Cloud computing is the storage and accessing of data and programmes over the internet (“the cloud”) instead of your computer’s local storage (e.g. hard drive). So ask yourself: is your organisation already in the cloud, and you don’t know it?
You may be surprised by the answer. When organisations tell us they are not in the cloud, and they can’t use MirrorWeb because it is a cloud-native website and social media archiving solution, we have to tell them the truth:
Your organisation is most likely already in the cloud, and you’re using it on a daily basis.
Don’t believe us? We take a look at some of the most common cloud-based solutions used by organisations and their benefits.
Is it a cloud-based solution?
Storage and sharing
If your organisation is using Google Drive, Dropbox, SugarSync, or Amazon Drive, then you are already in the cloud.
The ability to access folders, files, photos, and videos from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection, has played a key role in the flexible workplace.
Documents and collaboration
If you’re using Office 365 with its online versions of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and more, the note taking app Evernote, or SharePoint Online, you are already taking advantage of cloud-based document management. This provides cost-savings, security and mobility for your organisation.
Document management and collaboration solutions in the cloud offer efficient access, retrieval, indexing, sharing of information, and e-storage, supporting enterprises with their document lifecycle management.
Find out how we moved the 120 TB UK Government Web Archive to the cloud in just two weeks.
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Email communication
Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Exchange Online, Amazon WorkMail, and many other email communication services used by organisations are cloud-based. They offer access on your PC, smartphone and web browsers from virtually anywhere.
The simple installation and management of cloud-based email, along with integration of features such as calendars and contacts, make this a beneficial solution.
Social media platforms
It’s something you might not have considered, but the social media platforms on which you share business updates and engage with your audience are cloud-based.
This includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, which offer access on your desktop computer, mobile phone and other devices.
But, are you archiving your social media?
Messaging
Slack, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, and Skype are examples of cloud-based instant messaging services. Slack in particular has become an important part of the daily communication and collaboration between teams.
Many cloud-based solutions put instant messaging, text messaging, and video calls, sometimes even screen-sharing, into one tool. This can help to boost productivity, improve teamwork and support your company’s culture.
CRM and marketing platforms
Customer relationship management and marketing platforms make it easy for you and your team to view customer information and marketing insights on the go, for example by accessing CRM data through mobile or on your tablet.
Examples of cloud-based CRM and marketing platforms include HubSpot, Adobe Marketing Cloud and Salesforce.
Project management
Cloud-based project management tools including Basecamp, Citrix Podio and ActiveCollab make it easy to communicate, organise and get work done in one place.
The visibility of projects on deadlines, responsibilities and goals increases transparency, provides flexibility, makes it easy to increase your requirements as you grow, and means you don’t need to worry about maintenance or updates.
Benefits of cloud-based solutions
Let’s ask the question again: is your organisation already in the cloud, and you don’t know it? Chances are some of your responses have changed, but this isn’t a bad thing. Cloud-based solutions offer many benefits for organisations:
Cost-savings: Reduces annual operating costs by eliminating the need for hardware and maintenance. You can avoid hardware upgrade cycles and there is less space needed for local servers, power, cooling, etc.
Accessibility and flexibility: Work efficiently whenever and wherever, and across devices, as long as you have an internet connection. On desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet, you can get work done.
Disaster recovery: One of the biggest use cases of the cloud is for disaster recovery by keeping backup copies of important files. This means organisations can keep access to critical corporate data, and there’s no need for a second site with backup hardware and software.
Scalable: You pay for what you use use, as you use it, and don’t need to worry about storage space running out. This affords you the ability to cost-effectively increase your infrastructure capacity in alignment with your business growth.
Secure: Cloud computing is safer overall than traditional data centres because it was purpose-built for the internet. It does not have to deal with legacy applications built before global networking. Your data isn’t stored on one piece of hardware in your office, it’s housed in data centres with enterprise-level security.
Collaboration: This is a key area for organisations and cloud computing makes it a simple process. Team members across your business can view and share information on the cloud, helping to improve interest and engagement.
Quality control: All documents are in one place and everyone has access to the same information. You don’t have to worry about there being more than one version of the same document causing confusion and diluted data, and you have a clear record of revisions and updates.
Automatic software updates: Cloud-based applications will refresh and update themselves in most cases, so there’s no need for an organisation-wide update by your IT department.
Sustainability: The cloud is more environmentally-friendly than a traditional data centre and results in less carbon footprint. This helps your organisation contribute to the safeguarding of the environment.
Competitiveness: The cloud gives access to enterprise-class technology, enabling smaller businesses to operate at a level more in line with established competitors.
Is MirrorWeb a cloud-based solution?
Yes, MirrorWeb delivers cloud-native, state-of-the-art and ISO-compliant website and social media archiving that allows organisations to create permanent, unalterable records of all online communications.
We have chosen to archive in the cloud because it is a scalable solution, provides speed and reliability, has near-unlimited capacity to meet your big data needs, offers complete control over data storage, and results in real cost-savings for our customers.
By partnering with MirrorWeb, you’ll be using a trusted and secure archiving service provider with extensive experience in understanding your requirements and with many more benefits for your organisation:
- State-of-the-Art: Offering support for web and social media data at scale, as well as indexing for search and big data initiatives.
- ISO-Compliant: We are ISO9001 and ISO27001-certified and archive our data in the secure, date and time-stamped ISO28500 standard WARC file format.
- UK-Based: We offer UK-based support 24/7/365 and store all archives in local territories to meet data protection, compliance and regulatory requirements.
- User-Friendly: Our best-in-class user portal puts users in control of their data, allowing them to control archiving frequency, search and replay content, and view reports and notifications.
- Cost-Competitive: We give full, uncapped access to the MirrorWeb portal at all times, leveraging Cloud economies of scale with no hidden seat fee, no setup and maintenance fees.
Want to learn more about MirrorWeb's cloud-native web and social media archiving solution? Download our guide on digital archiving.
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