The pandemic has highlighted many new aspects of private and business life. For almost three years now, we have been rethinking practices that have been in place for many decades. The social dimension of teleworking can be put up for debate between employers and employees, i.e. whether it is 'here to stay' or whether it was a temporary measure that will be discontinued when health issues cease to exist.
But one thing seems unlikely to change and it is already dominating the considerations and strategies of businesses. And that is the ability for businesses to receive data services from remote data centers in the form of Software as a Service or simply "SaaS".
This has now become the standard. Most enterprises seek to leverage systems, and even the core and complex ones at that, which they strategically embed in private or public clouds in the form of "as a service"
All that is required is one or more PCs, laptops or other portable devices connected to the internet.
SaaS is a type of collaboration in which the use of software is provided in the form of "lease", without requiring any investment from the customer in specialised equipment, additional operating software or IT specialists.
This form of collaboration is made possible by the use of cloud technologies that our company has developed in-house and in cooperation with qualified telecommunications service providers/partners.
All that is required is one or more PCs, laptops or other portable devices connected to the internet. The owner and provider of the software takes care of the rest, i.e. the availability of the software, daily backup procedures, periodic maintenance of the database, maintenance and/or upgrading of the environment (servers and other equipment, system software), etc.
In fact, with this approach, a software is used, which is installed on "external" (to the end user - client) servers. The client's personnel work from their location wherever they are, in the office, at home, at their client's premises, travelling, out of the office or country, etc.
The cost of using the service is distributed over time, without the need for large initial investments
Even more, the cost of using the service is distributed over time, without the need for large initial investments (purchase of computers, heating/cooling/maintenance of computer centers, etc.) and the service may of course be discontinued, if required, without the risk of depreciation of the initial investment.
This solution is addressed to any kind of business, small or large, commercial or service provider. In particular, because the internet is used as a means of information distribution, it offers particular functional advantages to businesses that have all or some of the following characteristics.
Groups of companies with multiple geographic locations that need to network in order to have available, online data.
Many mobile users who work off-site, as well as travelling executives. In the past, these users were "disconnected" from their home base or had a "frozen image" on a laptop. With SaaS-type systems, these users are always online - real time with the most up-to-date and accurate information.
Foreign companies operating in Greece, with headquarters abroad or Greek companies with branches outside Greece.
E-ON, since its foundation, has been investing in Internet technologies. In the last years, it has placed an absolute emphasis on providing SaaS services across its entire range of products, which are either core solutions (ERP, HRM, etc.) or specialized horizontal solutions (Risk Management, Climate Change, Analytics, etc.)