Why High 5 Software chose Microsoft Azure for its Cloud based Field Service Software
High 5 Software is moving rapidly into mobile and cloud solutions due in part to industry trends, but mostly to please customers. SME Tech Portal is an example solution that leverages the best of cloud and mobile technologies to allow technicians in the field be able to see and manage work orders assigned to them. From their laptops or mobile devices technicians can add/edit notes, add timesheet entries, add/remove parts, add expenses, and obtain customer signature. This is a big compliment to our Service Management Enterprise software and we have the Azure team to thank.
We evaluated a number of different cloud solutions to achieve this goal and ended up selecting Microsoft Azure. This was far from an obvious choice at first, but we now believe it’s a great decision. This blog highlights the decision and our path before “seeing the light” of the benefits of Azure. You see, many of the other cloud solutions are evolutionary and not too much different from a server in your office, but just “in the cloud”. Azure on the other hand is revolutionary and I must admit I thought it was stupid at first.
We first started working with GoGrid and Amazon EC2 cloud solutions. We were very familiar with these kind of “server in the cloud” solutions. If you know how to manage a Microsoft server, then you will immediately know how to run a cloud solution like GoGrid and Amazon. Sounds great, right? You can still leverage your existing IT staff or knowledge directly into the cloud….
What we discovered when we first started working with Azure was there really is no server to manage. What? Microsoft has tremendous server capabilities and I can’t manage it? What the heck! I thought this was the dumbest thing Microsoft had ever done. However, with the help of Microsoft Azure experts, I learned that Azure is different and you can totally ELIMINATE your Information Technology (IT) resources! So, we pressed on. We finally got it to work and at the same time I had an epiphany that Azure is revolutionary in it’s approach. With Azure you go directly from development to deployment; the IT work is completely eliminated. With Azure, IT is now taken care of by Microsoft Azure including server management, patching, etc. We can now reallocate resources normally dealing with IT and server issues on more important tasks that directly benefit our customers.
So, now we are running our solutions on Azure and have more time to service and support our customers rather than dealing with IT and server issues. Thanks Microsoft Azure team, for your help to see the benefits and congratulations on developing a revolutionary solution that leapfrogs other cloud solutions.
See our Press Release on Azure here: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8554271.htm
