Hosted Property Management Software Versus Traditional

Should you use a web based hosted property management software application or opt for a program you host yourself either on your local machine or on your network? Both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages, but one may be far more suitable for your business.

One of the determining factors is the amount of IT or technical resources you need and can access in order to run the software. Most programs designed to aid in managing properties are of the desktop or client-server variety. Meaning you install the application on your machine and your data is stored on your hard drive or on your network. With online software, you use the application over the Internet via your Web browser with data stored remotely on servers maintained by the provider. With hosted software, the vendor backs up your data regularly and provides security. With traditional software, you are responsible for back up, storage and keeping your data safe. If you want more control over your software and have the resources readily available, a client server application may make more sense.

Obviously, cost is another factor when deciding which type of software, hosted or not, to choose. The biggest costs associated with desktop applications occur up front in the form of licensing fees, implementation costs as well as personnel and infrastructure investment if needed. Most hosted application service providers employ a monthly subscription model with low or minimal up front cost. If up front cost is the determining factor, strongly consider hosted property management software.

If remote access is necessary in your particular circumstances, a hosted application may be a better choice as they can be accessed from anywhere an Internet connection is available. This may be challenging or not possible if choosing a desktop application and you need to be able to access your data from remote locations. Conversely, if you often need to access your data from locations where Internet access is unavailable or sporadic, a hosted solution may not be a good choice for you.

Application performance is also a factor worthy of consideration. Do you and your staff have on demand access to a reliable broadband connection? If so, a hosted application may perform comparably to a locally hosted program. If not, a web based application would be a poor choice that would damage productivity and cause unnecessary frustration.

The amount of time it takes to implement your new software may also determine which model you should choose. With an online program, you and your staff can be fully up and running in hours or days. With traditional software, your time to deploy could extend into weeks or even months.

Determining whether to use online hosted property management software or a locally hosted application can be clear cut or a bit murkier. If you cannot decide, see if you can try both without committing to either. You may be able to get a free trial or time limited demo version to help you decide. Some companies even offer a hosted and a desktop version of their software so you might be able to switch fairly painlessly if at some point in the future you wanted to do so. Examine your situation carefully then determine your needs and your budget. After demos and free trials, your decision should become much clearer.

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