Cloud solutions: The key to online success?

Patrick Sandner — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 10:49:00 +0000

André Goldstein, Managing Director at LohnDialog talks in an interview about the joint collaboration and the challenges the company faced in the area of hosting.

André Goldstein,
Managing Director LohnDialog

ASTRUM IT: How did the idea of offering hosting to your customers come about?

André Goldstein: The idea of offering our SBS software to customers in SBS payroll and accounting on an Internet basis was born in the early 2000s. However, the delivery of new operating system variants with complex installations such as Windows Terminal Server already overtaxed some administrators at that time.

ASTRUM IT: What challenges did you expect in the area of hosting?

André Goldstein: At that time, Novell and Citrix were already supplying software tools for secure and high-performance remote access to terminal servers. The word ASP and the offers for Application Service Providing, the use of complex applications in a rental model, became “socially acceptable” and in demand during these years. However, the initial discussions with data center providers and their price and technology offers at the annual CeBIT events, among others, were more confusing than our strategic idea of “building ASP” finding external support. It was also clear during this design phase that the fulfillment of data protection requirements had to be given great importance in order to convince potential customers. Many of the providers we contacted had not yet given the issue any substantial thought.

ASTRUM IT: What were the reasons for LohnDialog to decide on a partnership with ASTRUM IT back then?

André Goldstein: In 2009, the idea of an ASP platform offering for our SBS software customers was given new impetus by the takeover of a company. The high-performance and stable access to our central servers at the Berlin location from another location was not only slow due to limited internet connection speeds, but also not really functional 365 days/24 hours due to only one admin.

Discussions and contacts with a limited group of providers due to the requirements were intensified. This is how we came into contact with ASTRUM IT. We immediately had the feeling that a professional team here understood our requirements for the system and also responded to our necessary configuration requests. More importantly, however, the initial offers already took into account our essential requirements for data security and data protection, confirming our impression that they have been successfully supporting customers with ASP systems for several years. This was not the case with all providers. Even one of the first interested parties insisted on a data protection inspection with their data protection officer, which was no problem for ASTRUM IT and all requirements were met.

ASTRUM IT: What exactly do you appreciate about ASTRUM IT and the collaboration?

André Goldstein:

After 15 years, we are more than satisfied with the security and above all the stability of hosting at ASTRUM IT. Technically necessary updates and sensible improvements are implemented with foresight. Necessary complete server relocations to new technology are carried out sufficiently in advance at the weekend and on Monday the new technology is running again at the new technical level without any significant disruptions. Even disruptions that can arise due to the complexity of the operating system and user layer are dealt with in a targeted manner through the mutual exchange of information.

Put simply, it is a relaxed collaboration that is always at the necessary technical level. This stability of accessibility is, among other things, our basis for the satisfaction of our customers and thus for continuous customer growth.

We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the entire ASTRUM IT team and recommend external hosting!

ASTRUM IT: Thank you very much for the interesting interview Mr. Goldstein!

If you are currently looking for an ideal hosting partner, please contact us. ASTRUM IT supports you with customized solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of your company.

Is the cloud too expensive?

Patrick Sandner — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:36:37 +0000

The advantages and disadvantages of cloud solutions

The cloud undoubtedly offers numerous advantages. On the one hand, companies no longer have the costs of purchasing and updating hardware and (limited) licences. In addition, there is reduced support for the internal infrastructure and reduced capital procurement costs (leasing/loans) for the hardware. On the other hand, costs are incurred for the required technical resources and the network bandwidth used. Technical support for the cloud infrastructure is also required. This requires a slightly different level of expertise, so there are costs for familiarising and training employees and the provision of resources also works differently. Another problem is the predictability of the cost models, as this is usage-dependent and therefore difficult to calculate. Most companies do not know in detail which services are used and to what extent. Changing licence models may put the customer at a disadvantage.

Cloud or rather on-premise?

Of course, cloud operators have a profit motive. So if you can utilise on-premise systems well, then it’s probably cheaper.

However, there is still a need to maintain this environment. However, the main cost factor is personnel costs. The cloud is usually interesting because it is not a burden on equity, but rather an operating expense. In addition, you gain technical possibilities that are often not so easy to map in the internal infrastructure. The question is therefore usually not whether the cloud is more expensive, but whether it can better support a company’s changing business requirements. As a company, however, you should be aware that the cloud does not suddenly mean you only have a fraction of the IT costs – they are just broken down differently.

ASTRUM IT helps customers find solutions

We try to do the following for our customers: We offer SaaS offerings for specialised software solutions that reduce HR costs for customers. We also support customers who have opted for HyperScaler Clouds (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud). Here we bring modern expertise and help customers to utilise their infrastructure correctly.

Conclusion on the cloud solution

It is important to understand that the answer to the question of whether the cloud is too expensive depends on many factors. The cloud undoubtedly offers benefits, but it can also be expensive if not managed efficiently. Companies should carefully analyse which option best suits their requirements and budget.

Do you have any questions or need help with the cloud? Then get in touch with our experts.

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Cloud solutions – ASTRUM IT

Cloud solutions: The key to online success?

If you are currently looking for an ideal hosting partner, please contact us. ASTRUM IT supports you with customized solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of your company.

Is the cloud too expensive?