As you know, Freeman Software has been providing and supporting Personal Computer and Network-based software solutions for a number of years. Our Customers have the choice of running their software locally or 'in the cloud'. There are both pros and cons to having software running locally, on your own computer(s). The main benefit my customers have indicated is that 'they own the system' and 'have total control over it'. However, this is also the downside! We use Microsoft's SQL Server as our database, one of the most commonly used databases in the world. Despite its popularity, finding personnel who can install or support this on your new hardware is very difficult, especially in the regions. When you include hardware and network support, the problem compounds. So, over the past few years we have made the move to 'cloud' computing. The term "cloud computing" refers to a variety of Internet-based computing services. The difference between cloud-based and traditional software is that when you access the cloud, your desktop or laptop isn't the thing doing the actual computing. The computing happens in a large data centre outside your organization, and you simply see the results of it on your own screen. Freeman Software uses Google App Engine™ and Google Data Store™ for our could services. Most cloud computing services are accessed through a web browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or (our preference) Google Chrome. You can also use certain cloud services via a dedicated mobile app or through a browser on a Smartphone or tablet. Therefore, cloud services don't require users to have sophisticated computers that can run specialized software. The primary benefits of cloud computing are: * Reduced costs. Cloud computing reduces both your software and hardware costs. All you need is a computer with an internet connection. You only pay for what you use, usually through a monthly fee for each of your users. * Remote access. Employees can access your software and your data from wherever they are, as long as they have an internet connection. You are no longer bound to your office and your computer, you can enter that stock-take at home, while it's quiet. * Scalability. You can scale your business' storage needs seamlessly, Freeman Software and Google manage this automatically for you. * Disaster Relief. With your data safely stored in Google's DataStore™ instead of the server sitting in your office, you can quickly get back to work after any business or infrastructure outage. * Ease of Implementation. Whether we use an existing application or write you a new one, Freeman Software will provide you with a link (url) that you can use as soon as you have a Google Account. * Automatic updates. When we add a feature or simplify a function it is made available to all our users at once. Freeman Software manages the update in the cloud, usually over-night. * Skilled Vendors. Freeman Software has many years' experience developing and implementing software solutions. Google's staff has many years' experience managing large and complex data sets. You just need an internet connection. Of course, whether you require PC, Network or Cloud-based software, Freeman Software continue to provide custom software solutions. Providing software to suit your business on time and on budget.