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Aspasia Cloud Informational Series
publication date: Jul 1, 2010
Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.1 Aspasia Cloud is the first fully integrated cloud technology software solution for agents involved with residential sales, lettings and property management. This informational series has been designed to explain how the software differs from other solutions and what that means for agents who use it. There is something quite radical happening around us related to how we store, access and manage information. It has been made possible by the relentless adoption of, and access to, the Internet. This is leading to quite different expectations from customers related to the type and level of service they need and this is apparent in our own industry, for example, by the rapid migration of advertising from newspapers to the portals. If you can get information readily and easily 24 hours a day at a time and place determined by you, why would you have it any other way? Meeting expectations But it is not just accessing the information that is important, it is being able to interact with a supplier and ‘doing business’ with that person quickly and efficiently when it suits you. Consider how much easier it is today to conduct your finances online, make travel arrangements, do your shopping, follow your favourite football team or keep in touch with family and friends. So it’s no surprise really that the wind of change is beginning to rustle around the world of residential sales, lettings and property management. Customers are expecting access to digital information in many areas of their lives and in ways convenient to them. There will always be sceptics who will cling on to the notion that agency work is a people business and so it is. Moreover, the pragmatic view is that there will always be a role for an agent in this business due largely to the size, significance and importance of the transactions involved. What is changing are the communication aspects of the job and elements related to automated administrative tasks and transactions. It is likely that there won’t be so many people in the business in the future but those who are still involved will be much more focused on their core skills and less concerned with peripheral matters like IT or administration. Their businesses are also likely to be more profitable. Of course this change won’t happen overnight but it is starting now and it is necessary to look to the future and embrace the change. The migration to the Internet is also having a seismic effect on the world of computing and information technology. The sixties and seventies saw the era of mainframe computing, whilst from the eighties to the present day we have witnessed the dominance of desktop computing involving complicated machines and operating systems. This decade has seen a further revolution with companies like Google and Facebook experiencing exponential growth. The point is that the information we are using is on the Internet, in the ‘cloud’, it is no longer our responsibility to worry about hardware, software, backups, networks, et al. All we need is a browser and a device that is connected to the Internet to use it. So if we are now entering the world of cloud computing what does it mean to agents?
‘Cloud computing’ is a term that has many different interpretations according to who you are and what you want from it. Some even believe that it is just hype (less so now) and in spite of definitions that can be found on the web in practice its use varies a lot, but a common theme is that some or all of the data is hosted on the web. Some will suggest that what we previously referred to as ‘ASP’ or ‘SaaS’ or even the use of Citrix is to be considered cloud computing and they are entitled to their view. But that is not what we mean with Aspasia Cloud. If it was then the current version of Aspasia, which was one of the pioneers of web based software in our industry, could similarly be regarded as a cloud computing product but we don’t regard it in that way because, like other products, it has certain restrictions or limitations. For example it requires a certain type of browser (IE) and also requires Microsoft Word which is currently a desktop, rather than cloud based product. Nor can it be used on a mobile phone or a Mac for example. Total Freedom For us ‘cloud’ means that the customer has total freedom to use our software on any Internet connected device that can run a browser and in addition can use the Aspasia Cloud diary, contacts and email facilities from any mobile phone even if it is incapable of running a browser. This latter facility is made possible because we have integrated Aspasia Cloud with Google Apps. So an agent using Aspasia Cloud doesn’t necessarily need servers, software, email servers, networks, IT staff, backups, etc. and has complete freedom to operate from any device anywhere provided there is access to the Internet. In practice an agent will normally have a computer of some sort (it really doesn’t matter which, perhaps even the new iPad) a wireless router and a printer (although even the printer is only required if you really must print a sheet of paper). To provide this complete independence and freedom the emphasis has also been moved from printed communications to electronic equivalents. Even signatures can be handled electronically within Aspasia Cloud; the need for printed output is almost totally eradicated, although realistically we don’t expect most of our customers to take this leap overnight. It will be a gradual process whilst they gain confidence in these new and more efficient methods which will be explained in more detail later in this informational series. Indeed, communications throughout Aspasia Cloud have been totally revamped to better represent our digital age and will fit better with methods more familiar to the younger generation whilst at the same time allowing customers to retain traditional methods if appropriate or still desired.
Further information at www.aspasia.net
Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.2 Aspasia Cloud is the first fully integrated cloud technology software solution for agents involved with residential sales, lettings and property management. This informational series has been designed to explain how the software differs from other solutions and what that means for agents who use it.
The effect of the Internet Until relatively recently we gathered information in a number of ways; reading publications, watching television, listening to the radio, visiting shops, etc. Although we still do these things, their relevant importance has been relegated somewhat by the ease of use of the Internet, which is often our first port of call. Closer to home we have witnessed these changing trends by examples such as the rapid decline in the use of newspaper property advertising and reduced customer visits to agency branches in favour of web based information provided through portals or agency web sites. Now we are beginning to see customers expecting us to extend these services in the way other industries and, indeed, government are now doing. Agents need to adapt in order to prosper in a future where traditional methods are likely to increasingly be found only in isolated pockets influenced by geographical or specific market sector requirements. It is the speed and ease of delivery of these new services that has marked them out often rendering traditional services such as, for example, the postal system to a role of largely carrying ‘junk’ mail. Specific examples Email has now taken over as our primary method of formal communication and, just like telephone conversations do, it has the ability to allow us to conduct our business with an immediacy and convenience that we can no longer live without. This is why we have integrated Google’s much lauded and sophisticated email system right into the fabric of Aspasia Cloud so that there is no longer a need to cut and paste emails from a separate system into our software. Emails are now generated from, and received directly into, the appropriate customer record within Aspasia Cloud with automated storage and an appropriate audit trail; a real time saver and a key aspect of this new age we live in. Of course, if you still want to print a letter you can do so, although we expect the printed word to be gradually phased out and replaced by email and SMS as is happening in other industries. An integral element of these changing customer expectations is our increasing reliance on mobile devices as a means of communication, information retrieval and data storage. Whilst laptops, netbooks and devices like the new iPad perform a key role, it is the rapidly growing importance of the mobile phone, particularly the smartphone, that is indicative of the new era. Customers are expecting so much more from their constant companions than the ability to talk and send texts. The mobile phone is now becoming the first place many turn to for Internet access, interfacing with others and doing business. Another key requirement of Aspasia Cloud was therefore the ability for our agents to use their mobile devices in a really meaningful way and in turn for them to be able to communicate through the same medium with their customers. Aspasia Cloud can be used in its entirety (not just as a cut down app) on any Internet connected device that has a browser which includes all smartphones in addition to desktop computers and laptops. Yet many customers have mobile phones that are not classed as smartphones and which cannot run a browser. We again turned to our integration with Google Apps so that all email items, calendar entries and contact information can still be used. Create a meeting event with a customer on your Nokia standard mobile phone and it will appear on your office computer in Aspasia Cloud. Wherever you are you will always have your diary, emails and contact information synchronised and available to you. And of course there is the facility for agents to communicate between each other and with their customers by means of Instant Messaging or even Video Talk. Consider the cost savings if all inter-branch communications between agency staff were handled free over the Internet using Google Video Talk from their desktops or laptops which are, more often than not, now fitted with integrated web cams. This is another feature included within Aspasia Cloud. Convenience Perhaps most important of all, in this new world of enhanced customer expectation, is the ability for the customer to choose when, how, and to what extent they can do business with an agency. 2.00 am, can’t sleep, worrying about whether anyone else has made an offer, want to check on the condition of an inventory item, pay my rent, book a viewing, enhance my property particulars for my agent to check, and so on. This is what customers are expecting and is what ensures there will always be an indispensable role for an agent to play in this new and rapidly changing environment.
Further information at www.aspasia.net
Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.3 Can Threats Be Opportunities?
What are they? The recent report from the Office of Fair Trading served to add to pressure for change within the industry not least by suggesting the quick removal of legal restrictions which, they said, tend to restrict progress. Add to this the spectre of the likes of Tesco and Google looking for lucrative new income streams. Then there is the lack in the public’s understanding of the skills and added value estate agents offer and the charging mechanisms the public regard as outdated and unfair. And of course there is the massive and unstoppable migration towards online alternatives to traditional and often inefficient practices across all industries. We plan to address all of these issues in more detail in future editions of this series and to explain what we have done, and are still doing, to help protect the role of agencies in the face of these growing pressures and as such to protect our livelihoods. Most of us believe that a fully automated, impersonal, online alternative to agency services is unlikely ever to gain traction largely due to the size and significance of property sales and lettings transactions. It’s clear that the way we do things now is going to change, and soon, and those who fail to appreciate this face an uncertain future. The good news On a positive note there are those who have been considering these changing trends and have been gradually developing alternatives that will help to ensure long term viability for agents in the face of these threats. Examples within Aspasia Cloud, for instance, include the move towards total hardware independence, the ability for agency customers to conduct their business electronically whenever and wherever they like, the ability to use open and transparent charging mechanisms and variable fees, the complete freedom from almost any IT infrastructure demands, the ability to conduct all business on the move on any mobile device and the opportunity at last to address the poor public image by offering a better and more transparent service. Sceptics will argue that there have already been a number of different agency models which have been tried and with very limited success. However, with the escalating pressures for change now coming from all quarters, it can only be a matter of time before an alternative model is developed that will attract widespread acceptance and adoption throughout the industry. Ideally, this ‘perfect’ solution should revolve around the concept of an agency being able to offer their services in a highly focused and professional manner with wide acceptance from the public who recognise the indispensable role that the agent plays in the process. To achieve this objective we must focus on several aspects of the process, all of which we are addressing within Aspasia Cloud. First we need to appreciate the distinction between agency services that are essentially administration and those that rely on the provision of professional expertise. Administrative services are particularly threatened because many can be automated or customers can take them on personally to save money. Moreover administrative services generally rely on staff competence and consistency; anyway it is a cost which needs to be passed on to the customer. It is also fair to say that customers often fail to understand or appreciate the level of complexity involved in the process which, when coupled with a lack of transparency, can often result in a feeling of resentment. So the first objective should be to either fully automate administration or offer services at varying levels and cost according to an individual customer’s wishes. The traditional ‘one size fits all’ approach can adapt into a ‘menu’ approach offering customers the choice of option that suits their purse whilst reflecting the expertise of the agent. Having addressed the subject of administrative services we need to focus on what we can do to enhance the agent’s ability to demonstrate their skills and professionalism in delivering those services the public are most willing to pay for. To a great extent solving the issue with the provision of administrative services will enhance the agent’s ability to focus on their professional services by freeing up manpower to focus on these core aspects of the job. We can also focus on communication and self service where appropriate in relation to our customer’s changing expectations as we discussed in the last article in this series.
All this perhaps sounds a trifle academic. Nevertheless, considering these issues is crucially important to ensure the long term viability of agency services when confronted with today’s and tomorrow’s challenges and is something we needed to examine closely when we had the opportunity to create a new product, Aspasia Cloud, from the ground up. Our conclusions resulted in a product based on true cloud technology, integrating services from other providers such as Google, and which offers agency customers the ability to engage in a relationship with the agency more appropriate to today’s digital age and in a variable form according to an individual customer’s preferences. We will look in more specific detail at what we have done in subsequent editions of this series. For further information go to www.aspasia.net. Previous articles in the series can be found at Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.4 'Cloud' from a business perspective
Sales Historically, growing sales often meant spending large sums of money on marketing and of course this can still be effective today – awareness is still the first step towards a purchase. However, the successful smart operator’s main focus these days is increasingly on customer service. A good example is Amazon who have built a huge worldwide business and transformed retailing by providing customers with a user experience so convenient and easy to use that it has become indispensable to many. Their area of business activity has been transformed by focusing on customer service. So this is why we have designed Aspasia Cloud to enhance the experience of an agent’s customer by providing mechanisms for them to conduct their business with the agency more in keeping with today’s digital environment. More detail can be found on this in article two of this Series. However, providing local customers with a level of personal service that differentiates the agent from the competition is probably the surest way of increasing sales. Costs It is an indisputable fact that the adoption of cloud computing technology can have a significant impact on reducing the costs of a business. It represents the main reason why companies are migrating to this new computing paradigm in such large numbers. True cloud computing either completely removes or significantly reduces the need for complex and expensive IT systems and associated support. In our own company, for instance, we have ‘ditched’ all our servers, network operating systems, desktop based software applications like email clients, word processors, spreadsheets and so on and now use online equivalents in the form of Google Apps. If you are concerned that this might represent a threat to the security of your data (ironically it is more likely to be safer in the ‘cloud’) you can automatically back up almost everything to a local machine. Everything is now available to us everywhere on any internet connected device. It is changing the dynamics of our business and potentially saving us a lot of money. Indeed, we are confident that our ‘IT spend’ will be reduced by something in the order of 75 per cent, a considerable saving. Being a true (not pseudo) cloud computing product, Aspasia Cloud also offers savings and benefits to agencies in addition to a fundamental move towards an ‘optional’ ability for agents to allow their customers to do more for themselves if they so wish, just like they do with Amazon, banks, insurance companies, travel bookings etc, via the internet. And herein lies the other potentially big cost saving for an agency business; the ability to operate with a reduced and more consistent staff overhead. The emphasis is more and more towards eliminating administrative chores and allowing staff to focus on their ability to utilise their professional expertise in the pursuit of a publicly acknowledged higher level of customer service. A note of caution Depending on where you start from it may be the case that you have difficulty relating these concepts to real everyday experience on the shop floor and within an industry that has hardly earned a reputation for innovation in the past. It is true that when things are going along relatively smoothly and a business is making money there is a temptation to just do more of the same. But as the saying goes, ‘do what you have always done, get what you always got!’ For those that want to see revolutionary change rather than a slow evolution, they need to really sit up and take notice of what is going on in other industries around us, and have the courage to think it through properly and apply the learning to their business. To some, it might appear that perhaps residential lettings might be more of a candidate for change than residential sales due to there being more inherent administration. But this type of thinking could miss the real opportunity. More than the sum of the parts Drawing this all together in terms of business benefits might therefore be summarised by alluding to an enhanced level of customer service leading to an associated increase in sales. This is coupled with a significant reduction in the costs to an agency, both of which contribute directly to improved profitability – a common claim by suppliers to this market. What is different about cloud computing in general, and specifically with Aspasia Cloud, is that we are talking about a substantive shift in the ability for agents to remodel their businesses, whilst still preserving whatever elements of the ‘old’ world they prefer. Thus, change can be a gradual and more acceptable evolutionary process. Not only will this present new opportunities but it will help to safeguard the agent from threats to the status quo that are beginning to appear from many quarters as we discussed last month.
For further information go to www.aspasia.net. Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.5 The changing face of agency communications
Electronic communications also lend themselves to automation which can in turn give customers a higher level of service and enable the agent to process more transactions with less staff, contributing to enhanced profitability. Word processing Traditional Aspasia uses Microsoft Word but this was inappropriate for Aspasia Cloud because they are from different architectures and desktop-based Word does not fit into cloud technology. Word was the obvious choice 10 years ago when traditional Aspasia was conceived but it was not without its complications in terms of system speed when printing letters and the need to confine users to Internet Explorer as a browser for mail merging. Aspasia Cloud is now integrated with a commercially available web based word processor that is very easy to use and more than capable of addressing the requirements of residential agency work. However, its main function is now not to write letters but to create emails or other electronic communications. The documents are stored in Aspasia Cloud’s Oracle database as before but are now also stored within Google Apps if required which permits extraordinary ease of access and sharing across all mobile devices and computing platforms. Emphasis on email With the traditional agency model the emphasis is on written communications in the form of printed correspondence, certainly for documents that could in any sense be classified as official or formal. Although there has in recent times been a growing use of email, the printed word is still perceived by many as a necessary and required element of agency transactions. Unfortunately, printed communications bring with them many inefficiencies and unnecessary costs: printing, postage and, more importantly, staff overheads. They are also slow and, from a software point of view, they can create difficulties producing a consistent final presentation across the myriad of available different printing devices. Changing the emphasis to email means that we can automate personalised feedback to a much higher level resulting in more satisfied customers with a better appreciation of the professional services agents provide to substantiate their fees. How it will work Aspasia Cloud incorporates the highly acclaimed security and functionality of Google’s universal email system in its Google Apps Premier (Postini) format. This provides a huge range of features ranging from the virtual elimination of spam to the ability to control all aspects of a company’s email from a management console if so desired. Customers will see no difference to emails sent by the agent – the senders address will be displayed as normal, but staff will have the benefit of being able to send and receive emails using any mobile or other computing device and thus dramatically increase their responsiveness. As such we believe that the primary method of communication within Aspasia Cloud is now based on the most comprehensive and sophisticated email platform available today and benefits from the power of Google’s search technology for the long term ease of use and retrieval of customer information. There is also the fully integrated option of having all documents signed electronically online for all communications with customers and suppliers where a signature is required. Aspasia Cloud uses the world’s largest online supplier for the provision of these services as do many other organisations, like BT for example. Instant messaging and video Aspasia Cloud has also integrated the use of instant messaging and video communications between customers and agency staff and between agency offices. This is conducted via the Internet, is entirely free, and has the potential for significant cost savings over traditional telephonic communication. Naturally it is designed to work alongside traditional telephones, not as a replacement, and for video depends on both parties using a laptop or desktop with a camera facility. In the short term it is likely that this technology will be principally used between branch offices or with customers who are more comfortable with this form of communication like the current younger generation and it can differentiate your business.
In many other industries, communications are now far more likely to be conducted electronically by email, SMS or online and so our industry needs to follow this trend if agents are to prosper in today’s world where the list of outside pressures on the traditional agency model grows by the day. The ease of use and convenience inherent in these new electronic methods of communication will also result in less emphasis on the telephone for all but those occasions where verbal dialogue is still considered necessary. Recognising this, and also accepting that there will be occasions when the traditional methods are still preferred, Aspasia Cloud has been designed to give the overriding priority to electronic communication, particularly email, over printed matter. But it has not been eradicated and can still be used as required providing an alternative option allowing you to use Aspasia Cloud in the way you wish. For further information go to www.aspasia.net.
Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.6 Why integrate with Google Apps?
There is much more to Google! Google prides itself on an engineering heritage and is known for employing only the brightest and most capable people who are nurtured in an environment which fosters creativity. Many of their products are simply astonishing in their brilliant combination of technical engineering prowess with simplicity of use, and gain huge loyalty from their many millions of users. Google and Amazon are leading exponents of cloud computing which is rapidly becoming a seismic disruptive force changing the face of IT and which, of course, represents the core underpinnings of Aspasia Cloud. Our first article in this series discussed what we mean when we refer to cloud computing technology, and a key motivation for us to move into the ‘cloud’ was to use the skills of companies such as Google to integrate various web based services to enhance Aspasia beyond what we could do ourselves. Aspasia Cloud will demonstrate the complex technical integration of many of these Google provided core services, the more obvious ones being email, calendaring, document sharing and contact management across any Internet connected computing platform from PC to mobile phone. Moreover, these and other Google services will combine with Aspasia Cloud to provide a radically different optional business opportunity for lettings agents which we plan to launch next year. So what are Google Apps? Perhaps the simplest way to think of Google Apps is as a collection of those Google based services which are appropriate to many organisations. They are not as sophisticated as some of the familiar applications like Word and Excel but they provide more than enough functionality for most of us and few agents involved in residential property sales and lettings would have needs left unmet. In other areas like email and calendaring the Google equivalents are arguably superior and easier to use and offer many unique features emanating from their Internet heritage which help them to outshine desktop products like Outlook. Google then starts to differ with Apps that don’t necessarily have core equivalents from Microsoft, such as video (similar to YouTube) and Google Sites heading up a growing list of services launching off the back of email. And this is where Aspasia Cloud will move the industry forward by introducing new ways of doing things utilising many of these clever, user friendly features. Google Apps are provided either free for personal use or with minimal cost. More than two million businesses have already converted to Google Apps including such names as Jaguar, Land Rover, Guardian Newspaper Group and many others. The reasoning in nearly all cases is vastly reduced cost and greater business effectiveness and the ability to work cooperatively with others. Why have we integrated with Google Apps? Other editions in this series will focus on the detail of the various individual elements of Google Apps and how their integration within Aspasia Cloud will benefit agents. Last month we dealt with the changing face of agency communications – a good example. But overriding everything is the recognition that the Internet is gradually irreversibly changing so many of these areas, that traditional solutions need rethinking and re-engineering to offer agents long term success within a changing, digitally aware and oriented society. Customers will increasingly expect to interact with agents by means of these new mediums of online communication and at a time that is convenient to them, often outside of normal business hours. Very soon it will be the majority who are used to dealing with so many other organisations, including government concerns, in this fashion. Google Apps is the enabling technology to allow this to happen, certainly in the case of Aspasia Cloud, recognising that there will be alternative solutions from other providers in time. But currently Google are well ahead of the competition and show all the indications of staying in front. Google have invested heavily in their future vision as evidenced in their development of the Android mobile device operating system which is gaining such significant adoption worldwide by producers of mobile phones and in their, soon to be released, Chrome operating system designed for fast, secure Internet access from a range of computing devices. As these new operating systems gain traction in the market place Aspasia Cloud will have the benefit of seamless integration with all the Google communication based opportunities inherent in devices using Android and Chrome even where they are incapable of running the full version of the Aspasia Cloud software in a browser.
For further information go to www.aspasia.net. Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.7 How can I reduce my IT burden? Like with other web-based applications
there are two aspects to the subject of hardware
and software and how they relate to Aspasia
Cloud. The first is concerned with how the web
pages are created in the first place and the
second has to do with what equipment the user
needs to interact with the software locally.
On the surface Aspasia Cloud may seem like any
other competitor web based product but there
are subtle and important differences.
Do I need a server? For all customers the answer is no, although if you want to own your own server you can do so. Aspasia Cloud is available on the Internet 24 hours a day, 365 days a year without the agency customer needing to do anything at all. There are no backups to worry about, no server management issues, no networks, and best of all, little or no IT support requirements. Everything is handled remotely by experts in their field and generally to a much higher and safer standard than any individual customer could afford to manage on their own. Where, as sometimes happens with large customers, there is a desire on behalf of the customer to own the server(s) on which the data resides, this can be arranged too but even here everything is handled remotely leaving the customer with little or nothing to do themselves. In all cases the servers are housed in professional data centres from where they are remotely managed in a totally secure environment. Where Aspasia Cloud differs from most, if not all, competitor web-based solutions is that every customer has their own Oracle database which is completely separate in all respects from any other customer. Most competitor web-based products amalgamate all customer data into the same database with data differentiated by user login credentials alone. Although this latter shared database option is a more cost effective solution for the supplier it suffers from the possibility that a single database malfunction could affect everyone and there can also be an impact in terms of speed. The shared database approach is also less likely to be found with products as large and comprehensive as Aspasia due to the complexity and level of resource utilisation involved. Most competitor products do not integrate sales, lettings, accounts and property management into one solution. The other difference with Aspasia Cloud is that it is integrated with Google Apps, some benefits of which were discussed in our last edition. This provides true hardware independence and collaborative working giving agents the ability to expand their business model and to utilise true mobile accessibility irrespective of their chosen technical platform. Again, Google Apps are provided over the Internet in a true cloud computing architecture leaving nothing for the agent to do or worry about. So, to summarise, there is no requirement for agents to have their own server (unless, perhaps, it’s company policy) and not needing servers means, of course, zero cost. What about hardware and software in the office? All an agent needs to use Aspasia Cloud in the office (or anywhere else for that matter) is a computer of their choice. PC, Mac, Linux, tablet computers like the iPad, or whatever other device they would like provided it is connected to the Internet and can run a browser – any browser they like. There is no requirement for any local storage whatsoever so the machine can be as lean and cheap to purchase as is desired – a £200 netbook computer is perfectly adequate. An initial budget of, say, £500 per workstation would perhaps be a more realistic option with negligible ongoing costs. As long as an agent wishes to create paper based detail sheets it is obviously necessary for each office to also have a wireless (or other) printer. Apart from that there is no need for a network, server or costs such as IT support because everything including email, word processing etc, is self-contained. You no longer require separate products like Word, Excel, Outlook, Exchange etc; everything an agent needs is contained within Aspasia Cloud itself. The IT demands on an agency office are, in reality, no different from those most people experience at home – a computer, broadband and an optional printer. It’s as simple as that. How can I increase productivity? Aspasia Cloud has been designed to allow for complete mobility and, as stated above, will work on any Internet connected device that has a browser. In situations where the device does not permit the use of a browser (for example a basic mobile phone) the integration with Google Apps comes into play by synchronising email, diaries and appropriate contacts automatically with Aspasia Cloud. As such an agent is never realistically out of touch with crucial information related to customers either geographically or confined to office working hours – both aspects meaning that staff can work anywhere at anytime. This can have a dramatic effect on the levels of customer service and can significantly influence the agency’s ability to adopt fresh working practices whilst reducing the dependence on expensive high street offices.  The bottom line
All this means a very significant reduction on behalf of an agent in terms of IT hardware, software and support costs, enough perhaps to make a meaningful additional contribution to profitability. Add to this the geographical freedom and mobility provided by a true cloud computing environment supplemented by the integration with Google Apps and new, more efficient and flexible ways of doing things become a real possibility. There is much discussion these days about alternative agency business models and for many Aspasia Cloud could be the enabling technology to help explore these new opportunities. For further information go to www.aspasia.net. Aspasia Cloud Informational Series – No.8 Preparing for the Cloud.
Cloud computing is expected to have the same kind of impact on Information Technology in the future as the migration from mainframe to personal computing did in the past. This is radical change with the potential for significant operational improvements and for huge savings in terms of IT complexity and cost. In our first article in this series we clarified our interpretation of cloud computing and how this differs from conventional web based software. Currently there are no software products in the residential property market place (including our own traditional web based version of Aspasia) that meet this criteria. The key differentiators are total hardware and browser independence, total mobility on any Internet connected device, everything required (including email) being available within the software itself and integration with other comprehensive cloud based general business services like Google Apps. For further information go to www.aspasia.net.
 Few would argue that estate and lettings agents do not rank highly amongst the most popular service providers in the eyes of the public and there are many reasons contributing to this widely held feeling. Leaving aside the ‘cowboy’ element that exists in many industries, there is a common perception that agency services are overpriced and represent poor value for money. In their defence, many agents believe that the public just don’t appreciate or fully understand the value they add and this appears to be a barrier to improving the situation. For example, many customers struggle to perceive how a charge based on a fixed percentage of a sale price or rental amount can be equitable or justifiable. Faced with this challenge, many agents resort to fixed fees or other similar schemes to help overcome this resistance. Of course for those agents who prosper under the former arrangement, perhaps largely in the more affluent areas of the country, there is little incentive to change and with Aspasia Cloud there is no need to do so. Agents can continue with their current successful business practices. For others, however, Aspasia Cloud will deliver new opportunities to offer a more varied array of services and appropriately different charging mechanisms even though in many cases, they are replicating existing processes albeit packaged in a more equitable and more easily understood fashion. The easy part To accommodate a more flexible charging mechanism, the first requirement is having the means to break out and categorise the various elements that make up the overall package or service provided. Agents must be able to control these definitions and not be restricted by hard-wired, inflexible software constraints. In this manner an agent can target new potential customers by offering an assortment of services at differing levels to suit any potential customer’s pocket. Everyone knows, for example, that there is a huge potential additional revenue stream from private landlords in the rental market who find the fixed charging structures currently offered by agents too restrictive and prohibitive by means of their inflexibility. Of course agents have the ability to alter the overall percentage fee charged to a customer for a broad classification of product provided but this is not typically accompanied by an individually defined and controlled level of service. To handle this requirement, Aspasia Cloud has a charging mechanism which allows an agency (either sales or lettings) to define their own range of services from which any potential customer can pick and choose. It may be that in many cases the option chosen is exactly what they would choose now, but the point is that to the customer, the service is much more transparent, clearly delineated and therefore, more readily appreciated and valued for what it is. Add to this a much higher level of automated customer communication made possible by internally integrated two way email services and the overall effect on the customer in terms of the level of service provided can be dramatic. The difficult part Traditional agency services are somewhat stereotyped in nature and tend to be similar nationwide. Where agencies have shrugged off this stereotype, it is often due to perceived levels of customer attention and feedback around a business function that is practised industry wide. This means that what agents actually do for their fees remains largely consistent wherever they operate because there is generally only one modus operandi. But what if there were different ways in which the job could be done, made possible by the customer being able to take responsibility for different elements of the job if they wished to do so themselves? From the agency point of view, this should not be feared because they would only charge for the specific services they provided and their associated costs would be in direct proportion ensuring a consistent level of profitability. And of course, just as we see is happening in so many other industries, customers are increasingly opting to do so many things themselves because this is being made possible by use of the Internet. Within Aspasia Cloud there are three core aspects that are opening up any manner of new opportunities for a heightened level of direct customer intervention or involvement. They are: total hardware and browser independence, the integration with other web based services such as Google Apps and finally the total change of emphasis from printed communications to email which is now fully embedded within the software itself. For competitive reasons we do not currently wish to expand on the detail of these forthcoming innovations and indeed many of them will not be present in the first release of the software. Aspasia Cloud is seen as a continually evolving process reflecting new opportunities presented by the pace of ongoing technological innovation. Nevertheless, the importance is the realistic opportunity for agents to seriously consider significantly higher levels of customer involvement in the future in return for lower fees whilst still maintaining or improving on current levels of profitability. This is being proven in businesses where cloud computing is more widely used. In summary Aspasia Cloud will offer agents the opportunity to reclassify and repackage the services they currently offer to customers in the interests of improving their image and opening up new avenues of business opportunity if they wish to do so. Alternatively, as we are at pains to point out in so many of these articles, they can continue to operate exactly as they do now. Central to this new approach is the introduction of significantly higher levels of flexibility and transparency which will also open up potentially new areas of the market currently out of reach as a result of fixed operational techniques and levels of cost. For further information go to www.aspasia.net.
Revolutionary 'Interactive Reporting'.  It could be argued that one of the main purposes of a database is not just the storage of data but the collation of information to support better decision making. The reports from systems should support the decisions you need to make rather than restrict that capability. Traditional reporting facilities in most software packages are often characterised by being rather flat and uninteresting leaving users at the mercy of the software developers to define what information they can see and how it is presented. In practice nearly all customers want slightly different information presented in slightly different ways which can be beyond the capability of many solutions. Where the software company is more accommodating, the net result is you can end up with many variations of very similar reports and the whole scenario can get very confusing.Transforming online reporting For most agents, their underlying database can be very sophisticated and complex in structure meaning that it would probably be beyond the scope of any end user to intuitively understand it and use an ‘ad hoc’ reporting tool to extract meaningful and correct information. When the scope of the database, like Aspasia Cloud, integrates sales, lettings, accounts, property management and financial services, there is the potential for a large number of data tables (in our case well over 350) with very complex interrelationships. For web based applications there is the added complication that the database is very remote from the browser and, as clever as modern browsers are, their architecture means they cannot entirely mimic the sophistication available from within a desktop-based reporting tool. Add to this the manner in which information is presented for consumption by the user. Historically we have liked the tangibility of paper, printing off reports which are consulted once and then relegated to a filing cabinet never to be seen again. One beneficial side effect of the Internet is that more and more these days we are content and confident enough to realise the permanence and flexibility of data stored in a database and we are happy to recall information and review it on screen rather than constantly commit snapshots to paper which is very expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Perhaps online banking is a very good example of this change in thinking and practice. And of course it is always possible to print out information displayed within a browser if it is really necessary. So with the migration towards the greater use of online reporting there comes a requirement for more sophistication in terms of how data is presented and one that can better accommodate all the idiosyncrasies of the many different users. It is for this reason that nearly all reporting output within Aspasia Cloud comes in the form of ‘Interactive Reports’ which will be explained in a fair amount of detail in future editions in this informational series. This month all we can realistically achieve is to give a broad overview of what we mean by Interactive Reports and how they can transform online reporting as we know it. The first element of Interactive Reporting is the concept that the developer exposes to the user all the data fields related to the subject matter of the report and, whilst initially presenting it in a form he or she believes to be best, leaves the user to add, delete, modify or format the information as they see fit. For example, the user can re-sort all the columns, create unique or different data groupings, introduce their own calculated columns using their own formulae, add additional filters to the data and introduce highlighting options like different foreground and background colours and so on. Then, if you really want to go further, all the data can, in addition, be automatically represented in colourful charts and graphs as you wish. Sharing reports But this is not all. Having spent as much time and effort as you like modifying the original report as laid out by the developer you then have the option of saving it alongside the original which will then be offered to you as an option next time you call the report so that you don’t have to expend all the effort again. Moreover you can distibute your own creation to other users as you see fit so that they too can benefit from your work. Furthermore, all the data on every report can be exported in ‘csv’ format to be easily imported into a spreadsheet for further analysis if so desired. Every report also has the option of it being presented in ‘pdf’ format so that you can store and distribute it externally as you wish.  Please remember that all these facilities for changing the supplied reports are optional and are there for you to use if you wish to do so. In reality we expect the majority of users will be perfectly happy to accept and use the reports as originally supplied either by us or as modified by another member of their organisation. The key point is that we as software developers can provide you with core reports as we have always done (albeit significantly more polished and presentable with optional graphics) but you now have the option to create the specific reports your business needs and then save them back into Aspasia Cloud for future use. As these features are so powerful and potentially beneficial to our customers we will be exploring them in more detail in the future editions of this series. Whilst much of this functionality might be readily expected in a traditional desktop based ‘ad hoc’ reporting tool the really impressive feature here is that all this is available to you online in any browser of your choice without the need for any local software whatsoever, further enhancing the flexibility of your business management.For further information go to www.aspasia.net.
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Defining the ‘cloud’
Last month, in the first
topic in this series, we reviewed the general environmental pressures
and changing trends that gave rise to the development of Aspasia Cloud
and explained what we mean by ‘Cloud’. In this edition we look at one of
the most crucial aspects of these pressures, namely the changing face
of customer expectations and how our software can help agencies to meet
these new demands. 
In last month’s edition we discussed
the impact of rapidly changing customer expectations on estate and
lettings agencies. But this is not the only pressure implying that we
need to do things differently in the future. There are many other forces
at play suggesting agencies need to reinvent themselves to ensure long
term viability and deliver an early competitive advantage in our new
digital world. 
Very
few of us run our businesses solely for altruistic reasons; the
motivation is nearly always to generate a profit which in turn leads to a
better life style with greater freedom and independence. With this in
mind this month’s edition focuses on the effect Aspasia Cloud can have
on an agent’s profitability resulting from the associated business
benefits to be expected from our own interpretation and use of cloud
technology. Increasing profitability results from a combination of
improved sales and reduced costs; we’ll consider these two areas in
turn. 
IN
TODAY’S DIGITAL age, communications are almost entirely electronic and
writing a letter is very much an exception to be used either where there
is a perceived legal requirement or where it is a customer’s
preference. Electronic communications are almost instant, very much more
efficient, entirely cost free and therefore, in most cases, an obvious
choice. 
Say
‘Google’ and most people will think of the search engine brand that now
dominates the industry. Many may also be aware that Google provides
very sophisticated and free email and mapping services. Largely through
the provision of these services they have become a huge presence in the
IT world, challenging the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Oracle in
innovation. 
Aspasia
Cloud is a breakthrough product and as such requires a degree of
explanation over and above that necessary for current software packages
in the market place. This includes our own original Aspasia product
which will continue to be offered alongside Aspasia Cloud for those
seeking a more traditional solution. This was the reason for this
“informational series” which, having largely covered the conceptual
issues, will now focus more on operational level matters and how they
can be influenced by a true cloud computing approach. In the meantime,
we’d like to reflect on the key points of earlier editions to create a
clear picture of what we are trying to achieve. These earlier editions
are available online for anyone who missed them and would like to read
them in full.
