Why migrate to Dynamics 365 in the cloud from on-premise?

What is Dynamics CRM On-Premise?

This is the “traditional” way to deploy software, where a business purchases software licenses and the database is stored on your server. This keeps all business data in-house, providing you with full control of how and where any information is stored, as well as being solely responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the hardware.

What is Dynamics 365 (cloud)?

Dynamics 365 is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) application, hosted in the cloud. This means no hardware is required, the solution can be deployed remotely and data is protected by Microsoft’s secure servers. Additionally, the solution is much more flexible in comparison to an on-premise deployment, as users can be increased/decreased easily, as well as the ability to integrate more applications at any time. 

Why migrate from on-premise to the cloud?

With the cloud-first approach of Microsoft, CRM customers are increasingly adopting cloud technology and moving current on-premise systems to the cloud. There can be various factors to this, but the most common one is that with on-premise solutions, you spend more time and money maintaining the software.   Additionally, and something that became more apparent throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, is that cloud technology provides a scalable solution for changing business needs, whether that be around decreasing/increasing users with ease, or adding additional functionality to the system. 

What are the advantages of moving to the cloud?

1. No infrastructure to maintain

Hosting your systems in the cloud means there are no in-house servers or hardware to maintain, which can be a significant expense. 

2. Scalability and flexibility

Manage your resources according to current business needs. You can easily scale users up or down where necessary and customise the solution to fit your changing requirements, meaning you are only paying for what you need.

3. Backup and recovery

Microsoft Azure (the base platform in which the Microsoft cloud solutions are built on) securely performs routine backups, so you can be confident that your data is safe. On top of this, Microsoft guarantee 99.9% uptime, as well as a disaster recovery should this ever be necessary. 

4. Cost-effective

On-premise systems typically require large initial investments and specialised staff to manage the technology. With a cloud solution, there is the cost of implementing a solution and then the ongoing fees to support your business, however the long-term costs are significantly lower. Cloud technology can also be managed remotely, so no need for specialised in-house staff. 

5. Hassle-free upgrades

With Dynamics 365 (cloud) you can expect automated software updates on a regular basis. Any customisations to the systems and upgrade testing can be carried out remotely. 

6. Task-specific apps

Microsoft AppSource offers scores of application-specific tools to expand the power of the Dynamics 365 database. 

7. Improved security and reliability

With Dynamics 365 (cloud), your business data is stored in highly secure data centres owned and managed by Microsoft. 

8. Tight integration with the Microsoft eco-system

The clouds interconnected nature allows Dynamics 365 to work closely with the other tools in the Microsoft eco-system, such as the Outlook, SharePoint, Excel, OneNote, etc.  Dynamics 365’s tight integration means you can track emails, view contact information and history, and create new records directly from Outlook, edit Excel and Word files in the Dynamics interface, and use OneNote to take meeting notes and attach them to Dynamics records. 

9. Leverage the Microsoft Power Platform

One of the biggest advantages of Dynamics 365 in the cloud versus on-premise, is the ease of using cloud integrations such as the Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate). Each of these tools has a different purpose, but ultimately they enable your business to automate processes, build bespoke business and mobile applications, and get more out of your data. 

10. Bring all your data together

In the past, CRM software and other business systems have been largely maintained separately. Dynamics 365 lets you connect your data and offers a range of applications on the cloud platform, so your organisation can get a 360-degree of your business. 

11. Faster implementation

As Dynamics 365 (cloud) is a SaaS platform, you’re consuming a service rather than installing a product. Without the need to install the software on individual machines and set up on-premise hardware, configuring and deploying Dynamics 365 in the cloud is much faster than a traditional implementation. 

12. Work anywhere, any time

When Covid-19 lockdown measures were put in place, many businesses were forced to work from home and change their way of working almost overnight. As we move out of this lockdown period and businesses review their return-to-work strategies, many companies are considering long-term working from home for all, or part of their week.  

Therefore, having remote access to systems from any device, at any time, is more important than ever. Dynamics 365 (cloud) offers a unified experience across devices and updates information in real-time, so whether your employees are in the office, or at-home, they can access the data they need. 

Get in touch

If you are looking to migrate your current on-premise solution to the cloud, then we would welcome a conversation to discuss how we can help you upgrade your Dynamics technology.  

Alternatively, if you have not got a current solution but are looking to implement Dynamics 365, then please reach out by emailing info@pragmatiq.co.uk, or call us on 01908 038110.  If you’d prefer, please fill out the contact form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.