subject: Wonder No More: The Cloud is Here to Stay [print this page] Wonder No More: The Cloud is Here to Stay
Cloud computing is not as much of a buzzword as it used to be. That's probably because it's no longer something that is taken straight out of a sci-fi movie. It's a trend, and--hold on IT decision makers--this is going to be a strong one.
It goes beyond the use of electronic signatures, although a lot of companies are turning to the cloud for authentication and signing purposes first than any other service besides email. CIOs, IT Directors, CEOs and marketing directors are right to put cloud computing and other cloud apps in the forefront of their business's strategy because it optimizes their processes and makes data more accessible. It also makes their companies more mobile and flexible.
However, moving to the cloud is not as easy as integrating electronic signature software into your business processes. Most electronic signature systems are easy to integrate because their purpose, which is primarily to authenticate and sign documents, is already within the process flow. When you migrate from handwritten signatures and physical authentication to digital formats, all you have to do is change the process in that particular step. You do not necessarily have to revamp the entire system.
Moving to the cloud is a little bit more complicated, especially for large companies and government units. The usual reason is difficulty in data migration and making sure that the security system used to transfer the said data is top notch. Companies handling a lot of information are naturally very cautious with the way they handle their data, whether it is confidential or public. They have to make sure that they have a high level of security and that they employ a tight e signature system to ensure that they are still compliant with the regulations of the government. They cannot simply post a cute failwhale-like icon whenever they go 503 (service unavailable code, which means the site is down) or a kid dressed as a unicorn admiring a rainbow whenever a client hits a 404 (page not found code, which means the page doesn't exist) and expect that the customers will completely understand.
Not everyone will understand the value of a cloud or even simple changes like using electronic signatures right on the get-go. For example, a huge bank cannot send out emails or letters to their clients telling them that their investments portfolio and savings account information will now be available online and expect them to jump up in joy with no negative comments or concerns. In fact, the shift from handwritten signatures to an electronic signature system in loans processing have caused concern from a number of borrowers and mortgage payers. Completely moving processes into the cloud is going to create even more concern.
Is there no future for cloud computing for large scale businesses, then? The truth is that there is a lot of promise for companies who want to get into the cloud. This strategy cuts the cost of production dramatically. You probably already know the amount you can save from using electronic signatures, and going completely into the cloud will create even more savings. The real benefit comes from the lowered cost of owning a set of data that is created through expansion with shared computing resources or the cloud. Think about it: cloud computing companies give businesses space in their servers to store their data in at a very low cost because they have a huge computing resource. This model also protects the company from operational risk because if the in-house server or computer system crashes, there will always be backup in the cloud.
Moving to the cloud is one of the best business decisions you'll make. Companies think that the migration process and the security issues are not worth tackling just to get the business in the cloud, but they can potentially save a lot of money and server resources. Go beyond e signature software and step completely into the cloud. You will not regret it.
