The ROI of Cloud Computing – Some Key Metrics

Posted on 05. May, 2010 by in Cloud Computing

K Jackson had an interesting post recently on a Cloud Computing research report. The Open Group has published a white paper on how to build and measure cloud computing return on investment (ROI). Produced by the Cloud Business Artifacts (CBA) project of The Open Group Cloud Computing Work Group.

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NYT Article Touts Cloud Computing

Posted on 19. Apr, 2010 by in Cloud Computing

You see while larger organizations might be wary of the Cloud, each day they fail to shift their IT infrastructure to the Cloud is a day the competition is gaining a leg. The same is true for all industries including franchising.

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What is Cloud Computing Exactly ?

Posted on 06. Apr, 2010 by in Cloud Computing, Franchising

I take for granted that many people understand what “Cloud Computing” is. Speaking at different events and talking with clients in franchising and other industries, I’ve become more aware that many don’t truly understand what the term “Cloud Computing” means.

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Why Franchise Organizations Better Jump Into Cloud Computing Now – Watch

Posted on 26. Mar, 2010 by in Cloud Computing, Franchise Technology

What is even more alarming, if you are relying on a third party vendor, which might have financial issues you are unaware of given today’s environment, to manage and host your Intranet content or business systems based on a proprietary infrastructure, you may have some real trouble ahead. What happens if they fold ? What upgrades are they making to adopt new tools ?

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Fundamentals: Franchise Lead Generation with Google Adwords

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by in Case Studies, Cloud Computing, Franchise Lead Generation, Franchise Technology, Franchising

As a follow up to yesterday’s post about effectively managing lead-flow, I’ve posted another video showing what I’ve found to be very useful and effective tools for lead generation. You might want to consider incorporating Google Adwords campaigns into your repertoire for franchise lead generation. The ability to target micro-channels and create highly relevant campaigns […]

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The 5 Most Important Aspects of IT for Franchisors

Posted on 25. Feb, 2010 by in Cloud Computing, Franchise Technology, Franchising

Information Technology within franchise systems would appear to be a scarcity, judging by the lack of conversation on the topic. In this post, I’ve laid out 5 of the most important aspects that franchisors will require from their technology vendors.

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What is a 360-degree view, anyway?

Posted on 13. Feb, 2010 by in Cloud Computing, Franchise Technology, Franchising, Management Philosophy

Like most companies in most industries, franchisors have plenty of moving parts and pieces in their business. For instance, there are potential franchise candidates to evaluate, real estate to analyze, franchisees to train, and franchisees to support; not to mention all of the franchise contracts, leases, and disclosure requirements to keep tabs on. Many franchisors tout ” proven systems” as a main selling point or advantage to becoming a franchisee, however a quick look under the hood would reveal that many franchisors don’t have their own internal processes sorted out.

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Why the Cloud Matters for Franchisors

Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by in Cloud Computing, Franchise Technology, Franchising

Having worked in IT and franchising for over 25 years, I only wish the “Cloud” was around a few decades ago like it is today. I remember it well, dealing with IT people, and hardware and software infrastructure that required many resources and delivered little in the way of quality solutions in a reasonable time […]

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