Why are cloud – based Live Chat or Chatbots not enough for enterprise deployments?
“The Cloud is great but it’s not for us. Neither security, compliance or our law department would agree for it. We want our data with us. Period.”
This line-of-thought is becoming more common in corporations
Taking into account the advantages of cloud-based solutions–such as flexibility, low implementation costs, rapid integration– we shouldn’t forget that corporate clients have different demands from their systems.
When a medium-sized company adds a Live Chat service, cloud-based are without drawbacks. However, banks, governmental bodies, and insurance companies need full control of their data due to their obligations towards their client. Options for solutions in the cloud are sometimes just too hard for the company to accept.
Control of data is the main reason why companies need on-premise versions of solutions.
Hundreds of thousands of companies already use web chat app in the cloud. It’s low cost and ease of implementation go hand-in-hand with its facilitation of online shopping and accounting.
The preference for on-premise IT–installation of IT solutions in their own server environment– for banks, insurers and large institutions continues. Besides security, the main reason for this is control of their own data.
Even though this is based on unpublished statistics, the risk involved in implementing live chat in the cloud is greater compared to on-premise system. In practice, this often excludes the opportunity to use popular cloud-based solutions.
Aspects involved in this are relevant since there is added complexity in integrating on-premise systems into an existing IT ecosystem. Thankfully, adding an on-premise option harmonizes merging services with a company’s policies on data and security.
On-premise versions cannot be ‘feature – poorer’ than those in the cloud
At InteliWISE, we give you peace of mind when choosing between on-premise and cloud versions of our LiveChat. What’s more, we respect the individual needs of a company by offering versions that don’t compromise functionality.
On-premise and cloud services share the same diverse applicability and practical usefulness that can be installed in whatever server infrastructure a customer desires.
Not compromising functionality for security and company regulations is important when most other on-premise cloud communications rely on outdated interfaces and archaic utilities that predate the cloud.
Anyone looking to add Live Chat services to their company’s portfolio should demand that on-premise options be the same, or at least, not worse than the cloud version.
LiveChat deployed on-premise vs cloud– based. What should you watch out for?
Many companies, at RFI or RFP, don’t want to exclude any options and ask for estimates on similar services based on the cloud or on their own servers.
Cost and utility of a different products are key factors in deciding which to choose. This is generally a good strategy since it allows TCO (total Cost of Ownership) and ROI (Return On Investment) to be weighed against each other.
Based on work with many companies, we have compiled a list of elements that anyone wishing to buy a LiveChat service, but isn’t sure whether on-location or via the cloud, should refer to.
| LiveChat offered via the cloud | Live Chat Enterprise (on-premise) | |
| Model Launch | Available only from the cloud. Not possible to install on a client’s own servers | Choice in implementation–on-premise option available |
| Contract and method of payment | A license agreement isn’t needed to start a service, just acceptance of terms | Service reliability is guaranteed by a signed license agreement |
| Security | STANDARD Standard for cloud-based services | SUPER-SECURE Lacks IP saving, history saving and encryption etc |
| Integration | “SET PACKAGE” Standard version software–sometimes with a SDK for better integration but usually already preset to certain system configurations | FULL Integration with queues, consoles and customer data etc |
| Functionality | Diverse but less customizable | Customizable to a given client. For example, in regards to queues, statistics and monitoring |
In summary
On-premises services grant full access to modern applications without compromising their rich functionality. When implemented as such, they allow for full control of data, which is extremely important to large corporations.
