Cloud services — a lifesaver for businesses working remotely
Over the past decade, the term "cloud services" has slowly but surely become a staple of the business environment. By now, almost every office worker understands that this term refers to information technology rather than meteorology. However, the ever-growing number of cloud computing service types continues to cause confusion, which was clearly evident in mid-March when companies rushed to find the most suitable remote work solutions.
The efficiency of a company's operations depends largely on the choice of "cloud," so it must be made carefully. This is especially true because implementing a solution—both in terms of data migration and employee training—requires time. No business owner wants to experiment at the expense of their entire team by "jumping" from one service provider to another. So, where should you begin?
Accessible storage for employees
Most cloud services intended for businesses can be divided into three categories. The first is data storage. These are undoubtedly necessary for a company, yet they are quite limited in terms of functionality. Every user of computers and smart devices has likely noticed Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and similar solutions that save the day when a device's built-in memory is full. All of these service providers also offer business versions, where for a few tens or hundreds of euros per year, you can securely store important company documents and access them whenever needed, from whichever device is at hand. All that is required is an internet connection and your password. Other notable alternatives include Egnyte Business, Zoolz BigMind for Business, Box, Jungle Disk and Wasabi.
Although officially referred to as cloud storage, these sites are not merely data repositories. Integration with various applications has turned them into convenient document exchange solutions where employees can place contracts, reports, presentations, photos, and everything else needed for work in shared folders. Documents can also be edited and saved, with the system recording who made changes and when. However, overall, these solutions function primarily as archives, as changes are generally made on one's own computer, and finished, finalized documents are then uploaded to the folders.
Working together. Each from their own home
The next step in this evolution is the so-called co-creation platforms, where collaboration among colleagues is much closer to everyday office work. These platforms provide the ability to update documents online, with other participants seeing changes in real-time, as well as the option to communicate via group or individual chat. Among these solutions, the most widely known are Google Docs and Microsoft Office Online, though there is no shortage of various alternatives. Among them are even free solutions.
Very similar to the Google product in terms of functionality are ONLYOFFICE, Paper by Dropbox, Zoho Docs and CryptPad. Also noteworthy is LibreOffice -based Collabora, which visually resembles MS Office office software and offers comprehensive collaboration features for co-authoring documents.
Among more specialized tools, it is worth highlighting Coda, and for use on all types of devices — both computers and smartphones — the specifically adapted Quip.
The third group consists of various systems designed for work organization, project management, or other similar purposes. All activity within them takes place in an environment provided by the cloud service provider, where all information is also stored. This environment could be compared to chemistry or biology labs at school, where students perform specific tasks. Users access these platforms by opening a web browser or mobile app and logging in with a username and password. Popular solutions in this group include the project management system Asana, Zoho Projects, Teamwork Projects, Wrike and others. For those looking for customer relationship management systems, I recommend exploring Salesforce, HubSpot and Sales Creatio. Small businesses will find Apptivo or Freshsalessuitable, while for company accounting and financial reporting, our own Tildes Jumis Pro.
As you can see, the selection is vast, so it is important not to rush your decision. Talk to your colleagues, determine what you need most, assess how ready you are to integrate cloud solutions into your daily operations, and select the platforms that best meet your requirements. Then, critically evaluate your shortlist and narrow it down to 2 or 3 programs that satisfy both your functional and budgetary needs, and test them during a free trial period. Within a couple of weeks, it should become clear which system is the best fit.
This article was first published on the iBirojs portal on August 10, 2020.
