The use of cloud services in agriculture has been on the rise in recent years, and for good reason. Transitioning from desktop software to cloud-based tools and services offers your farm business accessibility, added security, and peace of mind. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should consider the cloud.
Why is Cloud-Computing Better?
- Team Engagement. As farms continue to grow in size and complexity, cloud services can make team engagement much easier. Multiple team members can access and enter data at the same time, avoiding situations where one person handles all the data workload. By having complete team engagement, you are able to leverage your data in different ways to improve decision making.
- Data Access. Access to data is a huge advantage over desktop software. With a cloud-based solution, your data is available anywhere with an internet connection. You can securely login to any connected device (including phones and tablets), complete your tasks and securely logout.
- Data Security. We’ve all been there; the headaches in changing computers, dealing with hard drive crashes, or finding a backup when a USB flash drive is missing or corrupted. Data security should be your #1 priority. Your data is professionally managed and you are never at risk from malware or virus attack. With Traction, all of your data is secure in the cloud with a clear data policy completely in your control. It is our mission to never sell, share or access your data without your permission.
- Automatic Software Updates. Keeping up with technology can be a daunting task. A huge advantage of cloud technology is automatic updates. With cloud tools, updates roll out on an ongoing basis and great new features simply appear. With Traction, these automatic updates are supported with Knowledge Base articles, videos and online tips. This is a huge difference from desktop, sometimes forcing users to find older desktop versions to install before getting the latest.
- Reliability. Are cloud services reliable? Well, it’s true that you need an internet connection to use the tools. However in many places, it’s easier to find a web connection than it is a tractor. For the occasional time the office internet connection goes down, simply swap over to your phone and use the cellular connection to finish your task.
Farmer Perspective
Laura Ehnle of Edelstein, IL has used a variety of farm management software systems for 20+ years. Find out why she is ready to move away from desktop and transition into using the cloud-based Traction solution.
Brian Stark
Brian Stark is Co-Founder and Product Marketing Director at Traction Ag, Inc, a cloud-based farm accounting and management software company focused on helping farmers become more profitable and efficient. Prior to Traction Ag, Brian led the sales and marketing efforts at Farm Works Software, a global leader in farm management desktop software that was acquired by Trimble in 2009. He helped manage the Trimble marketing and communications team for over 10 years, with a strategic focus in product marketing, building brand awareness and digital marketing efforts.