The old school of thought believed that the best way for real estate owners and operators to manage their IT costs was with an on-premise IT systems. However, a new generation of cloud providers point out the up-front savings and the benefits they deliver in terms of speed, scalability and agility.

Computer Economics, provider of financial metrics for IT management, recently conducted a study of these opposing views. Their results indicated that the cloud solution was the winner in cost reduction. After comparing spending levels of cloud users versus on-premises IT systems, Computer Economics’ research determined that on average “cloud users spend 21% less on IT as a percentage of revenue and 16% less on IT on a per-user basis.” Additionally, organizations that have gone to the cloud invested those savings in innovation, resulting in many strategic benefits.

Granted the participants in the Computer Economics study were big companies (at least $40 million in annual revenue), but the scalable benefits of the cloud translate into good news for smaller players, too.

Here are some that real estate companies can tap into.

Savings Aren’t Limited to Data Center Spending

Cloud users in the study obviously spent less on data centers, but they also cut the costs of IT personnel as well (from 42.3 percent of IT budget to 30.9 percent). As one IT executive told Computer Economics: “Better to have them closer to the customer, so that they can focus on delivering business value where it counts.”

Fewer Customizations, Lower Costs

To make even minor modifications, on-site systems need costly tech support. Cloud systems, on the other hand, need much less customization because of their built-in flexibility.

Cloud Users Have More to Invest in Innovation

On average, the on-premise IT companies in the Computer Economics study spent 80 percent of their IT budget on ongoing tech support, and 20 percent on new initiatives. Compare that to the 69 percent cloud users spent on support – leaving 31 percent of their budget available for innovation. This is a benefit particularly important to real estate companies looking to grow in today’s dynamic market.

It’s Not Just About Costs

In addition to cost savings, moving to the cloud helped the companies in this study in the following ways:

•  Speed of implementation – The Cloud means no more installing hardware or software, so it allows businesses to move as fast as they need to compete effectively.
• Scalability – Cloud software handles increases in bandwidth with ease. IT department limitations will not hinder a company’s potential for rapid growth.
• Ease of Upgrades – Upgrades are handled without any effort on the customer side. Bottom line: no disruptions to operations as improved versions of software kick in.
• Agility – If a business has an eye on opening new offices, the cloud can make things a lot easier. Simply put, they can skip the step of having to develop IT infrastructure in multiple locations.

Step Up to the Cloud Now

The Computer Economics’ study offers potent evidence of both cost savings and strategic benefits in using cloud systems. “The total cost of running an IT organization that is largely in the cloud is significantly less than one that relies on its own IT infrastructure,” the research concluded.

If you organization is not on the cloud yet, consider engaging the services of an IT partner that specializes in cloud-based real estate lease management and accounting, like Integrated Business Systems (IBS), available through CompuTec Integrated Solutions. They can help determine whether the cloud is the right direction for your organization.   To get a full list of the recommended next steps and more details on the cloud versus traditional on-premises systems, contact CompuTec Integrated Solutions today.

About CompuTec Integrated Solutions and IBS

Integrated Business Solutions (IBS) provides property management software centered on helping clients keep their systems current and create competitive advantage. In 2015 IBS partnered with Acumatica, a leading provider of cloud-based enterprise resource planning software. This strategic affiliation enables IBS to offer Acumatica’s financial management system to businesses across a range of industries. CompuTec Integrated Solutions is an IBM Business Partner and ERP Vendor with over 21 years of experience.  Focusing on solutions for manufactures and distributors,  CompuTec Integrated Solutions offers the best-in-breed of ERP solutions to their customers.