The benefits of cloud in oil and gas

When I do presentations of energysys.com, and I show how good it is and how it can transform a company’s business, I’m often asked whether it can be installed locally, and why we believe in the benefits of cloud software in oil and gas. The answer to the first question is “no”, but the second question requires a more considered response. Why, indeed, do we deliver our solution for production reporting and allocation in the cloud?

There are many good reasons why we chose to base our solution for production reporting and allocation in the cloud, but the more I think about this question, the more I think, “why not?”. I’m reminded of the Bob Newhart sketch about the driving instructor, and the conversation that would occur if you tried to sell locally installed solutions to a world that was more familiar with cloud delivery…..

“Yes, we have this great new software solution”

“No, I know you’re not interested in software. Yes, I know you’re only interested in how it helps your business. But this is really great software.”

“No, it’s not delivered in the cloud, you have to install it locally.”

“No, we don’t provide hardware, you do that yourself. You might want to choose some fairly big machines, as I’m not sure how much resource you’ll need in the future.”

“No, we don’t provide software licenses. Don’t you already have those?”

“Yes, we do upgrades, but they’re not free, and the migration of your existing data might be tricky.”

“You’re unhappy? Sorry, but I’m afraid you’re tied in…”

The more I think about it, the more I think that this is mad. Really. The next time you are thinking about production accounting and reporting solutions, think about the benefits of cloud.