In technology, like in business, if you don't keep up you'll get left behind. Failure to adapt to changing climates has been the death knell of a slew of companies. On the flip side, positioning your business to take advantage of innovations can be an invaluable asset to success. One such opportunity is cloud computing.
Just as with smartphones, we're quickly approaching a time where using offsite servers to store massive amounts of data is the norm. Many startups and software vendors have dispensed with the traditional practice of storing information on CDs and sending them out. In order to do business with them, your company will need to have at least a working facility with cloud computing.
An article in Forbes discussed the rapid proliferation of these new technologies.
"Global cloud traffic, the fastest growing component of data center traffic, is expected to grow 4.5-fold — 35 percent a year — from 1.2 zettabytes of annual traffic in 2012 to 5.3 zettabytes by 2017. Currently, cloud traffic accounts for about half of all data center traffic and will comprise the majority of traffic next year. By 2017, this portion will reach 69 percent," writes author Joe McKendrick.
However, with these new opportunities for data management comes new risks. While it's impossible for somebody to hack into your file cabinet from 3 blocks away or for your pile of folders to suddenly malfunction, these can be real concerns for managers considering moving their information to a cloud-based system. Technology insurance can help allay those fears by providing guaranteed protection.