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Merchants that are tired of managing constant, disruptive software updates are likely to adopt Web-based software, which offers too many benefits to ignore and is more secure than you may think, argues Mike Townsend.
Web-based systems now cost less than many legacy systems, while also being more efficient and safer to use.
Mike Townsend is founder of ZingCheckout Inc., Santa Monica, Calif. Reach him at mike@zingcheckout.com.
Over the past five years, there’s been an explosive trend in the business world that may not have been as well understood as it should be. It’s the emergence of Web-based software. The trend may seem risky, but once you hear the benefits of this new technology, it becomes apparent that there’s good reason to believe that Web-based software is the future.
So, just what is Web-based software, anyway? It’s simply applications via the Internet that run within a Web browser. You don’t need any disks to install or software to download. Software upgrades are not necessary, because everything is done behind the scenes, on the server or in the browser. That leaves the hassle of software managing to the developers.
If you’re using any e-mail Web sites such as Gmail, Hotmail, Mail.com, or Yahoo, then you’ve already experienced the ease of Web-based software. And while it may seem complicated and unsafe, it’s quite the opposite.
Three Trends
There have been three major technology trends that have contributed to the explosion of Web-based software technology in business:
1. Recent advances in Web-hosting technology from companies like Amazon and Rackspace have paved the way for cloud-based hosting to come down drastically in price over the last five years;
2. Innovations in the hardware industry—especially at companies like Apple—have put tablets and smart phones into the hands of millions. The decrease in price of these tablets, along with increased connectivity to the Internet, has opened the door for business applications;
3. The advancement of Web-based technology by way of HTML5, advanced Javascript functionality, and increased browser speed that has enabled advanced software to operate faster and with more efficiency, bringing more variety and overall use to the user.
When it comes to businesses like small retail stores, Web-based software relieves the retailer of the technical responsibilities that come with traditional local point-of-sale software. That means merchants don’t have to hire an expensive engineer to maintain servers in the back room, or worry about the “IT guy” coming and fixing a computer.
Since everything operates online, it’s very easy for the customer-support staff of a Web-based point of sale to “screen share” and show you on your own computer what’s going wrong while talking to you on the phone. This leads to the retailer saving a good chunk of money and time. With platform-agnostic Web-based software, the retailer doesn’t have to worry about issues with the technology, leaving more time to focus on running the business.
It’s true that storing data in a “cloud” somewhere far away can be a scary thought for a lot of business owners. The idea of not having your data in your computer is brand new and naturally seems risky.
However, this risk analysis can be compared to that of flying vs. driving. We know the statistics, which point out that driving is approximately 20 times more dangerous than flying, but we feel safer when we drive. This is because people feel safer when they have more control, but the simple fact is that cloud infrastructure can be PCI-compliant and more secure than any local data-storage medium.
Imagine storing your crucial data on a USB drive or hard drive, then imagine the drive gets lost, stolen, or damaged. Now imagine placing your data into storage that is always accessible and, more important, will never expire. Since it’s password-protected, you will never have to worry about that pesky someone looking through your files.
Whatever is stored in the cloud stays in the cloud until it is removed by the original user. So users can save it on a desktop at home, then at a meeting bring it up on a laptop or smart phone. As long as you remember your user name and password, there’s no device with a modern browser and Internet connection on which you can’t access your data.
With the Web-based trend, small businesses are gaining insight into business analytics, more control over inventory, and the ability to run their store on any hardware.
Data are backed up constantly, making sure that managers have them when they need them. The business won’t need to purchase extra hard drives to back up its critical data. In most cases, it’s even possible to check for previous versions, so you will never be without the data you need again.
With certain operating systems or browsers, software compatibility isn’t an issue. Web-based software is conveniently compatible with any modern browser and operating system. Use it on your MacBook at home, your Windows desktop at work, and your Android smart phone on-the-go. As long as it has a connection to the Internet and a browser, it’s ready to fetch and manage data stored in the cloud.
Less Cost, More Efficiency
One interesting and often underestimated advantage of operating Web-based point-of-sale or other software is that you’ll always be operating with the latest version of the product. Updates and/or installations as well as required downtimes are a thing of the past while using Web-based software.
This is crucial when it comes to retail or businesses with times of high traffic. Retailers shouldn’t have to depend on IT personnel to keep crucial software up and running or the pay the hefty fee that comes along with them. With Web-based software, the updates are painless and behind the scenes, so you can spend more time on the things that matter.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry, but in the case of Web-based software versus traditional software, the industry is changing. Web-based systems now cost less than many legacy systems, while also being more efficient and safer to use.
