Cloud based asset management is a way of running your asset register, maintenance and audits in software that is hosted by the vendor and reached over the internet, instead of installed on your own servers. Your team signs in from a browser or a phone app, and everyone works from the same records: what you own, where it is, who has it, what it cost and when it was last serviced.
Most asset software sold today is delivered this way, as software as a service (SaaS). This guide explains what that means in practice, the benefits and the real limits, how cloud compares with an on-premise install, and the questions to ask before you choose a cloud asset management system.
What is cloud based asset management?
Cloud based asset management is the practice of keeping asset records, tracking, maintenance and reporting in a system hosted on the vendor’s servers and accessed over the internet. The vendor runs the servers, database, backups and upgrades. Your organization pays a subscription and uses the system from any approved device with a connection.
The asset side of the work does not change. You still record each asset, tag it, track moves, plan maintenance, count what is on site and report on value. What changes is who runs the computers underneath. That shift moves a lot of routine work off your IT team and makes the same data available at every site.
How cloud computing fits asset management
“Cloud” covers three service models. Knowing which one a vendor sells tells you what you will still have to run yourself.
| Model | What the provider runs | What you run | Asset management example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software as a service (SaaS) | The application, database, servers and upgrades | Your data, users and settings | A hosted asset management system you sign in to |
| Platform as a service (PaaS) | Servers, operating system and runtime | The application you build and its data | A custom asset app your developers write and deploy |
| Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) | Servers, storage and network | Operating system, database, application and upgrades | Your own install of asset software on rented cloud servers |
When people search for cloud asset management software, they almost always mean SaaS. The rest of this guide uses the two terms together.
Benefits of a cloud based asset management system
The benefits come from two facts: the data lives in one place, and someone else keeps the system running.
One register every site shares
Spreadsheets drift apart. Each site keeps its own copy, someone edits an old version, and nobody can say which list is right. A cloud based asset management system holds one register, so purchase details, locations, custodians, warranties and maintenance history are the same for the plant, the head office and the auditor. Departments stop emailing files to each other and start looking at the same record.
Access from the office, the plant floor and home
A browser and a sign-in are all a desk user needs. Field staff use a phone app to scan a tag, check an asset’s history or close a job at the machine. Managers can approve a transfer or read a report without being on the company network.
Lower up-front cost and quicker start
There is no server to buy, no database license and no installation project. The subscription replaces a large purchase with a predictable monthly or annual cost, and a pilot site can be running in days. Plans usually scale by assets or users, so you pay for what you use and add capacity as you grow.
Upgrades and backups handled for you
The vendor applies upgrades and security fixes centrally. Nobody has to update software on every computer, and every user is on the same version. Backups and recovery are part of the service, which matters most to small teams with no database administrator.
Better data for decisions
When every move, repair and count is recorded in one system, reports become trustworthy. You can see which assets cost the most to maintain, which sit idle, which warranties expire next month and what the register is worth. Real-time data also feeds planned maintenance, so work is raised before a breakdown instead of after it.
Security and an audit trail
A well-run cloud service gives a small or mid-size company controls it would struggle to build alone: single sign-on, two-factor sign-in, role-based access and a record of who changed what. Ask any vendor to show these in the product rather than describe them.
Limits of SaaS asset management to plan for
Cloud is the right choice for most organizations, but it has trade-offs a buyer should weigh honestly.
- Connectivity. A hosted system needs the internet. Field teams in basements, plants or remote sites need a mobile app that works offline and syncs later.
- Control over data and upgrades. Your data sits on the vendor’s servers, and upgrades arrive on the vendor’s schedule. Some regulated or defense sites are not allowed to send data out at all.
- Customization limits. You configure a SaaS product; you do not rewrite it. Check that custom fields, statuses and approval steps cover your process.
- Dependence on the vendor. Ask how you export your data, what happens at the end of the contract and how the vendor handles outages.
Cloud vs on-premise asset management
Cloud based asset management and an on-premise install hold the same kind of records. The difference is who runs the system and where the data lives.
| Factor | Cloud (SaaS) | On-premise |
|---|---|---|
| Where data lives | The vendor’s hosted servers | Servers you own, inside your network |
| Up-front cost | Subscription, no hardware | Hardware, installation and usually a higher license cost |
| Setup time | Days | Weeks, depending on your IT team |
| Upgrades | Applied by the vendor | Applied by your IT team when you choose |
| Backups | Part of the service | Your team runs and tests them |
| Access | Anywhere with a connection | Your network, or through a VPN |
| Internet needed | Yes, with offline mobile working | No, for everything that runs on your server |
| Best for | Most businesses, multi-site teams, small IT teams | Sites where data may not leave, or with no reliable internet |
If your policy requires on-premise, check whether the vendor’s on-premise edition is the same product as its cloud edition or an older, thinner one. Asset Infinity’s on premise CMMS page shows what an install on your own servers involves.
Why asset managers choose SaaS asset management
Asset and maintenance managers tend to give the same reasons for moving to a SaaS system:
- Real-time tracking without a project. Scanning a barcode, QR or RFID tag updates the record at once, so location and condition are current instead of whatever the last spreadsheet said.
- Lower software spending. No servers, no client installs and no separate upgrade budget.
- Security they could not build alone. Single sign-on, two-factor sign-in, role-based access and an audit trail come with the service.
- Current features. New features and security fixes arrive without a reinstall.
- Data in one place. When a job is scheduled, they can see who is working on it, what the asset has cost and how often it has failed.
How to get the most from a SaaS asset management system
Buying the software is the start. These steps decide whether it pays off.
- Be clear about the job. Decide whether you need an asset register, maintenance, IT asset discovery or all three, and buy the modules that match.
- Clean the data before you import. Remove duplicate assets, agree on categories and give every asset a unique number. A cloud system will not fix a messy spreadsheet; it will only share it faster.
- Fit it to how each team works. Set up sites, locations, statuses and custom fields that match your operation, whether that is a hospital, a plant or an office estate.
- Tag everything. Labels let people scan instead of type, which keeps the register accurate after the first count.
- Use the reports. Watch maintenance cost per asset, idle assets and assets near replacement, and feed them into renewal and purchase planning.
What to look for in cloud asset management software
Use this checklist on every shortlist and ask the vendor to show each item in a demo.
| Capability | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Offline mobile app | Work continues where the signal drops |
| Barcode, QR and RFID scanning | Scanning keeps locations and counts accurate |
| Bulk import with validation | The first load from spreadsheets is where errors creep in |
| Single sign-on and two-factor sign-in | Staff use one identity, and leavers lose access |
| Role and site-level access | People see only the sites and assets they manage |
| Audit trail | Auditors and investigators need to know who changed what |
| API and integrations | Asset data should reach finance and IT systems without exports |
| Data export and an on-premise option | You keep control if your needs change |
How Asset Infinity runs cloud based asset management
Asset Infinity is an asset management platform that runs in our cloud or on your own servers, built from the same release. In the cloud version:
- One register for every site. The asset register holds each asset’s number, category, site and location, custodian, cost, warranty and status. The Import screen takes CSV or Excel, maps your columns, and checks every row before anything is written.
- Tags and scanning. Assets can carry QR, barcode, NFC, RFID or BLE tags, and the label designer prints them. See asset tracking software for how teams use them.
- A field app that works offline. The mobile app for iOS and Android keeps an encrypted copy of each person’s work, so jobs, scans and verification counts continue without a signal and sync when it returns.
- Security in the database. Sign-in through SAML, OpenID Connect or LDAP, two-step sign-in, roles and site access, and an audit trail that cannot be edited. Each customer’s data is separated by row-level security. The security page covers the details.
- Maintenance in the same system. Work order software and preventive plans run against the same asset records.
Every plan starts with the asset register at $130 a month for up to 500 assets with unlimited users. You can build a quote for your number of assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between cloud and SaaS asset management?
Cloud is the wider idea of computing delivered over the internet. SaaS asset management is one form of it, where the vendor hosts and runs the whole application and you sign in to use it.
Is cloud based asset management secure?
It can be more secure than a system a small team runs itself, provided the vendor offers single sign-on, two-factor sign-in, role-based access and an audit trail. Ask to see each one in the product.
Can cloud asset management software work without internet?
The web application needs a connection. A good mobile app keeps the work on the phone, lets people scan and update records offline, and syncs when the signal returns.
When is on-premise a better choice than cloud?
When regulation or company policy says data may not leave your network, or when a site has no reliable internet. Otherwise cloud is usually quicker to start and cheaper to run.