User Application Epiphany
Customers occasionally drop us an email when they discover a feature in Solve360 that solves a problem or makes their life easier. Long-time customer John Bardos' company abcfrog.com (based in Nara, Japan) focuses on English as a Foreign Language education for children. While on a recent trip to North America, he had a technology epiphany and took the time to send us this note. If you've got something you want to share with us about how you're using Solve360, or have an observation about the SaaS (Software As A Service) industry that you think other users would find valuable, send us a few lines and we'll post them.
Dear Norada:
I have been using Solve360 for several years, but it is only recently that I have begun to fully realize the power of online collaboration tools.
As a novice user, I used my account to check email when I was away from the office and to occasionally upload files for access when I was working out of a different location. I always felt it was such a hassle to maintain my emails, folders, contacts and files on multiple computers. I needed virus protection, had to update software, make backups, etc. I am not a techie, and I don't want to waste my time maintaining my computers. I would hate to imagine the costs of all that effort.
Next generation online services such as Flickr, Bloglines, Writeboard, etc. have finally changed the way I view computers. I don't need to copy all my files to my laptop when I work out of the office. I can access all my emails, contacts, files and bookmarks wherever I go without the hassles of maintaining many computers. My computer is not a box to hold files. Any computer anywhere is just a window to access the information I need. My data is always available, always backed up and always current because it is online in my Solve360 account. With the current quality of Internet based applications and services, the old idea of computers as dumb terminals is finally starting to make sense.
I check my email at airports, at Internet cafes, and use other computers in different offices I work out of, all with zero headaches. All I need to do is remember my Solve360 password.
I finally got it. Solve360 isn't what I use when I am on the road. Solve360 is what I ALWAYS use. I have had computer crashes where I have lost many contacts and files that haven't been saved since the last backup. I have learned my lessons, it won't happen again. All of my key files, bookmarks and contact lists are always safe and backed up with Solve360. The most profound shift in my thinking has just begun. The collaborative tools Norada offers allows unprecedented productivity in working with staff and developers in different locations. Keeping track of projects, schedules, and files has opened up completely new ways of working. I can see a future where I won't need to buy or maintain any software at all. All I will need is any dumb terminal and all the applications and information I need will be available online for free or a nominal subscription.
The industry is calling these "new" developments Web 2.0 or SaaS (Software as Service). I know that Norada has been offering this services for years because I have been a loyal customer.
John Bardos
ABCfrog.com
