As data dominates business planning, many enterprises struggle with the sheer volume accumulated and how to store and manage it. Data is being applied to a variety of business uses, including anticipating customer behaviors and streamlining operations, but it can be costly to store. Cloud storage is a good potential solution, but it comes with a few questions.
If you’re anticipating an investment in cloud storage, you may be evaluating providers that may offer similar solutions or promise features that seem impossible. Here are the three main questions you’ll want to ask any provider you’re considering:
How Is My Data Protected? Many cloud storage providers offer end-to-end encryption, but you will want to look for an even better, additional protection with client-side encryption. That means it not only protects the data in transit to the cloud, but it ensures safety at all times by entrusting users with complete control over encryption.
Client-side governance gives the client the ability to safeguard their information by users having the sole access to encryption keys and the ability to personalize their security options. This removes the possibility of password theft from servers and ensures that the platform won’t know the contents of files in cloud storage.
Will I Get Unlimited Storage? This is a tricky question because some solutions do claim to be unlimited, but that’s essentially an impossible promise for a provider to make. Encryption methods typically store a copy of a file on the user’s computer and in the cloud, so “unlimited” is contingent upon the user’s hard drive space. A truly unlimited storage option would require cloud storage to occur directly in the cloud.
Providers can create autonomous cloud systems that take up no space on the hard drive, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to transfer anything you want. There may be limitations on the size of files you transfer. Look instead for providers that allow for large file transfers. Every user will require it at some point, so this may be the more critical question.
How Does Your Platform Equip Us for Collaboration? Your move to cloud storage should make collaboration easier, but look at the following areas to help you choose the right provider:
Mobility: Users should be able to access stored files anywhere and at any time.
Speed: In order to speed the pace of collaboration and decision-making, users should receive a notification when stored and shared files have been altered.
Organization: Integrated team-management features allow for better control over access to files and file sharing.
Reporting: Built-in capabilities give managers information about who is working on each project and how much time they are spending on it, making it easy to optimize collaborations.
There is a growing demand for cloud storage, but before you choose a provider, contact us at Clarksys for guidance in your implementation process. We can help you assess your needs and choose a solution that works with your business goals and your budget.
