by Kayvan Moinian, Business Development Manager
People have been talking about the Cloud for a number of years by now. But what is it exactly and what is its relevance to point of sale (POS)?
Maybe you’ve been nodding your head along in meetings for so long that you’re afraid to ask what it actually means anymore. So let’s see if we can clear up any confusion and get to the bottom of what the point of sale cloud is.
Not white and fluffy, but still ethereal
The basics of cloud computing are not difficult to understand. The fundamentals are that Cloud computing uses remote servers connected via the internet to process, manage and store data and run applications, instead of all of this happening on your local computer or on-premises data center.
When applied to POS (and EPOS, this means that all data created and used by your system – transaction processing, stock details, customer information – is stored remotely instead of on a local machine within the store.
Let’s look at some reasons why it may be worth ditching your old terminal for a Cloud-based point of sale solution.
Security
Storing sensitive data such as customer names, emails and transaction details offsite adds an extra layer of security. It means even if a thief breaks in and steals all of your equipment, you won’t have to worry about a data breach. During business hours, all transactions are sent back and forth between your POS terminal and the Cloud using encryption to prevent hackers from accessing the information.
Since all of your data is stored remotely, you don’t need to worry about losing data when physical hard drives break down either. If your EPOS l is severely damaged you will still need to replace it, but at least all of your data is safely stored somewhere else.
Portability
One of the biggest selling points for Cloud-based point of sale is how flexible it is. Mobile devices such as tablets or even smartphones can be used instead of cash registers, which is perfect for small or part-time businesses that need to pick up and go at the end of the day.
Even larger companies are beginning to replace their tills with smaller and simpler mobile EPOS products. It means POS systems can be taken to the customer, replacing queues at check out with a focus on service.
In an increasingly cashless world, it is not unreasonable to think that some businesses will just stop accepting paper money in five to ten years and turn to entirely digital Cloud POS solutions.
Reduced downtime
When your POS system is hit with a virus or other catastrophic problem, you can pick up the pieces much more quickly when using Cloud POS. Such systems require minimal files and programs installed on your hardware to run. There is no need for time-consuming restores to a previous backup; you can simply plug back into the Cloud and resume operations in most cases.
AURES Makes (E)POS Easy
If it’s time for your business to purchase your first EPOS system or make an upgrade, AURES can help. We offer all-in-one point of sale solutions that make accepting card payments in your business as easy and stress-free as possible.
