Your company is growing and it’s time to increase the IT budget and get on board with the latest trend: team collaboration software. You have come to the realisation that email just does not cut it as a communication tool, and that something more efficient is needed.
You need file storage with version control, especially after that incident where one of your clients received an out-of-date proposal because one email was missed. A workspace for your team to discuss and share ideas would also be a great idea. You are not willing to spend an extraordinary amount on setting up a server in the office, since just the infrastructure needed would be a much larger project than you want right now. So going to the cloud is the natural thing to do for covering your needs.
But what can you gain from cloud-based applications in general?
Availability
No matter what device, not where you are located geographically, a cloud-based software will always be available for use. Working remotely? Visiting a client? Access all your documents from your phone, tablet or laptop.
With a good SLA (Service Level Agreement) any reputable software should also have close to 100% uptime. Systems are in place to make sure that anything, barring natural disasters, will keep the servers running.
Security
On common argument against keeping sensitive company data in the cloud is the matter of security. This may have been a valid point in a past, but nowadays all software will have at least 128bit encryption. Cracking one 128bit key would take at least a couple of million years, so your data is quite safe. On top of that many cloud-based systems encrypt data with 256bit encryption, which is even harder to crack.
Let’s just say that the likelihood of someone breaking into the office and steal the data is more probable than someone accessing your cloud files.
Convenience
No more software updates having to be installed on all computers, no more hiring technicians to install hardware and no more reliance on an internal IT department, all contribute to the convenience factor. Set up the system the way you want it, and then forget about it; that’s the alluring ease of cloud software.
Add to this the fact that you can find a solution that incorporates various features and tools so that you do not need to keep track of multiple programs and systems. With all this weight of argument in favour of a smart solution to your business requirements, online collaboration software is a given.
So do your research based on your needs, check reviews and move to the cloud today!
