As technology continues its rapid advancement, many companies find themselves in transition. That could mean transitioning to the cloud. As organizations head into 2025, those who aren’t upgrading their technology to better leverage newer capabilities, manage costs and adjust to a increasingly remote work world should consider making the leap.
“The technology that exists now can make doing business easier, and enable companies to do more with less,” says Marty Patton, Sales Manager at Blue Technologies, Inc. “However, there are many steps to take before that transition can happen. It’s important to start that process now so you don’t get left behind.”
Smart Business spoke with Patton about the benefit of upgrading their technology and how working with an experienced partner can make that transition seamless.
What are the benefits of transitioning to the cloud?
For most organizations that are working with hardware on their premises — servers, for example — moving to the cloud eliminates the burden put on IT to maintain those devices. Today, even the backup solutions are located in the cloud. Making that switch not only means greater data protection through more sophisticated cybersecurity, it also means organizations can significantly reduce the number of IT support staff they keep on-hand.
Moving to the cloud also adds more controls. That could take the form of print management solutions that enable users to control many more print functions. With a shared print queue, for example, a person can print from any connected device, whether they are in the office, remote, or even on vacation. Cloud-based print management solutions can come with individual logins that release each print job with the wave of a card or with fingerprint authentication. It also offers an organization better analytics on print volumes for each department, such as where color copies are being printed most often, which can help organizations get a handle on productivity and better track print usage.
Security can also be enhanced as the providers offer encryption and customized security parameters. These cloud services are being managed by some of the largest and most sophisticated technology companies. Compare that to the capabilities of a single IT team in a midsized company working to protect their on-prem servers. The former, by nature, is going to offer much more robust protections. By making this transition, organizations can tap into greater capabilities while also reducing costs and mitigating risk.
How are fax machines affected?
Fax machines running on analog telephone lines are in the process of transitioning out, but many organizations are required to use faxes to communicate certain information. Cloud faxing is one of the best options to take its place and does not require that an organization move everything else to the cloud in order for it to work. As long as an organization has a web-based interface, it can utilize this solution, and cloud faxing is HIPAA compliant. Cloud based faxing allows users to send faxes remotely, anywhere there is a connection, and eliminate their costly land lines.
How can organizations best manage this transition?
Making the transition to the cloud is made easy when organizations work with their managed IT services provider. They’ll be able to take the data from their on-prem system and transition it to the cloud. That transition can be seamless when working with a capable managed services provider, which will be able to determine the compatibility requirements of the organization’s current systems and troubleshoot through the migration process. That’s why it’s important to work with a provider that’s done this before. And be sure to check references, particularly where work was done with similarly sized organizations.
For smaller organizations, a managed services provider can offer backup features for organizations that move to the cloud. That is one pillar of a good disaster recovery program. Find a managed services provider that has those tools already in place so that if data were lost or compromised, it’s available locally and can be easily retrieved.
Ultimately, not only should a transition to the cloud unlock capabilities that will have a positive impact on an organization, it will also set it up to more easily adapt to future technology.
INSIGHTS Technology is brought to you by Blue Technologies, Inc.
