Microsoft Dynamics:

in the Cloud or
On-premise?
The Magnificent Seven: Helping you make the right choice
Introduction
There are many choices to make if youre thinking
about changing the delivery method for your
Microsoft Dynamics AX; move to the Cloud or stay
On-premise?
The fundamental difference between these options
is simple: Cloud ERP is provided as a service, with
your software, databases and associated data
delivered through an internet connection from the
Cloud. On-premise ERP solutions are installed on
your company systems and, most often, managed by
your IT department.
So how do you choose between Cloud and On-
premise? What is the best fit for your organisation?
Summary
This document aims to help you by explaining the
most important aspects of making the decision
between Cloud and On-premise.
SaaSplaza has identified seven critical factors for
businesses to consider when it comes to making the
choice. These are:
1. Uptime
2. Cost
3. Scalability / Flexibility
4. Accessibility
5. Updates / Upgrades
6. Time to productivity
7. Security
Please note; this list is not in any order of priority!
Its important to say here that each business has
unique requirements, so the actual drivers for
choosing Cloud will be a combination of all, or some,
of these different factors.
We discuss each of the seven more broadly below.
1. UPTIME
ERP is a mission critical business application that
should be Always On. Does your IT Team give you
a guaranteed minimum level of system availability
for your on-premise applications, across all of your
offices?
SaaSplaza has an SLA that guarantees
a minimum of 99.9% uptime to the
application level. When we say at
the application level, what do we
mean? To us, uptime is critical,
because it means the availability of
the applications your people need to be productive.
It doesnt just mean that the servers the
infrastructure that your applications sit on are
working correctly. It means your people can do their
jobs on the business systems you provide for them.
Server level uptime does not guarantee that your
system is available, only that the server is functioning
correctly.
That is a significant difference in service level and
SaaSplaza financially guarantee this uptime promise.
2. COST
On-premise implementations often require large
upfront capital expenditure to purchase the software
licenses and to upgrade system hardware. In many
cases, your IT team will need significant time and
resources to deploy the system, and to keep it up
and running.
There may also be increased cost in hiring and
training for your IT team so they can manage the
current system and cope with future changes.
The costs of Cloud AX with SaaSplaza are typically
much lower because:
The Cloud has distinct economies of scale, which
create cost advantages at optimum quality levels
These cost advantages are passed directly to
customers, ensuring low, predictable pricing
Cloud systems have longer life spans compared
to on-premise
Cloud systems are more easily maintained,
updated and integrated with other systems;
ensuring productivity increases - not decreases -
as systems mature
SaaSplaza offers predictable, regular monthly fees
that comprise:
Deployment, management and maintenance to
ensure your system is operating at optimal levels
Maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and
availability of your data
A faster time to productivity for your system and
customisations that run smoothly
By working with us, you free existing IT resources to
apply their time to innovation and to improve how
the business operates not on maintenance! Cloud,
after any initial project or implementation costs, can
be treated as a predictable operational expense.
Cloud implementations have a
longer lifespan than on-premise
because hardware does not
become obsolete or incapable of
operating the software. Software is
also easier to update and manage
in the Cloud.
Licensing costs are also increasingly moving to a
subscription licensing model where you can control
your actual user numbers quickly and pay for them
on a monthly basis, rather than a large upfront
licensing purchase.
Of course, for smaller businesses who do not have
full-time IT resources the Cloud is a no brainer. In
most cases, Cloud will be cheaper overall - and Cloud
offers you greater ability to drive better results your
company.
3. SCALABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY
With an On-premise installation, scaling users often
means investing in additional hardware. Cloud is
far more flexible and capable of scaling up - and
down - to your requirements. For example, if you
have increased seasonal demands,
reporting requirements, you
acquire companies, open or
amalgamate branch offices, change
your business structure or need
part-time workers.
On Public Cloud infrastructure, such as Microsoft
Azure, you also need a Cloud Services Provider such
as SaaSplaza, who can manage your consumption
costs by scaling your resources down when their use
is not required.
Also, when you need more performance, for
example in your accounting department at month
end, Cloud can ensure additional resources to handle
the increased demand are available for as long as it
is needed.
4. ACCESSIBILITY
By default, Cloud means data anywhere, anytime,
so if you want to provide better access, flexibility,
productivity and mobility for your staff, across all
devices, then Cloud is for you.
5. UPDATES AND UPGRADES
Microsoft Dynamics AX is regularly updated or
upgraded. If youre on recent versions of Dynamics
Cloud solutions, then product rollups and new
releases can be seamlessly installed without
interruption. So youre always on the latest version
of your ERP system if thats what your organisation
requires.
6. TIME TO PRODUCTIVITY
Cloud ERP, depending on the level and complexity
of customisations, can be on and working for your
people in a shorter time than most on-premise
ERP installations, particularly for branch offices or
geographically spread organisations.
7. SECURITY
For many organisations considering a move to the
Cloud, security is a prime concern. We talk a lot
about security, and rightly so. Confidentiality. Privacy.
Data integrity and availability. Trust.
Security is a pretty big word. For all
the hype about whether or not the
Cloud is secure, the fact is that the
Cloud is at least as secure as most
on-premise solutions and in most
cases, more secure.
We look at Security on four fronts:
I. Cloud security through compliance processes
Why is the Cloud a safe choice? Part of it is due
to regulatory systems set up to ensure safety and
security, such as the SSAE-16 Type II and ISAE-3402
Type II certifications that SaaSplaza hold. Every year,
SaaSplaza is independently audited by PWC for these
certifications, and data security is a primary criterion
for these audits.
SaaSplaza completes both certifications because
SSAE16 is an attestation standard while ISAE 3402
is an assurance standard. While the standards are
technically different, they both require SaaSplaza to
provide full disclosure of systems and processes, plus
comprehensive written documentation.
II. Cloud security through redundancy
Another reason security for Cloud solutions beats
on-premise solutions is simply that a significant
benefit of Cloud platforms is data recovery and
redundancy. Put your data in the Cloud, and it is
backed up and stored securely, often in several
places. However, if something happens to the
premise in on-premise, your data may no longer be
secure or available at all.
III. Cloud security through SaaSplaza
At SaaSplaza, we take more measures than any other
Dynamics Cloud AX provider to protect customer
data and privacy. We know that security is more than
a feature or benefit.
At SaaSplaza, security is a mindset,
and it starts with our people. We
carefully review each employee
before hiring. We also have a full-
time Security Officer, who chairs a
global Security Council.
Our Security Council reviews policies, software,
infrastructure and resources regularly, to ensure
best practise security compliance and our continued
certifications.
IV. ISAE/SSAE auditing is our choice, but security is
a job for ALL
These audits are done annually, proactively, and at
SaaSplazas expense. Why would a company submit
itself to such rigorous investigation? The answer
is easy: for our customers. We know that a prime
concern many have regarding the Cloud is security.
With these audits, we are taking the necessary step
to prove that SaaSplaza and the services we provide
treat security as an essential issue.
However, security is not 100% in our hands - its
in your hands, too. For example, keeping antivirus
and malware definitions up-to-date, making proper
staffing choices, ensuring passwords are often
changed and maintaining current and correct
permissions is entirely up to you.
We can ensure the security and availability of the
Cloud, but effective internal security processes are
essential to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and
availability of your data. These processes are your
responsibility.
When it comes to security, were always happy to
provide recommendations and assistance. We can
help you form policies and procedures that work
best for your business, and we can make your own
security an easier undertaking.
Ready for Cloud AX?

Learn more and request more information at

saasplaza.com/cloud-ax-for-business

Were always available for a no obligation

confidential discussion to understand your AX
requirements, to provide you with detailed
information on moving to Cloud AX.
Contact Us today!

About SaaSplaza

SaaSplaza - World Leading Cloud Services for

Microsoft Dynamics since 2008.

Dynamics Cloud solutions are the only thing we do.

Because of this focus SaaSplaza is the worlds leading
Cloud Dynamics provider. Today we work with more
200 Dynamics partners around the globe, powering
more than 1500 Microsoft Dynamics applications
worldwide. Our commitment to Dynamics earned
membership to the Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle
in 2014 and 2015, putting us amongst the top 1%
of the most successful Microsoft Dynamics partners
globally.

SaaSplaza delivers services globally on Microsoft

Azure and from our private cloud platforms in
Europe, the USA & Canada, and the Asia-Pacific
region.

We support our partners and their customers from

offices in Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Amsterdam,
Munich and San Diego, with a global 24/7 Follow
The Sun support model.

Our extensive Microsoft Dynamics engineering and
support capability means we can deliver the Cloud
solutions that exactly meet your needs. We also
continually invest in innovation, to improve service
levels and to optimise the delivery of Dynamics
applications.
Contact us for more information:
Europe, Middle East & Africa: +31 20 5478060
United States & Canada: +1 858 385 8900
Asia & China: +65 6222 6591
Australia & NZ: +612 8310 5568

SaaSplaza also provides several other Microsoft www.saasplaza.com

Cloud managed services for business. These include
Microsoft Azure and Office 365 Subscription
Services, and Microsoft Dynamics Subscription
Licensing, as part of the Microsoft Cloud Systems
Provider (CSP) program.