MR8 Cloud FAQs

MR8-CloudIf you are wondering if MR8 Cloud is right for your business, the answers to some frequently asked questions about MR8 Cloud might help you decide:

Q: Is MR8 Cloud a hosting service or SaaS?

As the name implies, MR8 Cloud is the MR8 system in the cloud, specifically Microsoft Azure’s Cloud Services. But this doesn’t mean that we are simply hosting your MR8 on a set of remote servers.

Instead, MR8 Cloud is more like Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): It’s software that resides in the cloud which you access remotely. You can access your MR data and repository files from anywhere you have an Internet connection.

The major advantage of MR8 Cloud over MR8 Subscribe is that you can reduce overhead costs because you outsource your server hardware and software maintenance and support to us. You do not have to deal with server crashes or updating your server.

If an Azure Cloud Services server crashes, you are automatically connected to your MR data on a duplicate server in the cloud so you can keep working with no lost data. MR8 Cloud uses Microsoft SQL Server AlwaysOn feature which duplicates your MR data on multiple servers in real time.

Similarly, with MR8 Cloud you no longer back up your repository files. MR8 Cloud uses Azure Geo-Redundant Storage to store multiple copies of each file on servers in different locations. Each file is replicated three times in one region, then replicated again three times in a secondary region hundreds of miles away.

Downloading your MR data or repository files for backup from MR8 Cloud is not technically possible. But even if it was, it wouldn’t be practical – it’s too time consuming, plus you would lose any new data entered in the MR system between backups if we didn’t use Microsoft’s better-than-backup solutions.

In addition to eliminating time-wasting backups, MR8 Cloud system updates and bug fixes are installed automatically so you can take advantage of them faster. And while you will still need an MR client application on your desktop that you will have to install and update yourself, you can handle those tasks quickly with our automated wizards.

Q: What hardware/3rd-party software do I need to use MR8 Cloud?

A: Each workstation that will be using MR8 Cloud needs a desktop PC or laptop running Windows Vista or higher, equipped with:

  • 2GHz or faster processor (CPU)
  • 2GB of RAM (more if you will be running other programs with MR8)
  • 500MB of hard disk space
  • VGA monitor with 1024 x 768 resolution or higher
  • Internet access
  • Adobe Reader/Acrobat 7 or higher
  • .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or higher

Because your MR8 Cloud software, database and repository will reside in the cloud, you do not need a server, database software, repository storage, or backup system.

Q: What are the stats for the MR8 Cloud server on Microsoft Azure’s Cloud Services?

A: Compare your current server set-up to Microsoft Azure’s cloud platform, where MR8 Cloud resides:

  • 4-core CPU
  • 28GB of RAM
  • Unlimited hard disk space
  • SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Edition

Q: What’s involved in switching to MR8 Cloud?

A: The process for switching to MR8 Cloud is the same whether you have MR8 Subscribe or a purchased version of MR8:

  1. Complete the paperwork provided by MR Sales to authorize the change.
  2. Use our checklist to see that your system is ready for MR8 Cloud. MR Support can help you check all of the items off your list.
  3. Coordinate with MR Support to upload your database and repository to the cloud.
  4. After your database and repository files are uploaded, OMTI’s development team will finish set-up and activation within 24 hours.

Q: What does MR8 Cloud cost?

A: MR8 Cloud is available by subscription only. The monthly subscription fee is $250/mo. for one user, plus $60/mo. for each additional user. Standard support is included, and we waive the one-time $250 installation fee for existing MR8 clients in good standing.

The first 100GB of repository storage is included in the monthly fee. An extra $50/mo. increases repository storage to 500GB. Additional 500GB of storage cost an additional $50/mo. each.

Plug-ins are available for additional monthly fees. The subscription cost for plug-ins is the same whether you have MR8 Cloud, MR8 Subscribe or a purchased version of MR8.

Q: What about the next version of MR?

Like MR8 Subscribe, MR8 Cloud includes upgrades as well as updates. Instead of having to come up with a large lump sum at once to upgrade, the next version of MR is included in your monthly subscription.

The next upgrade of MR will not be available for purchase. MR has been subscription-only since 2012. If you want the next MR upgrade, you will have to subscribe to it.

OMTI first offered MR subscriptions in 2004 as a way for smaller agencies to more easily afford MR, but also as a way to ensure our company’s future viability. We know that our software is vitally important to our clients’ businesses, so we must continue to support our clients and develop new products.

The purchase model does not provide us with any funding stability. But with subscriptions, all of our development costs are paid for by our clients. Desirable features like case repositories, built-in word processors, and e-commerce were all made possible by our clients’ subscriptions.

Cloud-based solutions are the next evolution of software, allowing us to quickly deploy new features and bug fixes to all of our clients’ MR systems. And by hosting our clients’ MR systems on the best cloud services available, we can better ensure their systems’ safety and integrity.

Q: How can I find out more?

A: Visit omti.com or contact us: sales@omti.com or support@omti.com | 650-396-2105 | OMTI Inc., 851 California Dr., Burlingame, CA 94010

Listed under MetaRecords, MR8, MR8 Cloud |