Are You Ready to Move Up from Dynamics 365 On-Premises to Dynamics 365 Online?

If your IT team spends all its time troubleshooting your organization’s on-premises ERP/CRM solution, or if you are fed up with scheduling and paying for server upgrades and trying to protect your data from hackers, perhaps it’s time to consider a change.

While change can sometimes be intimidating, it’s important to stay up to date, and changing your ERP/CRM environment from on-premises to online can solve some of your problems and add significant benefits.

Microsoft has come up with some creative software licensing to ease the transition and there are now robust tools available for moving the data without a huge migration budget. What are some of the benefits you’ll see?

Here are the top 10 reasons why Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement online is the right next move:

Microsoft infrastructure

When your CRM solution is on-premises, you are responsible for all the IT yourself. All of the hardware and software must be managed, updated, and kept secure by your staff. When you move from on-premises to online, Microsoft will handle all of that for you. No more downtime for updates; no more troubleshooting and repairs. Microsoft will maintain the infrastructure, and their open support line will help with any questions.

Security

When cloud computing started out, many organizations with on-premises solutions feared that moving to the cloud meant less security. In fact, today it means just the opposite. Microsoft’s security is unmatched. The full-time team of security experts can provide a much higher level of security than can your IT team. They are proactive in anticipating threats, are constantly searching for ways to improve security tactics, and they provide daily backups of your system.

Lower total cost

Maintaining your own servers on-premises means retaining a skilled team of technicians to maintain and manage them. That’s a large expense, as is the necessity of replacing the servers every few years as they become outdated. With Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online, you eliminate all those costs and instead pay a flat monthly rate. Microsoft handles all the maintenance behind the scenes, and always has the most up to date equipment.

Disaster recovery

We don’t have to tell you what an impact on your business even a small disaster would be. With online deployment, Microsoft will have off-site backups of your data and system environments. In most cases, your business can be up and running much faster than would be possible with your on-premises deployment.

Cloud focus

The cloud is here to stay. Although on-premises software and licenses are still available, Microsoft’s main focus is online deployments. Microsoft releases are available to Dynamics 365 Online systems months before they become available to on-premises systems.

Mobility

The way we work has changed. Today’s business leaders and their employees appreciate being able to access their data and work from anywhere, anytime, on any device. Online deployment makes that possible. In fact, as the cloud continues to expand, there are and will continue to be new applications that may not be available to on-premises solutions.

Upgrades

Upgrades to your on-premise system can be disruptive, time consuming, and expensive, and your company will be responsible for installing them. Upgrades and updates to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online are automatic, included in your subscription, and taken care of behind the scenes and out of business hours by Microsoft.

Rapid implementation

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online requires a much shorter implementation time than does an on-premises solution because you will be using the software online, rather than installing it on your own company’s hardware.

Seamless Integration with Microsoft Stack Tools

With Dynamics 365 Online, you can easily integrate the Microsoft apps that your company uses, plus some new ones. Office 365, Outlook, SharePoint, Exchange, OneNote, OneDrive, Skype, Dynamics 365, Microsoft Teams, and other tools are all integrated effortlessly.

Additional features

Dynamics 365 CE Online has more features and power than its equivalent on-premises version. One popular example of an online only feature is the integration with Power BI, Microsoft’s robust reporting tool. To see a full list of online-only features, click here.

Change may seem difficult as you move away from what is familiar. Dynamics 365 CE online looks familiarly like the equivalent on-premises version, but it has a lot going on behind the scenes. It is more agile, more versatile, and has the convenience of mobility.

Still wondering if Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE is right for your company? Velosio can help. Contact our cloud experts at Velosio, and let’s discuss how and why a move to Dynamics 365 Online can help your growing company.

By Velosio, www.velosio.com