Recently, Bob Evans of Information Week penned an article about the Rise of the Appliance. The article highlighted how the majority of the big-name IT vendors, such as IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and HP, are now introducing optimized software-plus-hardware systems. Such systems are known more simply as appliances.
Evans believes that such appliances could be game changers and, according to him, are “surging into the market because they can help companies of all sorts make the leap into the very different and demanding world of real-time business.”
He goes on to say, “These optimized machines are in full ascendancy at this time because they’re the most powerful and highest-value delivery platforms for some dazzling new software applications and technologies designed to analyze not just bigger mountains of data, but to do so in less time and with greater insights and with almost-unlimited variations.”
Obviously, we agree that the appliance model offers numerous advantages and we also believe there are several other factors currently driving the “rise” of the appliance, particularly as a SaaS product alternative:
Security and Control: We consider this to be a no-brainer. An appliance offers the ability to be installed in-house, under the existing security measures of an IT organization, thus allowing organizations to retain sensitive data in house and ensure it never passes through a third-party server.
Ability to Focus on the Software: When a vendor deploys their solution as software only, they must devote cycles to make certain it is capable of working on varying platforms. This takes time and monetary resources away from investing in the functionality of the software. By partnering with an appliance expert, vendors are able to support new software functionality far faster.
Branding: We are not completely selfless. Obviously, we love that our customers are able to see our bright box each and every day. The physical appliance provides vendors with the opportunity to stay at the forefront of their customers’ minds.
Guaranteed Attendance: When it comes to web conferencing, a conference is only as good as the attendance. If the equipment deployed for the conference is not robust enough to ensure seamless attendance, everything is for naught. It is not uncommon to experience problems with attendees failing to join conferences due to a variety of problems, including blockages and unsupported platforms. The appliance model means that there is absolutely nothing to download. This also means there are no group policies, firewalls, or antivirus to worry about that could prevent attendees from joining meetings. As a result, it becomes possible to guarantee attendance and immediately boost engagement.
If you are currently an R-HUB customer, what drove you to select an appliance over other choices? Are you currently choosing appliance-based solutions for other parts of your business? If not, contact us today at 866-758-0984 or email us at sales@rhubcom.com and we will be happy to assist you in choosing the best remote support appliance model for your organization.