8 Ways a Cloud Workspace Can Save Your Company Time and Money

Every business, large or small, has critical data and information. From employee and client information to sales and inventory data, these records need to be accessible and secure. You want to retrieve information with just a click and be able to update it when needed.

What Is a Cloud Workspace?

We hear this statement often: “It’s in the cloud.” But what is the cloud?

The cloud is an off-site data center where data and files are stored. Cloud services allow you to access the information from wherever you have an internet connection or cell phone coverage. This gives you instantaneous access to your uploaded files from:

Your office downtown
A home office
Your client’s office
Lunch meeting with clients
On location at a job site
Across the world in a foreign country

Cloud Servers Versus In-House Servers

When comparing traditional in-house servers to the cloud, there are some significant differences to take note of.

In-house servers don’t require an internet connection to be able to access your files but do require VPN or other type of connection if you are not on site. They also avoid any third-party reliance. However, with that comes the burden of managing your own IT support, and if something happens, you are much more vulnerable to losing your data permanently.

On the other hand, cloud servers offer access from anywhere with consistent backups, essentially avoiding any risk of physical disasters destroying your data. They also offer scalability — you only pay for the storage you need. In addition, there’s no need for hardware in your office space which can get outdated quickly. The only real downside is that you will require an active internet connection to access your information. In today’s connected world, this is rarely an issue.

Is a Cloud Workspace Safe?

When information leaves a local server, safety is always the concern. In a world where data breaches are prevalent, data security is of the utmost importance. If you were to consider a cloud solution for your application, you would want assurance that your company’s information is well protected.

The good news is a great private cloud-based service, will have multi-faceted security like:

State of the art firewalls
High levels of encryption
Multi-layers of authentication
Backup systems in case of emergencies

There is always risk, but as technology advances, more is done to protect against theft and misuse of your information. A cloud-based solution is the safest and most cost-effective way to share your company’s information across many places.

How Can a Cloud Workspace Save a Company Time and Money?

In business, time is money. You cannot make money if you spend most of your time updating business spreadsheets and emailing to team members, clients, vendors and anyone else you work with. When everything is stored in-house, you run into the issues of who has the file, where is it stored, and is it up to date? And, of course the worst case scenario; who deleted the file?

Here are some facts about Quick Base’s cloud workspace:

1. You can access it from anywhere. With a cloud-based solution you have a remote desktop anywhere. When you’re away from your desk you still have access to your information. Having information stored in the cloud will save you time from having to call a colleague to email you a file. Information is just a click away.

2. It is easy to use. All companies deal with the struggles of implementing new software. Adopting a cloud workspace, like Quick Base, is easy. This means less training time for employees. Your office staff have cloud desktops wherever they may be. They can create customer orders, complete administrative tasks like changing schedules or appointments, and update employee files for compliance issues.

3. Lower priced than on-premise. On-site storage can get costly. Not only for the storage devices, but for the upkeep. Having a third-party gives you the freedom to allocate your money elsewhere to grow your company.

4. Less maintenance. When your data center is on-site, you pay IT services to maintain storage devices. A third-party service is responsible for keeping their servers running, giving your in-house tech the ability to handle in-house issues within the network.

5. Better up-time. Cloud-based services have several backup systems in place to ensure that you are always up and running. Should one server go down, there is another server for recovery that will keep you working with minimal downtime.

6. Easy collaboration for remote workers. Having current information is another benefit of cloud solutions. For example, one salesman views their spreadsheet and sees ten widgets in stock. Another salesman across town sees the same thing on the copy of the same spreadsheet. They both sell seven widgets. When they return to the office and collaborate, they discover they are four short.

7. Secure and safe. Quick Base is a recognized as an Enterprise-ready, secure platform. For this reason, over half of the Fortune 100 companies use it today, along with over 6,000 others. Quick Base holds to very high standards of safety and security:

Employee background checks
Strict adherence to Federal laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
They have passed the Cloud Security Alliance’s security assessment
Encryption levels that are state-of-the-art

8. Scalable as your business grows. Technology is ever-changing, so are companies. Cloud technology gives you the option to scale needed services to what your company needs right now. It allows you to add services or expand upon current ones as needed.

Since Quick Base apps are cloud-based, the information is updated in real-time. In the example above, both salesmen can see in stock numbers in real-time and will know someone just sold 7 widgets. They can inform the customer now, instead of making that dreaded phone call of a shipment delay.

This is also beneficial to the purchasing department. They can be immediately be alerted as to when they need to order a new shipment of widgets.

What is Quick Base and How Does it Work in “The Cloud”?

Quick Base gives users a virtual desktop experience anywhere. It’s comparable to sitting at your desk in your office. Trinity develops custom Quick Base solutions to access your applications via desktop computers, laptops, tablets, or smartphones, from any location with an internet connection. You have the freedom of conducting business with real-time updates on all the information needed to run your business.

Trinity Solutions: Seamless, Customized, Secure

Trinity develops custom Quick Base solutions. We provide user applications that assist your business in working more efficiently, at a lower cost than traditional methods. Just a sample of the range of solutions we offer are:

Customer Relationship Management
Project Management
Vendor / Contract Management
Issue Reporting and Resolution
Inventory / Asset Management
Order / Request Handling
Customer Support
Competitor Analysis
Discussion Boards
Policies & Procedures Tracking
Surveys
Contest Management
Sales Force Automation
Event Calendars
Learning Management
Revenue Tracking
Legal Compliance
Document Sharing
Product Management
Recruiting / Candidate Tracking
Supply Chain Management
Meeting / Conference Tracking
Brainstorming
Knowledge Management

…and that is just the short list

Trinity’s top priority is delivering superior cloud applications that are seamless to integrate with any current systems you may be using.

For over 21 years, Trinity has worked closely with our clients to provide the right business software solutions that “fit like a glove.” We are trained to identify which processes need improvement and to develop the perfect solution in response.

Using flexible tools, Trinity can rapidly and efficiently add new processes for a growing business. Trinity is also passionate about customer service. If your project management could use a boost in efficiency, service, and quality, Trinity has the solution, regardless of which industry you compete in.