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New help guide provides practical guidance and advice on moving to the Cloud and maximizing the benefits of cloud computing.

Salesforce.com, the enterprise cloud computing company, today announced the availability of “Moving to the Cloud and Reaping the Rewards”; a free online help guide which gives SMEs an insight into the benefits of cloud computing and key issues to consider when migrating to this new business model. The guide is available to download at http://www.salesforce.com/uk/smallbusinesscenter/

“Moving to the Cloud and Reaping the Rewards” explains why SMEs are finding the prospect of cloud computing so appealing at a time when many are fighting hard to remain profitable. It outlines the benefits of cloud computing from reduced upfront capital expenditure to lower IT and maintenance costs and from enhanced scalability to the provision of faster real-time access to key information and streamlined project management.

The guide shows SMEs how cloud computing can bring benefits to different areas of their business from customer relationship management (CRM) to their complete sales process. It also outlines how SME customers can create their own applications in the cloud for key focus areas such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), human resource management (HRM) and supply chain management (SCM).

There is a section devoted to the benefits of real-time business collaboration, a new approach typified by  Salesforce Chatter, a Cloud 2 app which leverages the social features popularized by Facebook, Google and Twitter, such as profiles, status updates and real-time feeds, and empowers businesses with new levels of productivity only possible in the cloud.

The comprehensive guide also features a top tips section for SMEs moving into the cloud and customer success stories, featuring salesforce.com SME customers that are already reaping the rewards of this new approach to business operations.

“Many SMEs feel let down by traditional IT systems: implementations which promised to drive revenue generation and competitive edge but instead proved to be expensive and difficult to manage and failed to deliver expected value and return on investment (ROI),” says Steve Garnett, chairman EMEA, salesforce.com. “This help guide shows SMEs that there is an alternative approach which will help them move away from the complexities and costs of traditional IT systems and achieve enhanced productivity, profitability and competitiveness. It outlines a migration strategy and shows SMEs what they can do to make the most of their new life in the cloud.”

About salesforce.com

Salesforce.com is the trusted enterprise cloud computing company. Based on salesforce.com’s real-time, multitenant architecture, the company’s Force.com platform and apps (http://www.salesforce.com/crm) have revolutionized the way companies collaborate and communicate. Salesforce.com’s cloud offerings include:

• The Sales Cloud, for sales force automation and contact management
• The Service Cloud, for customer service and support
• The Jigsaw Data Cloud, for ensuring data integrity and quality
• Salesforce Chatter, for social collaboration
• The Force.com platform, for custom application development
• Database.com, the world’s first enterprise cloud database
• The AppExchange, the world’s leading marketplace for enterprise cloud computing apps