Spencer Nguyen - December 20, 2023
Diagram of the best on-premises software options

On-premises software is stored on local machines, such as desktop computers or servers, so people connected to a network can access critical features. Within an enterprise context, on-premises software almost exclusively exists on on-site servers that multiple employees can access. 

You might already know that many business leaders want to embrace cloud strategies. Acknowledging the benefits of software as a service (SaaS) and other cloud technologies doesn’t mean you must avoid on-premises software.  

Many businesses use on-premises and cloud-based solutions side by side. As long as you have reliable APIs that allow communication between diverse applications, you can add diverse solutions to your tech stack. 

Of course, you want to make sure you choose the best on-premises solutions for your business.

Here’s the 5 things you should know about the best On-premises software options:

  • On-premises software offers faster speeds and better uptime, beneficial when many people use the software simultaneously.
  • It provides more customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the software to their specific needs.
  • With on-premises software, data security is enhanced as all information and processes are kept onsite, rather than in the cloud.
  • Businesses have more control over their data with on-premises software, aiding in better regulatory compliance.
  • It offers the option to disconnect databases from the network and put them in cold storage, enhancing data access control.

Table of Contents

Benefits of On-Premises Software

With so many companies opting for cloud-based software solutions, why would you prefer on-premises software? On-premises software isn’t right for everyone, but it does offer a lot of advantages that help some businesses thrive.

Potential benefits of choosing on-premises software include:

  • Faster speeds and better uptime, even when a lot of people use the software at the same time.
  • More customization options.
  • Improved data security that keeps all your information and business processes onsite instead of in the cloud.
  • Better regulatory compliance because you have more control over your data.
  • Options to disconnect databases from the network, putting them in cold storage where no one can access information without permission.

While these benefits don’t matter to everyone, they can significantly affect businesses concerned about efficiency and security.

Popular Types of On-Premises Software

Popular types of enterprise on-premises software include:

Open Source

Some startups and small businesses worry that investing in on-premises software will make it impossible for them to adapt as the market changes. You don’t want to spend a lot of money on software that locks you into a long-term agreement. Similarly, you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on on-premises solutions that don’t match your evolving needs.

Open-source software helps solve these potential problems. Often free or very inexpensive, open-source software lets you access and change the software’s source code.

You can take the self-service route by having in-house programmers build features that improve your business’s workflows.

Alternatively, you can hire outside IT teams to adapt open-source solutions specifically for your business. 

The flexibility of open-source software makes it very appealing to startups that want novel approaches to solving problems.

Business Intelligence

Business intelligence software, also called BI tools, has become indispensable to small businesses, large enterprises, and everything in between. 

Good business intelligence software lets you collect real-time company data, define unique metrics, determine whether you meet your key performance indicators (KPIs), and project future trends. You get to see where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. If you don’t like your trajectory, you can alter your business processes for better results.

Project Management

Project management software helps teams coordinate their work to reach common goals. The best project management solutions have automation functionality that acknowledges when someone receives or completes a task. The software can also offer templates you can customize to describe all the steps needed to reach a project milestone.

You should also expect your project management software to offer file-sharing, scheduling, and report-filing features. 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Customer relationship management software collects information throughout the customer’s journey. Every interaction a customer has with your business gets stored in a database. That usually includes interactions via social media, e-commerce sites, live chat, phone calls, and emails.

CRMs can help you customize customer experiences to convert more leads into buyers. For example, the dashboard might tell a customer service rep that someone already placed an order online earlier that day. Before they answer the call, the rep knows what the person purchased, making it easier for them to prepare for a successful conversation.

Related reading: 7 Salesforce Integration Assets to Connect Your CRM

The Best On-Premises Software Options for Businesses

Now that you know some of the most popular types of on-premises software, explore the following options to find solutions that fit your business’s needs.

DreamFactory — APIs That Connect Everything

As you add more applications to your software ecosystem, you need to find a reliable way for them to share information. Otherwise, you force them to operate in vacuums, which ultimately leads to more work and delays.

DreamFactory is a low-code solution for generating, publishing, and managing the APIs apps you need for communication. The platform lets you take control of diverse applications and data sources so you can streamline workflows. 

Server-side scripting makes it relatively easy to add business logic to your APIs. DreamFactory supports NodeJS, V8JS, PHP, and Python. If you don’t have much experience with coding, you can always adjust variables in the existing code to match your business needs. 

Other benefits of DreamFactory include options for:

  • Combining unrelated databases without writing code.
  • Migrating applications through development, test, and production environments.
  • Setting API limits to control access and prevent attacks.
  • Turning SOAP into REST APIs.

Even when you decide your company benefits most from on-premises software, you still need to make sure all of your solutions can communicate with each other. You might also need a way to connect your on-premises software to SaaS applications to take advantage of cloud computing’s advantages.

Tableau Server – Business Intelligence

Tableau Server provides in-depth business analytics based on the metrics that matter most to you. Tableau also makes a web-based version of its software. The on-premises solution, however, offers enhanced efficiency and scalability. When you use an on-site server, you never need to worry that an unusually high amount of cloud traffic will slow your analytics.

Tableau Server has a streamlined dashboard with visual charts that make it easy for you to compare data and make informed decisions. It also comes with a wealth of integrations that let you connect it to diverse data sources, including Microsoft Excel, SQL Server, Snowflake, SAP HANA, and Salesforce.

If you have data sources not supported by Tableau Server, you can use APIs to build an omnichannel strategy that unifies your data.

Taigo.io – Project Management

Taigo.io is a free, open-source project management tool built for teams that use Agile. Taiga Cloud with Premium Support charges a monthly fee. A Self-Hosted account doesn’t cost anything, though, and you can customize it to your specifications.

Taigo.io stands out as a top project management tool because it uses a straightforward Kanban board that assigns workflows to specific swim lanes. (You can also choose Scrum if you prefer it.) Numerous filter options give you an overhead view of each project’s progress. You can also use the search feature to locate themes, epics, stories, and tasks.

Other advantages of Taigo.io include:

  • Automatic notifications that let you know when someone completes an important task.
  • Work-in-progress (WIP) limits that keep projects moving forward.
  • Customized swim lanes with reusable templates.

Taiga has a large community of involved users. If something goes wrong or a feature gets updated, you can learn more about it on the project timeline.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales – CRM

Microsoft Dynamics 365 has a robust software ecosystem that helps businesses reach their goals without spending more money or time than necessary.

Dynamics 365 for Sales is a top-rated CRM because it can integrate with those other tools. For example, you can connect Dynamics 365 Sales with Microsoft Teams to let sellers connect with customers via their preferred channels. Whether customers prefer social media, email, text, phone calls, or live chat, they get to set the mode of communication.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales also benefits from artificial intelligence. It isn’t an accident that Microsoft has an ongoing relationship with OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot. Harness the power of Microsoft’s AI to focus on high-priority activities and predict outcomes. Few tools can do the job as well.

Other benefits of choosing Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales include:

  • Simple pipeline management that lets you view real-time and predicted sales funnel data.
  • Insights into customer emotions, making it easier for representatives to prepare for incoming calls.
  • Guided selling that leads to increased revenues.

A lot of CRMs work well. If you want an on-premises solution, this is almost certainly your best choice.

Start Connecting Your On-Premises and Cloud-Based Applications

DreamFactory makes it easier for you to connect all your applications and data sources. Use it to create and manage APIs without compromising your network’s security. Start your free 14-day trial with DreamFactory to see how much more effective your on-premises software becomes when you have a low-code way to create and manage APIs.

Related Reading: https://blog.dreamfactory.com/what-is-api-management-a-brief-overview-of-api-management-concepts-and-tools/