By Fatima Roels Glen, Global Product Manager for Loyalty, NCR Voyix

One frequently asked question that shows up in my inbox more and more often is: When moving from on-premise to cloud-hosted Loyalty, will my users still have direct access to the SQL database?

Of course, the short answer is No. But there’s so much more to it than a binary yes or no answer. I would like to use this blog post unpack the rationale behind why cloud-hosted solutions are managed so differently from on-premise solutions, and illustrate why no direct DB access is less of a denial of access and more of a change in ways of working.

When we migrate a retailer’s loyalty solution to a cloud-hosted environment, we know that the process is offering retailers an opportunity to modernize systems… and we’re also aware that it introduces the odd technical hurdle, in this instance we’re focusing on data accessibility.

Recognizing and addressing these challenges is part of our project approach when enabling our retailers with a new, cloud-based solution: yes, we leverage APIs and analytics services to provide more agile and insightful ways to interact with loyalty data… But, before we skip ahead to the answer, let’s start by talking about the reasons why it’s not good practice to enable direct access to the database of a cloud-hosted solution.

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Direct DB Access – Why Not?

• Security and compliance - Direct access to the database can pose security risks, like unauthorized data access or modifications, and potential exposure of sensitive information. Compliance requirements often mandate strict controls on who can access data.
• Data integrity - Allowing end users to directly interact with the database can lead to accidental or unintentional data corruption, compromising the integrity of the data.
• Performance - Direct access to the database by multiple users can lead to performance issues, like slow query responses or system overload, which can affect the overall user experience
• Complexity - SQL queries can be complex and end users may not all possess the same level of skills in terms of constructing such queries correctly. Misuse or poorly-written queries can lead to inefficient data retrieval and increased system load.
• Scalability and IAM - In addition to the above, direct database access does not scale will with a growing or changing number of users. Transitioning from an in-house managed database to a cloud-based one will necessitate a shift in authentication and authorization practices. Direct database access methods, typically used in on-prem setups will be replaced by more complex, cloud-based identity and access management systems, and this change will require careful review of access permissions to ensure continuity in access to data.
• Version Control and updates - As a provider of a cloud-hosted loyalty solution, NCR Voyix engineers update and maintain databases and other components of the tech stack. Allowing direct access could interfere with version control, schema changes and maintenance process.

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Embrace New Ways of Accessing Data

As we migrate our retail customers to cloud-hosted loyalty solutions, whether AMS, LoyaltyPro or our next-gen loyalty solution NCR Voyix Loyalty, we are continuously evolving and exploring newer and more efficient ways for retailers to access and utilize their data. So, even though direct access to the database in a cloud-hosted solution is not available, there are other ways in which to modernize the process of data access.

• Access to Data through APIs and web services - Integration through APIs represents a versatile and scalable method for data interaction within cloud-hosted loyalty programs. Our retailers can connect their systems or 3rd party services with the loyalty database seamlessly, enabling ret-time data exchanges that enhance operational efficiency and customer service.
• Leveraging Analytics/Insights - Our platform-based analytics service offers powerful slicing tools and interfaces for retailers to derive actionable insights from their Loyalty program data. Analyzing customer interactions and purchasing behaviors as well as sales and offer redemption trends allows NCR Voyix retailers to use their data and insights to strategically refine offerings, and improve customer engagement and program performance.

In short, when we deploy a loyalty solution in a cloud-hosted environment, the process involves careful consideration of authentication, network security, access and data migration process – all to ensure continued functionality and performance. If you’d like to discuss migrating to hosted loyalty, our professional services teams would love to hear of the how you have accessed data in the past, and work with you to help you modernize – not just the loyalty solution – but also the processes around how you are able to access data and benefit from it.