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The Eproductive suite of applications is delivered to clients via the internet to a variety of computing devices, including PC’s and small internet devices like handheld PDA’s & smart phones. This is possible because the data storage and processing is handled by the Eproductive Cloud.
Cloud Computing is the term now used to describe the approach Eproductive takes to delivering applications to clients. The company has been using this approach since 2000, long before the term Cloud Computing came into usage. The key characteristic of Cloud Computing is that clients do not have to provide any physical infrastructure to host the service. All that is required from the client’s perspective is internet connectivity and a device to access the service. Eproductive provides this infrastructure through its own Cloud which is made up of several components: load balanced web-servers, database servers and a storage area network (SAN) which stores the Cloud’s data. All of this is connected and protected by various routers, switches and backup systems and managed by a team of technical staff together with a dedicated help-desk. The Cloud is physically located at Opal Solutions, a subsidiary of Carphone Warehouse Group plc. The database server software is provided by the leading embedded database vendor Sybase. Hardware can be added without interruption to service and software upgrades made seamlessly as required, without any demands being placed on clients using the Cloud service.
Infrastructure, management, running costs, disaster recovery, support and maintenance are all included as part of the ongoing service.
With Cloud Computing in place, clients no longer need to:
Because all reports are internet deployed they can be accessed by clients’ personnel at a time and place to suit them.
The Eproductive Cloud does it all.