A Digital Plumber- Cloud File Sharing to the rescue!

Cloud technology is changing the way that people work together, and savvy businesses are getting on board. I speak to clients on a daily basis about their operational “clogs” and one of the biggest areas is collaboration and file management. Sometimes all they need is a “digital plumber” to come along and clear a path. More than anything, my clients want to believe in a future where you can exchange data more quickly, and securely than ever before. 

The essential capability: Cloud File sharing! Not too many years ago, workers brought physical files to meetings or left them on a colleague's desk. Today, employees email files to each other or access them through corporate content management systems. Not only true of documents, nearly all work is now electronic. “We scan everything”  one client of mine boasted recently. He admits regrettably that there are now terabytes of scanned data for his research projects that need to be made functional. The growing demand for larger quantities of data to support business functions means that many small and mid-sized businesses have data management and file sharing needs that can only be supported by large capacity systems.  Medical records and images, video clips, engineering plans, financial data, business activity reports, marketing collateral, online training and seminars, and many more types of information often spend their functional lives in “digital purgatory”.

Walk through the pearly archway to Cloud File Sharing! These solutions do provide a large scale content management solution that is available to businesses of all sizes.

Big Advantage #1 -With a cloud based file sharing solution, there is no investment in servers and large capacity disk systems to store data, and there is no software deployment. Most cloud based systems are monthly subscription based services that are fully available once an account is opened.

Big Advantage #2- Cloud systems are Internet accessible. Accessing files in a cloud can be done just as easily from a tablet in an airport or from a desktop computer in the office. With these added efficiencies, those typical clogs waiting on someone or something to help access files gets eliminated. One client of mine complained that since they had all their blueprints locked into an .ftp file sharing structure, he would get no less than 20 calls a day asking for help to navigate this system. Cloud based solutions offer the ease of a solution that does not burden the staff with technical issues.

Big Advantage #3 -The last and perhaps most important advantage for business owners is the competitive advantage they have when they utilize a managed cloud based system. Usability features like file and folder management, staff file synchronization across all devices including, desktop/laptop, tablets and mobile phones. With Mobile device support, workers on the road should be able to access files from anywhere to maximize productivity.

File sharing is a powerful collaboration tool, and there are clear advantages in adopting a cloud based solution. Make sure you have a great partner! The solution provider should offer full support for corporate customers, including business account management and live(a real person)available technical support. The solution needs to be built for performance. A file sharing solution provider should be able to demonstrate they have a secure infrastructure that maintains performance under heavy loads. I encourage clients to contact me to set up Data Center tours and talk to some wickedly smart engineers. 

Digital Plumbers, always on call!!                                    mslagle@teklinks.com