Cloud storage is becoming a buzzword nowadays. People talk about the Cloud like it is a mysterious object that works through magic. Cloud storage is a model of networked online storage where data is stored in virtualized pools of storage which are generally hosted by third parties. Let’s break down what that really means. In essence, storing documents in the Cloud means that when you upload a file to the storage provider using the internet, you can access that data whenever you want from any computer with an internet connection, including most smart phones.
It doesn’t take long to realize just what it could mean to your company to be able to access data anytime from any place. Many companies store files on a local area network (LAN) so that data is accessible to everyone in the office at any given time. This helps employees to organize, find, and store files in a central location that everyone in the office has access to.
If you work on a LAN, you know how frustrating it can be if you need to leave the office but still have work to do that can’t wait for the next day. To compensate for this, employees sometimes need to download files and transfer them from their work computer to home computer and back to their work computer later on. While your employees may not be doing anything wrong, the information they take with them is more vulnerable that way.
We wanted to help solve this problem, so we created a Cloud-based system where data can be stored and accessed at anytime, anywhere. This means your employees don’t have to download important files to edit them; they can log in wherever they have internet and access them on the go.
In the process, we found several benefits of storing data in the Cloud. Here are just a few:
Access Data from Anywhere
We’ve already touched on this one, but we’ll say it again. Possibilities open up when you are able to access data anytime, anywhere. It just might save you a half hour car ride to the office after hours when you really need to finish up that project.
Data is Always Backed Up
If you have had a hard drive crash on you, you know that it never comes at a convenient time. All of those important files you had can be lost in an instant, and unless you’ve prepared by backing up your hard drive (a good practice that we always recommend), you may never be able to get any of those files back. Think about that video of your 12-month-old taking his first steps and losing that file forever. Makes you think twice, doesn’t it?
Get More out of Each Employee
Paper and ink can be very expensive. If you don’t believe us, take a look at this. Finding and filing paper takes time that costs your company money. Searching for a file by its title or contents takes seconds. That time your employees save means extra productivity and a higher capacity for workload. Employees can also collaborate on projects much more easily in the Cloud. Since any given document is stored and saved in the same place, everyone is looking at the same document all the time.
Data Security
Many Cloud storage solutions allow you to determine who has access to what information, and what they can do once they have access, whether that means they can only view the file, edit the file, or download the file to their machine. Complete control makes data stored in the Cloud more secure than ever.