In the modern world, any business regardless of its size has to use resources for storing and processing data. The practice of sending information in a physical form to a secure location is about to be entirely replaced by cloud services. They provide a more accessible way for companies to manage their information. However, the risks associated with this type of information processing has to be considered as well.
Law firms have to pay particular attention to the software they are using as often they are dealing with sensitive information. As Marr (2018) stated, they continuously generate large amounts of new data that needs to be processed. Firstly, the primary instrument a company can utilize is the cloud storage. Cloud storage allows companies to send information and safely keep it in an easily accessible through an internet website (Kant, n.d.). Then, there is the word processing software. Nowadays, some of it is integrated into the cloud storage (Google Drive has Google Docs) allowing the process of creating documents and keeping them in the cloud location to be unified. Finally, there is software to manage the operations of the company, tasks for employees, sales and other matters. That is the CRM system which allows tracking information about clients and managing steps that need to be taken to achieve the set goals (“Cloud Software for Law Firms”, n.d.). These are the essential tools to utilize for any law firm, as they assist in performing the day-to-day tasks of an employee.
A new preschool startup can benefit from utilizing the software, used by law firms. Firstly, the cloud storage is an essential data processing tool as it allows to keep all the information in an easy to access from any computer. Any records that the preschool has such as agendas, schedules, informational material for the children can be stored in the there. The word processing software is needed as well since the already mentioned schedules and other materials have to be written before they are stored. The CRM system can help keep track of how the preschool is operating. Unlike the law firms, the preschool is not focused on steady sales of the services. Nevertheless, the system can help keep track of what is going on.
The first short-term issue that can arise from utilizing the technology is the accessibility. As stated by Kant (n.d.) some of the cloud storage services had problems as they were down for a period. The system was not functioning, and the information could not be accessed. Then, there is the compatibility, which means that the preschool will have to invest in hardware that will allow the software to function correctly. The long-term issues that a company might have are the breach of data and security. The first issue arises from sending private information to a third party. While these should be done in accordance with the law, the point remains in place. Regarding the security aspect, hacker attacks are the most obvious concern in this case.
To respond to these issues the organization should perform an in-depth analysis of the companies that can potentially be utilized for data processing. The information that has particular importance is the size of the company, the regulations they use to guide their operations, and the security measures that apply to protect the information. In some cases, a larger organization such as Google or Amazon can be a better choice as they have more resources to spend on their services. Therefore, their security and accessibility should be sufficient.
References
Cloud software for law firms. (2017). Web.
Kant, C. (n.d.). Putting your enterprise data in the cloud? Top considerations [Blog post].
Marr, B. (2018). How big data is disrupting law firms and the legal profession. Forbes.