some years, security has been a highly-cited reason for discouraging adoption of cloud technologies, but with appropriate funding and attention to detail, companies can enjoy the convenience of cloud sourcing as well as rigorous security.

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