In Livingston, New York, there is a very little known mountain that hides the secrets of millions of Americans. Known as Iron Mountain, it has been used for over fifty years as a document storage facility for banks, businesses, and even the government. With the increase in information theft, high costs of real estate storage space, and the increase of privacy regulations by the government, companies are always seeking ways to protect their information, manage their office space, and comply with the law. These three efforts have led many companies to appreciate and utilize thecloud. Cloud storage has eliminated the need for businesses to maintain mountains of information (in the form of paper, i.e. filing cabinets), reducing costs of storage and all the expenses and risks that go with it. The explosion of consumers taking advantage of the cloud is the greatest testimony to the effectiveness of the cloud. The firms that have made the most use of the cloud see immediate results in the bottom line, sending droves of entrepreneurs to the cloud. The idea of a paperless society is becoming more of a reality every day as this new frontier is taken advantage of.
Who is Using the Cloud?
Anyone in business has at least heard of Quicken or QuickBooks, which are both offered as part of the cloud services through Intuit, which is also a platform for TurboTax. These are mostly household names in terms of what crosses the paths of consumers quite regularly. What is worth taking note of with these three businesses is the extraordinarily sensitive information they manage. Further, the programs are involved with sophisticated calculations and extremely high levels of accountability by the regulatory bodies of the government. In a competitive marketplace in a down economy management of resources in a way that reduces operation cost is necessary for survival. The real world application of anywhere, anytime marketing has even attracted the attention of the C.I.A., who needs global access to accurate information at a moment’s notice and has issued contracts for cloud services for several years. The cloud transcends business models for one simple reason: if you use paper, the cloud can save you money. Everyone likes to save money.
Immediate Application
Take a look around your office and consider the materials necessary for its function. Do you write receipts or contracts? Do you compile information for customer profiles or employee assistance? Does your printer and fax machine spend so much time beeping, buzzing, and working that you have to keep them in a separate room to hear on the telephone? With the cloud, a traditional fax-machine is unnecessary, and a printer starts to collect dust. While not every business can put every document on the cloud, it pays to consult with professionals who can offer solutions to reduce paper consumption.. With nearly all documents being prepared on a software program and nearly all software programs working interactively with the cloud, the transition away from paper has become a much easier process. Some companies just prepare documents and scan them to the cloud using it only as a storage medium. Other companies operate software within the cloud, and the customers will complete the documents themselves through interaction with the software, while other businesses rely on the solely on the cloud for all of their needs.
Overcoming Obstacles
Emails typically have a maximum size limit for the output or input of data that is managed. Documents that fall under privacy statutes must be securely delivered, often with some encryption. One way businesses have solved this problem in the past was to print the package and mail it with a return receipt. Some companies would fax large packages over a phone line in small increments. While both of these processes work most of the time, with the cloud a consumer can instantly fax an enormous set of paperwork with the point and click of a mouse over the internet to a phone line or to another computer.
What about you?
There is a whole generation of individuals who will readily admit they are not computer literate. Business busy individuals are often so engrossed in what is required of them that they do not have the time to explore and discover the options on the internet marketplace. The beauty of the cloud is its simplicity and reliability. It is now possible never to lose a vital document or a precious memory as everything transitions from tangible destructible items to electronic cloud-based intelligent design. It is now possible to take your office to the customers where they are and expand your base. It is now possible to meet the requirements of law for the preservation of records and privacy protection. The question really is, are you going to take advantage of the technology available and potentially transform your business overnight? Or, are you going to leave one of the greatest tools in the tool box collecting dust? With a swipe or click you can be part of this adventure of technology that is at your fingertips, literally. Only you can decide.
About the author:
The author, Ray Donato, is currently studying computer sciences at MIT, using his writing abilities to supplement income while he pursues his degree. In dealing with financial aid and other related matters, he frequently finds himself needing to send faxes, but lacks a fax machine of his own, to get around this problem he highly recommends making use of an online fax service, and recommends going to http://findafax.com to compare different providers and find one that fits your needs.