Your business software setup will actually greatly influence your data security, data management, and backup storage needs.
Business software applications come in such a variety and set ups, it is easy to get lost in a myriad of additional requirements to keep your data safe. Out of the box software is typically the worst kind of software you can buy because it is generally only one part of your business data management solution. Some packages can actually create more work and costs for a company. Implementing the software is only the beginning. Having an IT team to manage your daily operations, be there when something goes wrong and maintain your applications will cost. Are you ready to deal with all those other information technology costs, or is there another solution? Cloud computing is fast becoming the solution. Web-based applications deliver more than just the application because of the nature of delivery.
Web based applications.
The vendor hosts browser-based applications. This means you have access to your applications online. You can save greatly with these types of applications because you don’t need to maintain them. Furthermore, these applications will come with a range of services, even if you are not aware of them all.
Application maintenance.
All applications need updating. As technology improves, applications need to adapt, change and stay in tune with the rest of the computing world. The vendor manages online applications. You save time and money because you just use them, you don’t need to maintain them.
Platform independent.
Web-based applications run inside your Internet browser. They run on HTML5 and JavaScript. The ability of these applications to deliver what we need has reached the level of traditional applications. Most of the applications on your mobile phone and your tablet are already web-based applications. This means you can use these applications on any platform. It doesn’t matter if you are using a Windows based PC, or you are using a Mac, both of these computers will use the same software application. This results in reduced costs for the vendors, and ultimately reduced cost for consumers.
Storage.
Storing data on your own computers means your data is always at risk. What happens if there is a fire or flood in your office? You will need to make sure you are backing up your data to another location. This is another reason why having an application online, supported with online storage has become so popular. There is no opportunity for physical attack. Data is intrinsically safer when it is stored in an unknown location.
Data backup.
When your data is stored online, those providers will have their own offsite backup service and disaster recovery storage to support the services they are providing to you. For example, Google has their own mechanisms to protect all the information we have stored in Gmail accounts. If they did not provide a reliable service, they would not be in business very long. Hosted server services automatically come with a range of backup and protection measures we are not always fully aware of. This will save you time, costs, operations, and ultimately protect your data.
Any business that is considering the implementation of business application solutions should first consider what online applications are available. Even simple software like Microsoft Office can be avoided with a variety of free and web-based applications. They are all already save documents in the same format. Look at what you need, and first look for what online solutions are available. Online applications can even mean you can remove costly in-house IT management costs.
