Should Your Business Relocate To The Clouds? (John A Adam)

Have you been hearing people talk about cloud this and cloud that and felt a bit awkward when you realized they were not discussing the weather? Cloud technology refers to online data storage and remote access systems that use satellites to connect users to their information. It's an alternative to storing information on your computer hard drive or on discs. This frees up space, protects your data from physical harm that could strike in the office and allows for remote access from any location with internet access. It is not entirely new. Web-based email providers such as Gmail and Hotmail have been using cloud-based email storage for years. But this technology can help with much more than just your email messages.

How can your company take advantage of cutting edge cloud technology to improve productivity?

* You can archive old data including emails, documents and still have easy and almost instant access to the material without having it take up space on your hard drive or in your office.

* You can store sensitive human resources details online and protect it from staff members in the office who might be tempted to snoop through physical files without making it any more difficult for the appropriate people to access.

* You can retrieve financial information while at a meeting with your bank or accountant without compromising security.

* You can work on the go. Whether you want to catch up on things at home in the evening, keep on what's happen when you are away at a conference or turn your passenger commuting time into productive office hours, cloud based technology makes it easy.

* You will never forget to bring an important document anywhere. Nothing is more annoying than pulling up to a meeting in another town or checking in for flight and then realizing you left that critical document on your desk. Sure, someone can email it to you... when they have a chance. But with cloud-based storage, as long as you are somewhere with internet access, your entire office is at your fingertips.

All of this adds up to a lot of saved time and faster computer speeds. Cloud-based technology is not a fad. It is here to stay because it meets the needs of so many businesses so completely. While some may worry about data security, in reality, most cloud-based storage providers are using a comprehensive mix of cutting edge security strategies to protect the data they hold.

In fact, they no longer need everyone to work in the same physical office. Cloud based technology changes everything. While many people's first reaction to change is to feel worry and resist it, cloud based technology really is easy to use and makes businesses much more flexible.