Cloud Insights

A new paradigm is emerging as forward-thinking businesses consider private cloud hosting a more effective option. Your Sage ERP application plays an essential role in managing core business processes. Still, as technology advances and your business needs evolve, the traditional on-premises deployment creates roadblocks in meeting the demands of your modern organization. For example, remote access barriers, costly server maintenance, and limited scalability are common challenges with on-premises applications. It may feel like you have two options—keep doing what you’re doing or migrate to a cloud-based next generation ERP application—and neither option feels right. A third option is available—one that combines the best of both. It’s Sage virtual private cloud hosting—an innovative approach that ushers in a new era for Sage ERP customers. This approach offers the perfect blend of security, scalability, and flexibility, making it an ideal option for modernizing your organization’s ERP infrastructure while continuing to leverage the value proposition you’ve spent years building. Think of it as the cloud on your terms. What are the distinct advantages of private cloud hosting for Sage ERP users? What will your ERP future look like? How confident are you in your plans for business continuity, cybersecurity protections, and compliance mandates? How do you make the move to a private cloud? We’ll address and answer these questions and more in an upcoming series of articles highlighting Sage in the Cloud. But before we get there, let’s start at the beginning—what is private cloud hosting, what makes it different from public cloud hosting, and what makes it the best option for Sage ERP users? What is private cloud hosting? Private cloud hosting refers to a cloud computing model where dedicated cloud infrastructure is used exclusively by a single organization. In a private cloud environment, the infrastructure, including servers, storage, and networking resources, is designed and managed specifically for your organization’s use. While individual companies can establish and host their own private clouds, small to medium-sized enterprises typically partner with a virtual private cloud service provider to provide the necessary physical and virtual infrastructure. Some private cloud hosts specialize in specific sectors. Cloud at Work, for example, specializes in hosting Sage ERP and companion applications. Many also offer additional, value-added services, such as hosting Microsoft Exchange. How’s it different from public cloud hosting? Virtual private cloud hosting differs from public cloud hosting in several key ways. A virtual private cloud is a cloud environment located within a public cloud. In a private cloud, services and infrastructure are hosted off-site, just like in public cloud hosting. However, with private cloud providers, users receive their own private section within the public cloud that is isolated from other users and managed by the provider. Some private cloud providers specialize in specific industries or niche markets. Cloud at Work, for example, specializes in hosting Sage ERP and complementary applications. The private cloud environment allows for a higher level of security and privacy compared to a public cloud because you are not sharing resources with other users. Also, you get a certain level of control over your network settings, similar to operating your own private data center, but without the hassle of maintaining the infrastructure. On the other hand, public cloud hosting is a service where a provider (think AWS and Google Cloud) makes resources, such as applications, storage, and virtual machines, available to the general public over the internet. These resources are shared among multiple users (also known as multi-tenancy), and you have less control over your data and how it’s stored and secured. In addition, small and medium-sized businesses like yours do not deal directly with a public cloud host. Instead, you’ll work through several layers, including a managed services provider, none of which understands your Sage application. Why should I consider private cloud hosting for Sage ERP? You can unlock many benefits by shifting your Sage ERP system to a private cloud environment, including: Scalability and flexibility: On-premises ERP systems are notorious for their limited scalability, making it challenging for businesses to accommodate growth or sudden surges in demand. Private cloud hosting enables organizations to scale their ERP infrastructure (up and down) effortlessly, ensuring you can adapt to changing business needs without disrupting operations. Enhanced security and data protection: On-premises ERP systems require you to invest heavily in robust security measures and regularly update them to counter evolving cyber threats. By leveraging private cloud hosting, you gain access to dedicated security professionals, cutting-edge encryption protocols, and proactive monitoring, ensuring your critical data remains safe and protected. Improved accessibility and collaboration: With an on-premises ERP system, accessibility to remote employees or business locations is challenging. With private cloud hosting, employees can access your Sage ERP applications and data from anywhere, using a range of devices. Business continuity and disaster recovery: Unforeseen events such as natural disasters, power outages, or hardware failures can severely impact on-premises ERP systems, leading to costly downtime and even data loss. Private cloud hosting ensures data redundancy, backup solutions, and disaster recovery mechanisms, safeguarding your business against disruptions and minimizing downtime. Maintenance and updates: In private cloud hosting, your managed service provider or the hosting provider take responsibility for infrastructure maintenance and updates, reducing the burden on your organization’s IT staff. And importantly—you can control when (and even if) your Sage ERP software is updated. Future-proofing your business For decades, on-premises ERP systems have been the go-to solution for businesses, offering a sense of control and familiarity. However, as technology advances and the demands of the business environment intensify, traditional on-premises ERP systems are revealing their limitations. Virtual private cloud hosting of your Sage ERP application can overcome many of these limitations, allowing you to continue growing and scaling your business while maximizing your software investment. Learn more about Sage Cloud Hosting by contacting a member of our cloud services team.

We are excited to be a Platinum Sponsor of the sold-out Sage Partner Summit 2023, and look forward to greeting all our partners, and future partners in Las Vegas. For those attending please be sure to visit our team at booth #418 for updates on the Cloud at Work partner program and our service offerings. We also invite you to join the Cloud at Work team for an unforgettable evening of fun, networking, and entertainment at Summit After Dark at Top Golf Las Vegas! Co-sponsored by Cloud at Work, along with some of our key strategic partners, this is the perfect opportunity to unwind and connect after a long day of learning and growth at Sage Partner Summit. We hope you can make it! Details and registration info is below. What: Sage Partner Summit After Dark at Top Golf Las Vegas! Date: Monday, May 22 | 8 – 11pm PDT Location: Topgolf | 4627 Koval Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89109 Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/summit-after-dark-tickets-619110725847 This Event is Complimentary. Space is Limited. Food and beverages will be provided at the event.

Sage partnership will accelerate expansion of Cloud at Work’s Canadian customer base; company builds new data center in Toronto to give Canadian customers robust data security, assured application uptime and data compliance. NEW YORK, NY – June 8, 2022 – Cloud at Work (www.thecloudatwork.com ), a purpose-built Sage hosting solution, today announced it has been named by Sage Canada as an approved Strategic Hosting Provider to help Sage Partners migrate Canadian customers to the cloud. Cloud at Work allows Sage customers who are currently using on-premises solutions, including Sage X3, Sage 100, Sage 300, and Sage CRE, to realize the increased performance, efficiencies and financial benefits of SaaS, with the Sage support and SaaS expertise of the Cloud at Work team. A new state-of-the-art data center based in Toronto adds to Cloud at Work’s two data centers based in the U.S., and gives Canadian customers robust data security, assured application uptime, and data compliance for those required to house their data in-country. “Cloud at Work’s new data center will better serve our customers with Canadian data residency needs” -Daniel Oh, Country Manager (interim), Sage Canada.   “Today’s announcement is recognition of Cloud at Work’s hard-won reputation for providing Sage customers across the U.S. with a world-class cloud experience, and Sage’s trust in our ability to deliver the same high level of performance for their customers across Canada,” said Tyler Bower, Director of Cloud and Hosting at Cloud at Work. “Building the data center in Toronto demonstrates our investment in and commitment to our Canadian customers, in meeting the demand for a robust, reliable, compliant hosting environment that unleashes the power of their business.” “Cloud at Work has a proven track record in providing our U.S. customers with reliable, secure, high-performance cloud hosting, which is why our Canadian customers should be delighted with today’s news,” said Daniel Oh, Country Manager (interim), Sage Canada. “With their SaaS knowledge and Sage product expertise, Cloud at Work’s new data center will better serve our customers with Canadian data residency needs. We look forward to the Cloud at Work team continuing to support our Canadian customers and helping them adapt to change, smoothly migrating their Sage applications to the cloud, and giving them the agility needed to succeed in today’s challenging business environment.” Cloud at Work offers secure, scalable technology and a great user experience via an experienced Sage team in North America and works seamlessly with Sage Business Partners to fast-track best-in-class cloud solutions that fit specific needs and improve business processes. Cloud at Work recently received Sage’s accreditation as a Sage X3 Strategic Hosting Provider, adding to previous accreditation as a Sage 100, Sage 300, and Sage CRE Strategic Hosting Provider, validating the strength of the company’s SaaS and Sage application expertise. Cloud at Work’s recent SOC 2 certification assures customers of maximum data security and business continuity, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to client trust and care in helping unleash the power of their business. About Cloud at Work Cloud at Work gives users of Sage applications more capabilities and control to increase business performance using their technology investments. With a knowledgeable, highly responsive team of Sage application experts and advanced cloud hosting solutions personalized to customer strengths, Cloud at Work helps its customers pivot more quickly to capitalize on new business opportunities and resolve issues faster. Businesses using Sage trust Cloud at Work to help them achieve higher levels of business productivity and resiliency that outpace competitors and help them capture more market share. Visit thecloudatwork.com for more information.

Adds to Cloud at Work’s previous accreditation as Sage 100, Sage 300, and Sage CRE Strategic Hosting Provider, validating the strength of the company’s SaaS and Sage application expertise in providing customers with a world-class cloud experience. NEW YORK, NY – May 3, 2022 – Cloud at Work, a purpose-built Sage hosting solution, today announced that it has been accredited by Sage as an approved Sage X3 Strategic Hosting Partner. Cloud at Work allows Sage customers who are currently using on-premises solutions, including Sage X3, Sage 100, Sage 300, and Sage CRE, to realize the increased performance, efficiencies and financial benefits of SaaS, with the Sage support and SaaS expertise of the Cloud at Work team. “Today’s announcement provides further reinforcement of Sage’s trust in Cloud at Work’s ability to support Sage partners and customers in providing a world-class cloud experience for their Sage applications,” said Tyler Bower, Director of Cloud and Hosting at Cloud at Work. “The Sage-Cloud at Work partnership meets the growing demand for flexible, fast and safe migration to a reliable hosting environment, giving organizations the agility they need to compete in today’s rapidly changing business landscape, unleashing the power of their business.” Cloud at Work was previously selected by Sage as an Accredited Cloud Hosting Provider for Sage 100, 300 and CRE applications, based on their Sage application expertise and proven ability to provide Sage customers with a hosted environment that provides optimal flexibility and reliably high-level performance. Cloud at Work’s recent SOC 2 certification assures customers of maximum data security and business continuity, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to client trust and care in helping unleash the power of their business. About Cloud at Work Cloud at Work gives users of Sage applications more capabilities and control to increase business performance using their technology investments. With a knowledgeable, highly responsive team of Sage application experts and advanced cloud hosting solutions personalized to customer strengths, Cloud at Work helps its customers pivot more quickly to capitalize on new business opportunities and resolve issues faster. Businesses using Sage trust Cloud at Work to help them achieve higher levels of business productivity and resiliency that outpace competitors and help them capture more market share. Visit thecloudatwork.com for more information.

By now we’ve all heard of “the great resignation,” and while that certainly creates a challenge for employers, it’s far from the only employment-related challenge facing small and midsized businesses (SMBs). There’s also the fact that baby boomers are retiring and the key positions they held will be filled with a younger generation with decidedly different expectations from their employers. In addition, when employees leave, they often try to take company data with them, creating real security concerns. It’s a brave new workforce world out there, and SMBs who don’t or can’t adapt will be left behind. A changing workforce is Risk #5 in our series highlighting five areas of your operation at risk if you maintain the status quo. How can cloud hosting help SMBs navigate the new employment landscape, turning challenges into opportunities? The Great Resignation is compounded by the Silver Tsunami You’ve no doubt heard the term “The Great Resignation.” The popular phrase refers to the roughly 33 million Americans who have quit their jobs since the spring of 2021. Some of these are older workers who decided to retire early. Others are secondary earners leaving the job market to care for children who were home from school. Likely most of those quitting were simply in search for better pay, perks, and flexibility. Now, adding to the exodus is a “Silver Tsunami” of Baby Boomers leaving the workforce. A recent survey from Coventry showed that over 75% of the respondents said they plan to retire early. The wave of resignations and retirements leaves SMBs with gaps in their workforce. And those gaps are being filled by a younger generation who have vastly different plans for their career paths, and very different expectations from their employers. Gen Z and millennials now comprise nearly half the US workforce, making them a (work)force to be reckoned with. Attracting and retaining this talent requires SMBs to adopt a new mindset. It requires SMBs to digitally transform themselves from Takeoff companies to Destination companies. Are you a Destination or a Takeoff company? Millennials are digital natives — they grew up with technology and the internet. These are the children of Baby Boomers. Fortune magazine calls 1995 (millennials were born between xx and 1996) “The Year Everything Changed.” Internet technology powerhouses like Amazon, eBay, and Match.com got their start in 1995. This may be all you need to know about millennials — they’ve never known a world without Amazon. Technology is completely integrated into the everyday life of millennials. They do not ask for sufficient technology at their jobs — they expect it. To their credit, the expectation doesn’t come from a sense of entitlement — what millennials really want are the tools they need to do their job efficiently. Employers seen as technology laggards simply can’t compete for this segment of the workforce. Offering higher and higher salaries may initially attract them, but they will quickly takeoff. Unless SMBs invest in their technology infrastructures and business management applications, they will forever be Takeoff companies while their competitors who have embraced cloud technologies will be the Destination. Technology laggards are vulnerable to data loss Attracting and retaining new talent is more challenging for technology laggards. If that weren’t enough, these companies are also in a more precarious position regarding data security. When employees leave, they take company data with them. In the last 30 days of employment, upload three-time more data to personal apps. Specifically, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive instances are the most popular targets. The trend has most certainly accelerated as employees work in the relative privacy of their homes. Tech-savvy companies who have invested in robust, cloud-based security controls, can prevent data loss before it starts. Cloud is a recruiting, retention, and engagement tool The workforce is forever changed. Even if a majority of employees ultimately return to the office, the status quo of two years ago no longer flies. Companies must transform themselves into places the next generation of employees want to work. Investing in cloud technologies, including cloud hosting, is a definitive step SMBs can take to recruit, retain, and engage these tech-savvy professionals. By arming this generation with the best tools, your SMB not only becomes an employment destination, but it also becomes a business with the tools necessary to grow, scale, and compete.

Heard of Moore’s Law? It’s a rule stemming from a 1965 forecast by Gordon Moore that predicts the number of transistors on a chip doubles every two years. The rule helped explain the trend we long witnessed, that as technology products get better and faster, their production costs go down. The rule held for decades, and as a result, technology products have generally had a “deflationary effect.” Well, move over Moore and make room for Murphy. Computer prices are bad now, and they’re likely to get worse. Inflation is Risk #4 in our series highlighting five areas of your operation at risk if you maintain the status quo. How can cloud hosting help mitigate the effects of inflation? The “I” word Inflation surged 7.5% in January 2022, the single biggest increase since February 1982. Costs jumped across nearly all categories — including computer equipment, one sector that has historically been untouched by inflation. For decades we saw the prices of computers and consumer electronics trend down — way down. From December 1997 to August 2015, the Consumer Price Index for personal computers and peripheral equipment declined 96%. Low prices were largely fueled by gains in manufacturing efficiency and automation, lower offshore labor costs, and improvements in semiconductor design (remember Moore?). My how things can change. The average selling prices of PC are up 10% compared to a year ago. Chip prices alone are up 25% — if you can get one. And the expectation is that prices may go up by another 20% in 2022. Server prices are following the same trend. AMD, a semiconductor manufacturer specializing in high-performance server equipment, is raising prices on data center processors by 10% to 30%, with smaller customers seeing the largest increases. And backlogs are long and getting longer. Shortages of the components used in server production are expected to last through mid-2023 at least. Seeing that chips are the lifeblood of modern society, many pundits predict that even if inflation rates decline, the days of inexpensive technology is gone. With virtually limitless demand, there’s little incentive to drop pricing even when production rates increase. How cloud can help Moving to a hosted cloud model means a business needs fewer (if any) servers. Sure, they’ll still need workstations and laptops, but the big, expensive, backordered servers are now someone else’s responsibility. It might sound too simplistic to simply say that when you buy less of something, you save money, but for cloud hosting, it’s mostly true. In most cloud hosting models, you no longer need to buy servers. Instead, you’re renting space on a big, powerful server, essentially sharing the cost of the resource with other like-minded businesses. Cloud hosting provides another tangible, cost-saving benefit for growing companies — it’s enormously scalable. If a business outgrows its in-house server, it risks downtime, performance deterioration, and even lost revenue until it can buy, install, and configure a new, more powerful server. If the same business uses a hosted cloud provider, they simply pay for additional the resources they need. No downtime. No waiting. It seems inevitable that technology inflation is a one-way street and costs will continue to rise. A move to cloud hosting can keep business flowing both ways, future-proofing your business by ensuring the technology you rely on is always on, always secure, and always at your service.

Cloud at Work successfully completes SOC 2 Type 2 certification, a rigorous process that audits privacy, confidentiality, security, availability, and processing integrity; validates company’s commitment to client trust and care NEW YORK, NY – March 24, 2022 – Cloud at Work, a purpose-built Sage hosting solution, today announced that it has received SOC 2 Certification, which allows their clients to have complete confidence in the security, integrity and availability of their data, assuring business continuity and improved operational efficiencies. The SOC 2 reporting framework, created by AICPA sets benchmarks for managing user data, and is based on Trust Services Criteria: privacy, confidentiality, security, availability, and processing integrity. Cloud at Work enlisted a third-party accounting firm to conduct a nine-month audit to validate that its platform has the controls in place to achieve SOC 2 certification. Achieving certification on all five Trust Services Criteria further enhances Cloud at Work’s ability to support Sage customers with a world-class cloud experience, from fast, painless deployment to uninterrupted access and reliable performance. “We knew the SOC 2 certification was going to be an intensive, time-consuming process, but it’s a further demonstration of our commitment to providing Sage users with the industry’s most secure, high-performance cloud platform,” said Tyler Bower, Director of Cloud and Hosting at Cloud at Work “Our number one priority is ensuring the security, integrity and availability of our clients’ data. It’s the foundation of our core value proposition: combining a robust cloud infrastructure with unmatched support and expertise that enables our clients to realize the increased performance, efficiencies and financial benefits of SaaS.” About Cloud at Work Cloud at Work gives users of Sage applications more capabilities and control to increase business performance using their technology investments. With a knowledgeable, highly responsive team of Sage application experts and advanced cloud hosting solutions personalized to customer strengths, Cloud at Work helps its customers pivot more quickly to capitalize on new business opportunities and resolve issues faster. Businesses using Sage trust Cloud at Work to help them achieve higher levels of business productivity and resiliency that outpace competitors and help them capture more market share. Visit thecloudatwork.com for more information. @media (max-width: 500px) {.hero-internal-page { background: url('https://www.thecloudatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/bg-aicpa-post-mobile.jpg') no-repeat !important; background-size: cover !important;}}

Deploy Sage applications in the cloud with Sage Partner Cloud | Cloud at Work – with no monthly payments until August 2022. Cloud at Work, an approved Sage Hosting Provider is offering generous incentives to migrate Sage applications to the cloud now. You can now get up to 3 months of free cloud hosting* when you sign up for Sage hosting with Cloud at Work by April 29, 2022. You will receive immediate access to the hosting environment with no monthly payments until August 2022. This offer is available for all Sage applications: Sage 100, Sage 300, Sage 500, Sage X3, Sage HRMS, Sage FAS etc. Get started today, for free, with Cloud at Work’s efficient, cost-effective, and scalable cloud deployment. Contact us directly to learn more about the Sage cloud hosting promotion and pricing options, or inquire with your Sage Business Partner. *Offer expires April 29, 2022. Qualifying businesses must establish a new 2 yr minimum Cloud at Work subscription.

We’re working our way through the series, The Cloud Wave: An SMB Imperative, where we’ve highlighted five areas of your operation at risk if you maintain the status quo. We encourage you to check out the first and second posts in the series. The third risk in maintaining the status quo surrounds cybersecurity, and it could be the most pressing single risk yet. For most small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), their security is, well, insecure. The risk of inaction is real, and potentially devastating. The good news is, it’s a risk they can mitigate. Why is cybersecurity a heightened risk for SMBs — and how can cloud hosting minimize the risk? Size doesn’t matter Some small and midsized companies have a false sense of security that they won’t be the target of a ransomware attack because they are smaller. In reality, perpetrators love to attack small businesses — they comprise between one-half and three-quarters of the ransomware victims.  A 2020 SMB cybersecurity report from Connectwise found that 55% of SMBs have experienced a cyberattack. SMBs who fail to take the risk seriously, and take proactive action to secure their technology infrastructure, are risking everything. Some 60% of small businesses that experience a cyberattack are closed within six months. The onslaught is real There’s a new ransomware attack every eight minutes. More than 30,000 websites are attacked each day. And it’s not just the frequency that’s increasing. The attacks are becoming more sophisticated too. For example, the US Treasury Department identified 68 separate ransomware variants in 2021. The list of scary metrics surrounding cybersecurity goes on and staying out in front on this security minefield requires more resources than most SMBs have internally. Cybersecurity insurance coverage is hard to get Cybersecurity insurance offers a measure of protection for SBMs, but it’s getting harder to buy. High demand in combination with high payouts leads to increased premiums. Businesses report premium hikes of 50% and even 100% year over year. Naturally, insurance companies want to mitigate risks by recommending — or even mandating — that their insured take the proper precautions to protect against loss. The newest and most significant of those mandates is the requirement for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Other requirements may include a current and tested incident response plan, an updated patch management program, air-gapped and encrypted backups, and employee awareness and phishing simulations, among others — all making it difficult for SMBs to secure and retain coverage. The security army is shy on soldiers The challenging employment climate, including the Great Resignation, has hit the IT industry particularly hard. Some reports have suggested a third of tech workers plan to quit in the next 12 months — others claim as many as three-quarters. On average, cybersecurity roles take 21% longer to fill than other IT jobs. Combine that with a significant uptick in demand for IT workers. It all adds up to an unprecedented zero-percent unemployment rate! There are simply not enough qualified workers to provide SMBs the protection they need. A 2021 Cybersecurity Workforce Study suggests the global cybersecurity workforce would need to grow 65% to effectively defend organizations’ critical assets. Remote work compounds the risk Companies are worried about the security habits of their remote workforce – and rightly so. More than a third of remote workers admitted to picking up bad cybersecurity practices and using security workarounds while working at home. These practices expose SMBs to additional security risks, such as email phishing schemes, which have accelerated during the pandemic. Other risks associated with remote work are remote desktop protocol (RDP) breaches. During Q1 of 2021, RDP breaches were responsible for the most ransomware attacks — despite reliable tools for securing RDP access. Cloud – a safe port in the storm More sophisticated and more frequent attacks combined with new mandates, fewer qualified IT personnel, and lax security practices create the perfect storm for SMBs. In our experience, SMBs have a very clear awareness of their security risks, but many lack the necessary internal resources to fully combat those risks. Even organizations with robust in-house IT departments are pressed to have the necessary resources to remain out in front of the essential security tasks and protocols. Cloud Services Provider (CSPs) like Cloud at Work host your business applications in state-of-the-art data centers where redundancy, security, and availability are maintained at the highest level. Our data centers, for example, are geo diverse, provide 24/7 support and monitoring, perform hourly snapshots and daily backups (stored on separate networks), and offer disaster recovery time guarantees. Moving business applications to a hosted cloud model can help mitigate risk. Cloud computing is one of the best things to happen for SMBs — a safe port in the storm.