Thursday, January 5, 2017
Do you need a solution that quickly and securely implements any Microsoft Dynamics NAV, with any customizations, on Microsoft Azure while minimizing your risk and your investment? One year ago, Stig Langset, Sales Director of CGI Norway, one of the largest NAV Partners in the Nordics, was faced with this precise problem when this company undertook their first highly customized Dynamics NAV on Microsoft Azure solution (“PowerCloud”) implementation for The Network Alliance.
In this blog post, we will share 5 key benefits that CGI Norway have embraced while using 1ClickFactory Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure to deliver outstanding value for its customer.
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Solution Reachable Through All Platforms and Devices
Having the solution on Azure makes it much easier for different users operating from various locations to access the Dynamics database through a browser without having to install customized applications on different devices. This definitely transforms business collaboration, increases productivity and enables business owners to make more informed decisions while on the move.
The Network Alliance required a cloud-based solution from CGI Norway that would suit their modern ERP users, with a hardware requirement described simply as: “if you have the internet and a browser, you are good to go”.
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Simple and Quick to Implement
Partners using 1ClickFactory Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure can be up and running in 2 hours, instead of weeks, and enable instant access to the solution either using windows or web-client on any device, as the need to scope, purchase, deploy and test infrastructure is removed.
CGI Norway was already quite challenged by the Network Alliance project starting with new business models, new technologies and new delivery model. Thus, they researched ways to implement Microsoft Dynamics NAV quickly and securely. As 1ClickFactory automated Dynamics NAV on Azure deployments, CGI Norway could self-provision their “PowerCloud” solution on Azure in less than two hours – from “flattening the ground” to reserving a dedicated space on Microsoft Azure –connecting their Dynamics NAV solution on Microsoft Azure.
“We had the ability to have the new NAV solution up and running on Microsoft Azure in just 2 hours – it was incredibly quick and easy to set up,” exclaimed Stig Langset from CGI Norway.
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Scalable to Expand or Decrease Users Sharply in the Future
With Microsoft Azure, you can easily scale up or down on-demand to meet business needs. Never worry about running out of resources or paying for overcapacity. Using Azure, you can easily create applications that run reliably and scale from 10 users to 1000 users or even 10,000 users - without any additional coding. A few clicks is all it takes to add or remove end users using the 1ClickFactory portal.
After leveraging 1ClickFactory’s Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure Service, CGI Norway launched The Network Alliance’s new cloud-based ERP solution to 150 users, but plan to increase the user base to 1,500 in the near future, thus needing the possibility to scale up easily.
“1ClickFactory’s service fit our client’s unique needs and requirements by offering flexibility, as we were able to add or remove end users with just a few clicks,” explained Stig Langset.
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Straightforward & Manageable Pricing Model
The model for Microsoft Azure is best described as “pay as you go”, with no upfront investments and no monthly/yearly commitment. This means that you only pay for what you use, and as such, are charged by the minute. You can also plan your software expenses (e.g. upgrades to the new version) on the monthly basis.
With NAV on Azure, you reduce the cost of IT administration because the hardware is being taken care of for you, off-premises. The cost of creating, testing, debugging and distributing web-based applications decreases because you only pay for the computer processing time and storage space you need at a given time.
1ClickFactory Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure offered CGI Norway a simple pricing model with no startup fees, utility bills or large investment into building its own solution. Pricing was predictable and offered as a subscription (fixed per-user-per-month).
Stig Langset describes it best saying, “we saw it (1ClickFactory Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure) as a simple and predictable pricing model to help us to plan our customer’s ERP expenses and reduce the risk for the project. It was the ideal solution for this engagement!”.
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A Secure Infrastructure
The fear of losing data or losing access to data in the cloud is the #1 fear of customers considering the cloud today. But the truth is, it is even safer to run your Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution on Microsoft Azure than on-premise.
First, using 1ClickFactory’s Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure service customers’ NAV solutions are always on/up (99.5% SLA). Second, data is protected and secured as the self-provisioning for NAV on Azure portal, which is used for customer NAV solution deployment on Microsoft Azure, is monitored 24/7/365, backups are made and monitored daily, solution is running on at least two virtual machines and in case one of the machines fails, the others are still available. Finally, the solution’s database is stored in a clustered high availability environment.
“1ClickFactory’s Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure service lent reliable performance, security and capability to provision our highly customized solution, PowerCloud,” explained Stig Langset.
To learn more, read the full case story, Reduce Risk & Manage Costs in the Cloud with a Highly Customized Solution or watch a recording of Stig Langset’s speech from 1ClickFactory ISV session at Directions EMEA 2016.
Find out more about 1ClickFactory Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure
To find out more about 1ClickFactory Self-Provisioning for NAV on Azure, visit https://partners.1clickfactory.com/, download our Service Description or request a service at service@1clickfactory.com.