HR Cloud Solutions

Generally, HR software is a system designed to manage employee data and automate human resources tasks, from storing employee documents and payroll information, managing holidays and absence, and tracking performance, to recognising and rewarding employees, inputting expenses, and handling all aspects of people admin.

Cloud HR software, more specifically, is a Saas (software as a service) HR software option that is accessed via your web browser on the internet. Many businesses are choosing to move their business processes to the cloud.

The main difference between cloud-based software and desktop software is that the system and data are stored on third party servers rather than on the computers in your office.

"The cloud" is short for cloud computing. It is a vast network of remote servers linked together that store data, and deliver applications and services that run on the internet.

Cloud HR software comes with a range of key features like onboarding tools, document storage, performance management, reporting dashboards, employee self-service, and integration with payroll and accounting systems. It helps HR managers and HR professionals keep everything in one place, improving efficiency and supporting better employee data management.

Cloud HR solutions have many benefits over traditional desktop software solutions.

These are:

• Installation - No installation is required, you simply sign up to the service and it's easy to get started.

• Access - You can access your cloud-based HR system remotely from anywhere you have an internet connection from any device including PC, Mac, tablet, and mobile. This facilitates better collaboration among distributed teams.

• Efficiency - Being able to access the HR system from anywhere at anytime brings efficiency savings and offers the advantage of keeping data up to date in real-time

• Back-ups - Data is stored remotely and is automatically backed up

• Cost - Unlike desktop software, the cost is spread over low monthly subscription payments without large upfront costs

• Updates - Updates on the cloud happen automatically

• Support - Saas cloud HR systems generally offer robust software support via email and online chat. Breathe also offer telephone support, which is unusual for a Saas HR cloud HR system provider. Cloud solutions cut down the need for an internal IT specialist.

• Compatibility - Cloud applications run on a browser so it doesn't matter what operating system or platform you are using.

Generally speaking, cloud HR software offer many more advantages over desktop HR software, as per the benefits outlined above. The only real possible negatives for cloud HR software solutions are the need for a high-speed internet connection and the reliability and downtime of providers.

Breathe uses a robust elastic server solution to meet the needs of businesses, with uptime at an impressive 99.99 percent.

All sorts of companies across a wide range of sectors use cloud HR software for their HR needs, from start-ups to large corporates. Breathe's cloud HR software for small businesses has been developed to suit the needs of UK based SMEs up to 200 employees.

Cloud-based HR has transformed accessibility to HR software, which traditionally cost a lot more upfront and required IT expertise to install and update. With SaaS, the pricing of HR has changed dramatically for the better, making it affordable to small businesses.

Breathe's monthly subscription fees start at £22 per month (excluding VAT) for micro-businesses. The price you pay is based on the number of employees you have, not per employee.

See Breathe pricing here. 

Not usually. Most cloud HR solutions are charged on a monthly subscription basis. Breathe don't charge set-up fees and we don't charge cancellation fees either.

It is super easy to access your data, as long as you have an internet connection and a device with a web browser.

Your employee data and HR records are safely hosted and stored on remote servers. With Breathe, all of your data is held in our highly secure data centre in the UK. Our data centre has complete CCTV coverage, motion sensors, reinforced doors, controlled key storage systems and other additional physical controls.

Read more about Breathe security standards here.

Cloud-stored data is generally more secure than locally stored data. Your data with Breathe is secure, DPA compliant, safe, and available only to you.

We use HTTPS encryption to ensure your data is always encrypted as it travels between our servers and your web browser. Breathe has responsibly adopted the ISO27001 security standard so you'll have guaranteed peace of mind knowing that all bank details, national insurance numbers and other sensitive details are safely stored in one online place.

Breathe is compatible with any web browser, we would always recommend you use the most up to date version of any internet browser for security. The browsers we would recommend are:

• Google Chrome

• Mozilla Firefox

• Safari

• Microsoft Edge

• Internet Explorer 

Cloud solutions are generally updated much more regularly than with desktop software. Breathe software is continually updated with releases and updates of any size being released every week. 

Integrations between your cloud HR software and existing systems are crucial to help reduce data entry and make business operations more efficient. Most businesses have some systems that need to talk to each other (for example, integrating employee data within an HR system with payroll and accounts).

Breathe's open API system offers the perfect solution for syncing data to save you the trouble of manually inputting the same data into multiple systems.

API is short for Application Programming Interface. It's a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other and exchange information.

Yes. With most HR systems you will need an API to do this. Breathe anticipated this need and include a payroll export feature in their HR product.

At Breathe, keeping your employee data safe is a top priority. Our cloud HR software is built with strong data security measures to protect your information at every step.

From role-based access controls to secure document storage, your sensitive employee data is kept safe, encrypted and backed up in real time.

With all your HR data stored in one secure platform, you can manage employee records with confidence—knowing everything is compliant, protected and only visible to the right people.