Step Into The Cloud, It’s A Soft Landing!

 

The benefits of content management systems, (also known as paperless office systems), aren’t new, they offer enhanced customer service, multiple ways to retrieve documents, and reduction of storage space. What is new? Fairly new, that is? Content management systems hosted on the cloud.

When I started at Deau in 2003, I remember competing with the ASP models (before SAAS or Cloud were common terms). These were usually sold by copier companies and were often set up without guidelines to effectively retrieve documents. I wasn’t a fan, as the model distributed cost by putting multiple customers on the same server. The reliance on broadband added complexity and cost to ensure you could connect. Do you remember how sporadic and slow DSL could be at peak times? Even if you were connected, you never knew if the speed would return information fast enough to improve your productivity? All of this seemed an unnecessary risk.

When our primary software manufacturer first offered cloud services, I remained skeptical. The first generation was slow. The initial functionality didn’t provide the response time and user experience of a locally installed system. We offered this feedback when asked and they kept working. However, after a few years of development, the cloud functionality we see now meets or exceeds what you can get from a system installed locally. Internet speed anywhere has caught up with most business users, even in rural areas.

In the wake of COVID-19, working remotely has made it to the front lines for all businesses. When offered as a perk, investing in teleworking is a differentiator you can highlight as you try to attract new talent. In the face of a pandemic, it may be the differentiator that keeps your business afloat when some can’t maintain business as usual. Ensuring workers have ready access to their documents and files, even if they must work at home, is a solid way to protect your people AND your business.
If your business isn’t supporting teleworking, there is still time to get things up and running using a cloud-based infrastructure. Three hallmarks of the Laserfiche cloud infrastructure underscore how useful it could be in the next few months.

Speed of Deployment

First, there is the speed of getting up and running. A cloud system can be deployed in days, and systems are smart and can learn how you work. This means that setup can be reduced as the system “learns” your business processes.

Elasticity: Systems can grow and shrink with your needs.

Previously, you had to determine how many users you needed up front and purchase them. We encouraged customers to “buy light” because you couldn’t give back user licenses once you had purchased them. In the cloud, users are subscribed, not purchased. Providers understand that for special circumstances, businesses may need to ramp up or down. Special data validation projects can expand to give access to hundreds of users for a time, and then scale back down when appropriate. This license flexibility means you don’t have to spend months on studies and analysis before you begin.

Security

Initially I mentioned concerns about having multiple users on the same server. That changed this year when I had a locally installed system hit with ransomware. I saw firsthand the cost of restoration. My users were left with few options to restore their data. They could pay the ransom or wait for the decryption codes from law enforcement. This didn’t account for downtime as we restored their business process systems. As we moved them to a hosted datacenter, it became clear that for many customers the robust security in Amazon and Azure platforms was a pragmatic choice. While the largest companies can still afford to cost effectively maintain their own data centers, most users are well served by virtualized and hosted environments.

We believe that the investment in cloud is prudent for any business. This is an investment that can protect your employees and your business continuity. If you’re looking for ways to prepare, Deau can help to make that a little easier with a brief phone call. Not every business can support teleworking, but many can. Making the effort is the responsible thing to do.