Concern # 4 – Software Issues
There are a variety of software-related issues that must be considered in the evolving Cloud model:
Version update problems. What will happen when new versions of the software program are released? Has anyone had experience migrating hundreds of different customers, and their data, to new versions? Although this is not impossible, not many Cloud vendors have done it yet, and as a result it is a legitimate concern. However In my experience salesforce.com does manage this well, you need to make sure you choose carefully. Amelioration Strategy: Exercise control by having ownership of the server or partition if possible.
Inability to customize. If the user organization has contracted for vanilla services from the Cloud, then it will be either impossible or very costly to make any type of modification or customization in the software outside of strictly pre-defined ranges of change. Each of these ranges for change needs to be negotiated in advance, because each will involve pricing; yet, it is impossible for any user fully to anticipate all of the changes that are going to be required. As a result, for some users the inability to customize the software being used might present a series of unanticipated business problems. Amelioration Strategy: Make this an advantage by minimizing customization.
To be continued…
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