Cloud computing is pretty much becoming the norm in the corporate world. In 2023 alone, cloud computing generated revenue exceeding 300 billion US dollars. And because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the process of adoption has been sped up even further.
Cloud document storage is one of the best ways to address pandemic realities and give employees freedom. When a corporate archive is moved to the cloud, vital data becomes readily accessible from any location. Hence, employees can easily work from home or the company can adopt a hybrid workplace mode.
If you’re thinking about choosing cloud document storage, you’ll have to go through a few important considerations. These will help you determine which service offers the best price-to-quality ratio and is most in line with your needs.
Security Features
Cloud document storage should be first and foremost secure.
Business documents often hold essential data that should never get into the hands of a third party. Remote access leads to certain kinds of risks that can be mitigated through the selection of the right cloud platform.
At the very least, cloud document storage should offer SSL and encryption features, as well as access control. You should be capable of determining which team members have access to which documents. When sensitive data is only available to those who need to utilize it in their job, the risk of leaks is minimized.
Certification and licensing are also important. Ask the service provider about compliance and their security certification. Reliable customer support is also essential to address emergencies (whether linked to security or something else) quickly and efficiently.
Check out this guide to understand cloud document management security features better.
Cloud Document Storage Needs to Be Scalable
One thing is certain – your company’s cloud computing needs aren’t rigidly fixed.
Your company will change in time. Depending on new developments, you’ll either have to upgrade or downgrade the cloud document storage solution.
A high-quality service should enable immediate scalability. This is one of the biggest advantages of cloud computing and something you shouldn’t be making a compromise with. You should be capable of paying solely for what you’re using at the time being. As your company grows in the future, you’ll have the freedom to move up to a bigger cloud storage package.
Technical Capabilities and Ease of Deployment
How easy is it to deploy a brand-new cloud-based platform? If the process is complex and challenging and if it involves a lot of downtime, you’ll be losing money and productivity.
Also, make sure that the document storage platform allows for easy upgrades and modifications.
All kinds of infrastructure, even the simplest ones, require some degree of maintenance. You shouldn’t be forced to deal with a complex and expensive process in order to make the most of the cloud’s capabilities. Apart from ease of deployment, you should be given access to tech support along the way. If there’s a knowledgeable team to back you up, you’ll be making the most of your brand-new platform right off the bat.
Integration with Other Solutions
A cloud document storage platform doesn’t work in isolation.
It should be easy to integrate with the rest of your IT infrastructure. This is one very important consideration before the adoption takes place. If the cloud document storage cannot be integrated with other kinds of software you’re relying on, many corporate processes will become unnecessarily complex.
When thinking about ease of integration, take a look at your email software, invoicing, onboarding, and customer relationship management tools. Depending on your line of operation, there could be other, more specialized platforms you may want to consider integrating.
Cloud Document Storage Cost- How Important Is It?
We’ve mentioned this fact before – the cost of a service on its own shouldn’t be a crucial determining factor.
If you’ve examined all other essentials and you still can’t make up your mind between a couple of services, you should definitely take a look at the price.
Cloud computing solutions are a lot less expensive than native software installations. Still, the cost will vary from one service provider to the other.
Instead of checking out the price as a factor on its own, try to determine the price-to-quality ratio. A platform that gives you access to a bigger number of features at a slightly higher cost should definitely be prioritized over a less expensive possibility.
Cloud document storage gives you freedom, flexibility, and possibilities for effortless innovation. Still, cloud platforms aren’t created equal. It’s important to do your research before choosing one solution or the other. Security, performance, and reliability top the list as important considerations. In addition, you should come up with other criteria that matter within your line of operation. If you spend a bit of time picking a highly personalized cloud storage service, you’ll reap the benefits and enjoy a very high return on investment.