You’ve Got Your Head Up in the Cloud
It’s no secret that technology has come a long way over the years. Back in the day, when you would travel, if you needed to access your documents and files you would have to bring your entire computer with you, burn the content onto a disc, or save it on a memory stick. Nowadays, it’s so much easier! Rather than having to worry about keeping track of your miscellaneous items that hold your saved data, all you have to do is utilize “the cloud”.
What is it? – “The cloud” simply refers to a storage server that is located somewhere else, such as the provider’s server. You can access your files over the internet and the data is typically encrypted on the server. Different cloud options include: Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Box.
How do you use it? – All of your files can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. You can also use the data plan through your provider depending on where you are traveling.
Read: Doing Paperless the Right Way
What does it give you? – With the cloud, you have instant access and retrieval of your documents, data, and information. It is all easily found once it is stored and organized in the cloud. Not only can you access your files, you can edit and manage them as well.
Who can use it? – Another great option with the cloud is the ability to allow other people to see, edit, and collaborate on the files using the shared cloud storage system. You and your team don’t have to email files back and forth or be in the same place. Each of you can access the data at any time, from anywhere.
Does it back itself up? – The cloud can also be used as a backup. If your computer breaks down, you don’t have to panic! All of your information will be saved in the cloud and you will be able to log into your account and be up and running with your data again in no time. One example is an offsite computer backup service called Carbonite where you pay a monthly fee to have your entire computer data backed up to the cloud.
What about for businesses? – This is also a great, cost effective option for businesses. You no longer have to pay for a “server” to run your business on or incur countless IT costs for electronic document storage.
