Migrating Your Operation to the Cloud – Worry-Free
For the past several years, companies have been moving their operations to the cloud in increasing numbers. Economics are one driver: The cloud virtually eliminates the need for infrastructure investments that can hamper growth and impede flexibility. But better access to data is a key motivation as well. In today’s business climate, reliable access to data is a must. Employees need complete and current data to collaborate effectively, and companies must maintain a unified data repository to manage customer relationships efficiently.
Moving the company workload to the cloud enables employees to work from any location on any device, which can significantly improve productivity. But it’s important to address data storage issues up front: Roughly half of all business data is currently stored on staff devices, laptops and desktops, which results in data silos that make it impossible for business leaders to make business decisions with complete information. To avoid this situation, it’s critical to choose a secure synchronization and backup solution designed for enterprise operations.
Managers who are tasked with choosing a solution should make sure they select a product that synchronizes and backs up a broad range of files, such as images, typical business documents, and emails between desktops, laptops, servers and external drives. A highly rated file sync software product can eliminate the hassles involved in keeping files current across all data locations, ensuring that folders in multiple locations contain identical, up-to-date files and that if users add, change or delete a file from one location, the synchronization process will add, change or delete the same file at all other locations.
When looking for a file sync solution, managers should also keep in mind that a user-friendly interface that analyzes, filters and displays results in an intuitive way can help users avoid duplicates and sync only the files they need. A well-designed algorithm can remove the guesswork. Other features to look for include the ability to synchronize files located on multiple platforms, including Mac, PC, smartphones, tablets, networks, USBs and FTP sites. Also look for convenient automation features such as the ability to set custom syncing times, such as a certain time of day or when an action occurs, like system startup, insertion of a USB drive or whenever a file changes.
An effective file backup solution is also a critical success factor when migrating to the cloud. File backup can keep important documents and files safe, even if users accidentally delete them or if the company experiences a system outage. When evaluating solutions, managers should look for a solution that makes it simple to back up files by copying from a source folder to a destination folder and the ability to complete backups locally, through a network or via the Internet. Simple file restoration capabilities are also crucial; look for a solution that makes it easy to completely restore a computer or device following a crash as well as the flexibility to restore select files that have been accidentally deleted or corrupted.
Another element that is a crucial success factor for companies contemplating a move to the cloud is a strong password policy. Many hacking incidents begin when cybercriminals gain access to company data via a weak password, so managers should ensure that staff use passwords that contain both upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols and change the password every 30 to 60 days. It’s also important to let employees know that they should avoid using personal information in their passwords, such as birthdays, phone numbers, favorite sports teams, children’s or pet’s names, etc. – this information is typically available to the public and thus not safe to use as a password.
As enterprises move operations to the cloud in increasing numbers, online security and cross-device synchronization and backup capabilities become more important than ever. When managers provide the knowledge and technology tools employees need to sync data across devices and backup files, the company can migrate operations to the cloud worry-free.
Disclaimer: This article was written by a guest contributor in his/her personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CloudWedge.com
