How to Use QwikQuote in Cloud (Azure)
As
your business grows up and expands, you will need the ability to access your
quote software and/or quote data remotely.
There
are a number of approaches to extend your quote software system to get the
remote access ability.
Among them, running your quote software system in cloud is getting more and
more popular over other approaches.
If
you need the ability to access your quoting software and sharing your quote
information remotely from anywhere
the key benefits of running quoting software in cloud than other approaches to
get the similar functions include:
- Access and share your quote software and quote information anywhere as long as you have internet access.
- Simpler in implement of your quote software system without knowledge of complex technical details.
- More reliable and safe with your quote data than you implement by other approaches.
- No hardware and equipment investment and maintenance at all.
- Cheaper in overall ownership than you to implement by your own.
The
basic idea to use QwikQuote in cloud is to setup a Virtual Machine of Windows
platform computer in your Cloud such as Microsoft Azure.
And then install and run QwikQuote by way of remote desktop to the Virtual
Machine in the cloud hosted in Microsoft Azure.
The Virtual Machine/Remote Desktop approach has more power and ability than standard web application running only within browsers.
- It runs faster so that you can have almost the same look and feel
as you run your quote software at local PC.
(This is because IE runs as scripts that need to compile at run time – much slower than run compiled code.) - It and has less limitation than run your quote software only in
browsers for you can access all resources of your Virtual Machine.
(Running application within browsers is actually limit your application in a sandbox.) - It has better user experience because it has the same as you run
QwikQuote local.
This saves your time for your salespersons to re-learn and re-train them to run your quote software in web pages
and need time to slowly raise the productivity to normal status – this will significantly save your time and money investment. - It is better to communicate and exchange quote information with
other 3rd party applications such as Outlook, ACT!
(Running your quote software only in web pages will have huge difficulty and complexity to link to other applications.
If you have to use more than one applications form different providers in your quote software system, this might be a big issue to look over.)
You
can create a Microsoft Account and setup your Azure usage ready for QwikQuote
by setup a Virtual Machine of any Windows Platform
- Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2003, 2008, and 2012 or
Virtual Machine Computers
- Download QwikQuote from QwikQuote web site and run it to setup and run
QwikQuote with much the same experiences way as on your local PC.
The following are outline or general steps to implement running QwikQuote quote software in cloud (Azure).
1. Try and Feel the QwikQuote Running in the Cloud (Azure)
It is a good idea for you to try actually
running QwikQuote in Cloud (Azure) with the minimum resources and hence the
lowest price tag possible.
This will help you understand and plan your business requirement in real
production and the investment you need for you quote software system.
You can contact us for at QwikQuote Tech
support support@qwikquote.com
or QwikQuote Sales sales@qwikquote.com
for test QwikQuote running in Cloud (Azure) anywhere in the world.
We will provide you the remote desktop
connect file so that you can try and feel the effect of running your quoting
software system in cloud
with minimum resources or worst case. This will ensure your actual quote
software system in production will be better than what you know.
Hope to hear from you soon.
2.
Sign up your Microsoft Account
If you do not have a Microsoft Account,
go to the following page and try to create your Microsoft Account.
https://signup.live.com/signup.aspx?lic=1
If you already have your Microsoft Account, skip this step.
3.
Order your Cloud Product or Try it for Free First
If you have not purchased your Azure products,
then you can try it for free for up to 3 months from the following page
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/
Click at the hotspot at _files/image001.png){kind=small}
in
the following page and follow the on screen prompt to try your Azure
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/free-trial/
You can go the Azure Pricing page below to try and estimate your pricing
running QwikQuote in Cloud.
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/?scenario=virtual-machines#
For QwikQuote only, $13.00 for 1 user per month is good enough as
run QwikQuote on your local PC experiences.
such as screenshot form Microsoft Azure price estimate web page below:
_files/image002.png)
4. Prepare your Virtual Machine in Cloud to install QwikQuote
Log in your Azure Management Portal from link below:
https://manage.windowsazure.com/
And try to create a Virtual Machine as below:
On the Windows Azure portal, choose Cloud Service _files/image003.png){kind=small}
and then click the _files/image004.png){kind=small}
to
create a new Cloud service of the type Virtual Machine.
_files/image005.png)
Click the hot spot _files/image006.png){kind=small}
to
create and manage your virtual machine in Windows Azure.
_files/image007.png)
Try to choose to create a virtual machine From Gallery _files/image008.png){kind=small}
.
This is the fastest and simplest approach to create your Virtual Machine,
such as the screenshot below:
_files/image009.png)
Try to choose to create Windows Sever 2008 R2 virtual machine by click at _files/image010.png){kind=small}
such as the screenshot below:
_files/image011.png)
Try to create the Virtual Machine with the following settings
Virtual Machine Name: QQInCloud2013
New User Name: Administrator
Password: *****************
Size: Medium (2 cores, 3.5
GB RAM)
(In your production case, you should use
whatever you plan for your quote software system.)
_files/image012.png)
For simplicity of this demonstration,
Choose to create a Standalone Virtual
Machine
With the DSN Name as: QwikQuoteInCloud
And choose region at: East
US
(In your production case, you should use
whatever you plan for your quote software system.)
_files/image013.png)
And choose no Availability option
such as screenshot shown below:
_files/image014.png)
Connect to the Virtual Machine just Created by pressing at Connect hot
spot _files/image015.png)
,
such as the screenshot shown below:
_files/image016.png)
But a better approach is to move your
mouse over the Connect hot
spot and when the popup menu is shown up,
then click at the dropdown arrow of the Save button _files/image017.png){kind=small}
and then choose Save as _files/image018.png){kind=small}
to save the Remote Desktop connection file automatically created by Windows
Azure for you:
_files/image019.png)
For simplicity of this demonstration,
let/s save the RDP file to the desktop for re-use with the filename at your
choice:
_files/image020.png)
And after the RDP file is saved, then you can check and edit it or rename it
for re-use
such as the screenshot shown below:
_files/image021.png)
You can double-click the icon _files/image022.png)
to
connect to the Virtual Machine we just created.
This is the same experiences as you do remote desktop to any computer.
_files/image023.png)
When asking your permission to connect, you should say yes by pressing the
Connect button _files/image024.png){kind=small}
.
Then you should type in the Password you used above
_files/image025.png)
Type in the Password you used above char by char
– Do not use copy-paste for it will not work in this login.
_files/image026.png)
When asking your permission to connect again, you should press Yes button _files/image027.png){kind=small}
.
Voila, you are in the Virtual Machine in
Cloud now
just much the same experiences as you do with remote desktop connect to any
remote computer
such as the screenshot shown below:
_files/image028.jpg)
Add some test users as:
You can go to computer management to add some local users to the virtual machine.
UserName: qqcloudtester Passwords: qwikquote2012!
UserName: qqcloudtester2 Passwords: qwikquote2012!
UserName: qqcloudtester3 Passwords: qwikquote2012!
_files/image029.png)
Add
then add them to be as remote desktop users
_files/image030.png)
Remove
those redirected printers for they pointed to my computer now
and that is sure to get in trouble when you use remote connection from another
computer
_files/image031.png)
Add a
local printer driver to the system
this is because the re-directed printers will have problem for access rights or
re-settings in your quote software system at run time:
_files/image032.png)
Do
not share this printer from other computers
_files/image033.png)
And set it to be as Windows Default system printer.
_files/image034.png)
Add
QwikQuote web site to trusted sites list.
This will help you download QwikQuote installation file setup.exe from our web
site smoothly.
_files/image035.png)
Now
you can download QwikQuote setup.exe from
QwikQuote web site within the Virtual Machine
and run the downloaded setup.exe
to install and run QwikQuote.
This is almost the same way as you do on your local PC or office server in your
quote software system.
Depending
on your business requirement, you can install either single user, network user,
terminal server user, or Citrix App user
running mode with details as in the following pages:
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/QwikQuote
Installation Notes – Single User.htm
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/QwikQuote
Installation Notes – Network Users.htm
http://www.qwikquote.com/HowTo_HTML/QwikQuote
Installation Notes – Terminal Server and Citrix Server Users.htm
If
you do not have time to go through all details of those document – for they are
written for all details for tech-support purposes,
you can just download and run the setup file below by following the screen
prompt to get QwikQuote installed and running:
http://www.qwikquote.com/download_Setup.html
If you encounter any issue
trying to implement your Cloud Quoting Software System,
just shot us an email at support@qwikquote.com
and we are here ready to help you out.
5. The Road Leading to Success
You know, there are other approaches to
access QwikQuote remotely other than Cloud
– such as VPN, remote desktop, Windows terminal server, Citrix App Server, etc.
You need to take all factors into account include but not limited as below:
· Your present business status
· Your business grows requirements
· Your existing hardware and software base
· Your support technology and personals
·
Other
applications you need to run in your quote software system
such as Outlook, ACT, QuickBooks, GoldMine, Maximizer, TeleMagic, etc.
· Other issues you see in your views
· Data exchange between your local computers and the virtual machine in the cloud.
· How much control ability you want to have over your quotation software system.
You should carefully choose what approach
you really need to implement in your quote software system
to get your remote access and share to your quote software and quote data in
your quote software system.
If you have any specific question or
issue, you can contact QwikQuote tech support at support@qwikquote.com for help.
We are happy to go through more details with you over the issue you concerned.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Enjoy your QwikQuote – the simplest and powerful quote software in the market!