FloristWare & The Cloud

What is the cloud really? Where is it? What does it look like?
The cloud sounds prettier than it really is - your data still ends up being stored on hard drives. The difference is that are better "enterprise" grade hard drives located in secure data centres. And, in most cases, your data is probably mirrored across multiple drives in multiple data centers for added security.

If you have ever been in a data center (generally hot, noisy and not very pleasant) you are likely to roll your eyes at the idea they have anything in common with clouds. 


Why is the cloud slower?
Because nothing is stored locally and all data has to get to and from the cloud over the internet (also called WAN for "wide area network"). That is always slower than just accessing your hard drive or moving information around the LAN ("local area network") in your shop.

If you are only running one station with local data storage it only needs to access the hard drive to get information - this is as fast as it gets. If you are running more than one station the information has to travel over your LAN - a little slower but still very good. It's like a superhighway travelling very short distances with very little traffic.

Once you go out onto the internet everything changes. You have to go much farther and encounter more stops or "hops" along the way, each one slowing things down. And (we're switching analogies here) you are dealing with a much narrower pipe that can handle less information at a time.


How important is the reliability and speed of my internet connection?
If you want to go heavy on the cloud the speed and reliability of your internet connection is absolutely critical. Without an extremely fast internet connection you can't do anything well - you and your customers will always be waiting for the system to catch up. And without a working connection you are dead in the water - you just can't do anything. Not being able to access youtube or email is inconvenient, not being able to access your POS is catastrophic.

If however you take a hybrid approach where you just use the cloud for backups your connection becomes much less important. You don't need connectivity to use your system, just to store the backup - something you normally do just once a day and it's not the end of the world if you miss one. And, since these backups are typically done once you have closed for the day the speed doesn't matter that much either - the backup is taking place while you are driving home for the night.


Why is the cloud better for backups?
The computers found in retail flower shops (and the data stored on them) are very vulnerable. LIke all computers they are susceptible to viruses and malware as well as mechanical failure. They can also be stolen or destroyed by fire, water, etc.

The cloud uses enterprise grade equipment (reducing the risk of mechanical failure) stored in secure data centres (reducing the risk of damage from fire and other elements). In addition cloud data is often mirrored across multiple drives in different data centres so there is no single point of failure.

The cloud is not the answer to everything but it is very good for safely and securely storing backups.

 

Why is the cloud always presented as the ideal solution for every situation?
Good question! It's a new technology and there is money to be made selling related services (and information about them). And it's an easier sell if it's kept simple as in "the cloud is always best for everything" instead of a more nuanced discussion of what is better in particular situations.

 

Why are so many POS systems cloud-only?
The reality is that most cloud based POS systems are cloud based by necessity. They were designed this way because it was easier and/or cheaper for the vendor and not because it was the right direction for the client. 

For the most part these systems are essentially websites pretending to be extremely basic POS systems and the vendors try and spin that negative into a positive by summoning the aura of "the cloud". It's a little like drop-shippers claiming their flowers are better because they were picked the day before.

 

Can I be assured of access to my data if it's in the cloud?
With a cloud only system you will never have the data in your custody - you will always have to access it through the cloud and with the blessing of your vendor.

This means you are putting a lot of faith in your vendor and their servers. Remember - their volumes goes way up during flower holidays like Valentine's too and, if their servers are going to fail, they will probably fail under that extra load (which is the worst possible time for you).

And you can't assume they will always allow you access to your data. If your vendor goes out of business, decides to cut you off in a billing dispute or suffers a system failure everything you have in your POS could be gone. Everything.

 

If my data is in the cloud, does anyone else have access to it?
You can be assured that someone else does have access to your data. How sure are you about what they might do with it? Could they be "mining" it for their own marketing purposes? If they are in the business of order-gathering it's a possibility. If there is a billing dispute could they sell your data to your competitors to recover what they believe they are owed?