There are more than a few reasons you need to be working with cloud-based technology. Some of them might even surprise you.
One of the most often cited advantages of working in the cloud is accessibility.
The idea that you can plug into information you need anytime, anywhere, at work, at home on your laptop on your mobile phone or on a tablet is without a doubt the first thing a manager thinks about when entertaining the idea of adopting a new application in the cloud.
But while accessibility may be the star of the show, there are many other factors to be considered when you are trying to make a decision about adopting a new solution that is cloud-based.
Here are a few additional advantages.
Data recovery and backup
Let’s start with an ALTA Best Practices reason for operating in the cloud and that is the requirement for data recovery and back up. One can only think back to the 2005 Katrina hurricane that devasted New Orleans to recall that 60,000 leather-bound books housing chain of title back to the 1700s in the New Orleans Notarial Archives were almost lost in that disaster. Quick action by the custodian of historical records, Stephen P. Bruno, saved the damaged books, none of which had been transferred to computer at the time.
Today, the majority of our records and data have been digitized, but even with those protections, onsite servers can be vulnerable to disasters. Operating in the cloud provides additional protections, not only by providing you with backup, but more importantly a means of recovering data in the event of a disaster.
Data Security
While we have certainly learned that no system is invincible is this age of cybercrime, cloud-based systems offer greater protections for a couple of reasons. Cloud providers have greater resources to invest in high level security measures. The responsibility for keeping the application up to date as well as monitoring for intrusions rests in the hands of the provider and not on your staff, so you are assured of timely software updates as well as patching as needed.
Collaboration
Another advantage of cloud-based applications is the ability for staff to interact safely and more effectively. This is especially important for companies whose offices or employees are scattered geographically, but it can also be helpful if the application you are using involves your customers as well. Allowing your customers into your systems may pose some security hazards that may be alleviated when working in the cloud.
Bandwidth and Scalability
Because the nature of the real estate business is not only seasonal but also given to dramatic fluctuations, the ability to scale up and down in a timely manner is critical to title companies who may find themselves awash in title orders in unexpected surge markets, and conversely suddenly slowing to a crawl.
Because cloud based systems are not embedded in your servers, you don’t have to worry about not having the bandwidth to manage a spike in orders.
With every application a title company adopts, bandwidth and scalability must be considered. This is just as true with hiring service providers or vendors. You have to be confident that when the market starts to heat up, your providers will be there with you, able to meet the rising demand.
At VizionX, we know you face plenty of challenges in running a title agency. Our cloud-based technology is designed to help you streamline your business processes to prepare you for future market growth. Call us today to learn more.
