Why smart companies are in the cloud

Cloud computing continues to take the world by storm, helping smart companies to solve business headaches, enhance communication drive innovation and deliver better customer service, says Yardi’s Terry Gowan.

Yardi has recently been named in the Forbes Cloud 100 for the second year in a row, moving up the ranks to number 26 in the definitive list of the world’s top 100 private cloud companies.

Alongside Yardi are internet leaders like online payments company Stripe, sharing company Dropbox and e-signature and digital transactions company DocuSign.

Forbes’ list editor Alex Konrad says the Cloud 100 “reflects the hottest companies in tech’s hottest sector, the cloud”.

And the cloud is big business. Amazon Web services, the world’s largest provider of cloud computing, is on track to rake in more than US$14 billion this year, while Microsoft is forecasting $15.2 billion.

McKinsey has forecast that cloud computing, and its related trends such as big data, mobilisation and the Internet of Things (IoT), could have a collective economic impact of as much as US$20 trillion by 2025.

Cloud computing is changing the way that companies operate, says Yardi Australia’s regional director, Terry Gowan.

“Cloud-based software is helping companies to streamline their processes, reduce the complexity of their reporting, gain greater visibility, enhance collaboration and ultimately reduce costs,” he says.

Gowan points to the eight billion mobile phone subscriptions – more than one for every person on the planet – which have transformed the way the world conducts business.

“The popularity of smart phones and tablets has disrupted the business world, as people move away from their desks and are able to access the cloud from just about anywhere. This flexibility is driving cloud computing.

“In a people-based industry like property, where most people are on the go, being able to use your phone rather than having to head back to your desk can save a tremendous amount of time, which ultimately delivers bottom-line savings.”

With access to real-time data available 24/7, the cloud enhances communication and breaks down barriers between teams, and can offer a smoother customer experience.

“The cloud removes some of those sticking points that create problems in an organisation or in a relationship between a building owner and a tenant, for example.”

As more people gain confidence using social tools to chat and micro blog, we can expect more people to move towards cloud offerings over traditional tools like email, Gowan adds.

“Increasingly, the cloud is playing a central role in the way smart companies manage their business data,” Gowan concludes.

Yardi, with more than 30 offices and 5,000 employees worldwide, designs, develops and supports real estate investment management and property management software. For more information about Yardi, visit www.yardi.com.au