• ACCESSIBILITY: The cloud allows the information to be accessible 24 hours a day, from any location and device. It may be the case that someone in the company (a commercial agent, a technician…) is travelling and needs to check information about a competitor, customer or supplier; in these cases, access to such information is immediate. Moreover, this also allows solutions adapted to different devices (PC, Mobile, and Tablet).
• SECURITY: Sometimes we tend to think that the information is always safer into our own servers. Nowadays, cloud solutions have advanced so that the data are protected by different mechanisms and safety levels that guarantee the complete robustness of the system.
• UPDATES: The fact that software is in the cloud allows the provider to continuously update the tool with new functionalities and features. These updates can be performed quickly and without the user appreciates system crashes or load time increases.
• SUPPORT: When solving an error or modifying components to fit customer’s needs, having the tool in the cloud provides quick access to the various modules and plugins.
• COSTS: Having a tool in the cloud means big savings in terms of server costs and programming time, since it is the provider who manages these issues. The customer forgets architecture, data flow or database problems; he just has to log into the system and enjoy the software.
• SIMPLICITY: Offering in-cloud software prevents the client form installation and configuration process; usually, provider has experienced technicians that can implement the system in a short time.

As can be seen, there are few reasons to argue that in-cloud software is the best choice to support the Competitive Intelligence activity. If you still have questions, or want an explanation of any of these issues, you can contact us.