Cloud services are starting to be looked at seriously by many companies and have much to offer to SMEs. Here are some services your business may already be using or maybe useful tools for your employees:
UK company Sage and the US’s NetSuite both offer Cloud-based applications for managing company accounts and payroll, and in the case of Netsuite, supporting business processes like e-commerce and customer management as well. Both systems work in real-time, and can be accessed from anywhere, so you can share the books with your accountant without needing to print anything out. The fact that they’re cloud-based means there is no sophisticated software to install or manage, and there is plenty of online help available if you need it. Pricing depends on the modules chosen, but starts from £5 per user per month with Sage One Cashbook. www.netsuite.co.uk / www.sage.co.uk
Set aside your misgivings about Internet telephony. Skype allows you to chat, and make crystal clear video calls calls, regardless of whether you are calling across the globe or around the corner. It supports video calls too, so you can hold virtual 'conferences' with your teams, wherever they are. A particularly useful feature is online numbers, which callers can use to reach you via a conventional landline phone line. Voicemail, call transfer, and online account management, are all available, so you can track employees' usage. www.skype.com
DropBox is a simple cloud-based widget which ensures you can get to your most valuable files - from anywhere. The DropBox widget sits on your PC, and saves any files you put there into the cloud. It will then automatically synchronise itself with any other device where you have installed the widget – be it another computer, a tablet or a smartphone - at home, at the in-laws, or even at 70 mph down the M5. You can store up to 2gb (about 30 substantial files) for nothing, after that, it costs $9 (£6.20) per month for 50 gb, and $20 (£12.40) for 100gb - more than enough for most businesses, and certainly a lot more convenient than lugging around your own laptop. www.dropbox.com
Salesforce.com is used by small businesses and large corporations across the world to manage sales and customer service. It offers smartphone and tablet apps aimed at ‘road warrior’ sales staff, helps you respond to customer enquiries made via social media, and even allows you to set up a secure, ‘facebook-style’ private social media page for your business. You can sign up online and get started in less than a minute – and pricing starts from a few pounds per user per month for simple applications, up to £170 for its full customer relationship management suite. www.salesforce.com
Windows Live Writer is a small, free widget which makes it easy to write, add photos and video to it and publish professional-looking posts and newsletter updates to almost any blogging platform. For businesses whose website is a blog, it offers the ability to content-manage it from almost anywhere. Windows Live Writer
Evernote is a free-download app which allows you to create to do lists and notebooks and share them with your other devices, or with colleagues, via the Cloud. These could contain sketches, photos, videos, dictations, or just simple typed text. Since it runs in the cloud, no server software is needed, and it enables you to share notebooks with colleagues, to help with project management and brainstorming across spread-out, virtual teams. Cost: free for basic version, premium version (unlimited file storage, ad-free) costs $45 (£28) per year. www.evernote.com
Office 365 is a cloud version of Microsoft’s productivity suite, comprising word processor, excel, PowerPoint and email. You don't need any servers or special software as everything is hosted by Microsoft, and instead of paying for fixed office licenses, you pay on a per seat, per month basis, starting from £4 per month. Microsoft 365
ge.tt lets you share audio, video, pictures and text in real time via the web. You just select the files you want to send, such as a presentation or product literature, send a web link to your recipient, and in the time it takes for the email to arrive the files will be there waiting for them. There is no software to download and there is no waiting while files upload to the cloud - the service is instantaneous. Ge.tt is free if you only want files to be available for 30 days - there is a fee if you want to keep them for longer. http://ge.tt/
Wunderlist is a free app which lets you build task lists which you can add to and tick off from your PC, smartphone or tablet. You can delegate tasks to colleagues via email or social media, and can set deadlines and reminders to ensure jobs get done on time. www.6wunderkinder.com
LogMeIn enables you to control your computer remotely – from another PC, smartphone or tablet. So, if you need to check that vital document which got left on your office desktop, or have to open the book-keeping system from home, LogMeIn can make it happen, with total security. LogMeIn offers a basic package for free, with its premium package costing £41.95 per year. secure.logmein.com/products/free/