Welcome to the Mclowd Community Newsletter
Why are technology progressions that are so obvious in retrospect so hard to see while they are unfolding? And why are so many of the smartest and most experienced people and companies, and the ones most affected by the change, the least able to see it.
Machine, Platform, Crowd – Harnessing our Digital Future, 2017 p21
Introduction
As flagged in the January Newsletter, over the last 18 months Mclowd has been working closely with a number of administration firms to deliver the functionality and usability required for large scale migration within the practitioner segment of the Community.
One of those firms is Brisbane-based Super Plus.
Speaking of his decision to migrate hundreds of clients to Mclowd as part of a five year agreement, Managing Director Philip Whiteley had this to say: “We are delighted to be at the vanguard of a new model of innovation, which offers Super Plus the opportunity to shape the evolution of the software on an ongoing basis.
The move will also reduce our projected licensing costs by more than $33,000 per annum.
As the needs and expectations of our clients evolve we are looking for partners who can give us an edge. In that context, the shift to Mclowd is a no-brainer.”
The Mclowd Model
SMSF professionals like Philip Whiteley are not joining the Mclowd Community because of what it is today. They are backing Mclowd because of the future it represents.
To date Mclowd Pty Ltd has deployed 90% less capital than some of the incumbent SMSF software providers. This reflects the fact that Mclowd can develop / deploy software at a per unit cost that is 90% less.
As was always going to be the case, this capital structure / operating model is now showing up in the commercialisation process, with devastating consequences for any incumbent who cannot respond to the deflation that is going on all around them.
Subscribers to this Newsletter who would like to better understand what Mclowd implies for the future of work (and organisations) are encouraged to listen to this podcast by MIT Professors Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson.
Savings Calculator
Mclowd has reached a point where it is appropriate to publish a savings calculator that will allow practitioners to estimate the nominal savings that are available (in terms of licence fees, based on their specific firm / client profile).
During the June and September quarters we will also be offering multi-year licence specials to the practitioner segment of the Community:
- Three years for the price of two
- Five years for the price of three
While this is unusual in the SMSF software space, the scale of the price deflation that Mclowd is delivering means that firms can sign up for multi-year licences with minimal (if any) impact on their FY19 cashflow, while generating total savings that will in some cases be measured in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Further details will be provided in the next Practitioner Update.
Introductory Webinar
Existing and prospective users looking for more information on the above are welcome to join our next Introductory Webinar, scheduled for Thursday April 12th at 12:30pm AEST.
Conclusion
Incumbents in the SMSF software space are throwing enormous amounts of resources at increasing the actual value which their technology platforms provide, and they can be rightly proud of what they have achieved.
However the decision by Super Plus (along with hundreds of other SMSF firms) to engage with Mclowd illustrates a simple microeconomic reality:
You cannot outrun the decline in perceived value of technology with technology itself.
Regards
Ashley Porter
Managing Director
Mclowd Pty Ltd