On-Site IT vs. Cloud IT: Which Is Right for My Business?

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No matter what type of business you run, one thing remains true for all: data is everything. For this reason, every business owner needs to make that key decision—should you utilize on-site IT or cloud IT? The answer to this question depends on several factors. Every business operates differently with unique data requirements.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these two approaches to help direct you towards the method that will best fit the needs of your business.

 

On-site IT

Pros

  • Everything you need is physically there for you whenever you need it. There’s a sense of control by having your data stored on-site.
  • Your storage needs can be assessed easily when everything is on-site. This will help you properly monitor the kind of space that might need to be added in the future.
  • Choose your own hardware. You don’t need to rely on a specific software like you would with cloud IT.
  • You know exactly where your data is at all times. When it comes to sensitive data, you won’t have to worry about it ending up on another server or in some random data center.

 Cons

  • Theft can be an issue. If someone steals your equipment, your data is gone just like that.
  • The costs associated with on-site IT tend to be high. It takes a trained IT professional to maintain and manage these devices properly. Some of the equipment itself can be quite expensive as well, depending on how much data you need to store.
  • Human error comes into play more often. Backups need to be done manually, which can be costly if a backup does not occur.
  • If a disaster occurs, such as fire or flood, your equipment could get damaged. You could potentially lose all of your data in this type of situation.

 

Cloud IT

Pros

  • Utilizing a cloud-based infrastructure is all about convenience. You don’t have to worry about maintaining the hardware or staying up-to-date with the latest security features. All of these things are taken care of by your cloud service provider.
  • Setting up the cloud is easy. You don’t need to set up all of your hardware and connections. Instead, just fill out a quick form and submit. You will be ready to start using the cloud in minutes.
  • Cloud-IT brings scalability and flexibility. You can add cloud resources with a few clicks of the mouse to scale with your data use. For example, if you know you need more space during a busy season, it’s easy to add on without the headaches of buying more hardware that comes with on-site IT.
  • Automated backups take away the chance of human error. Your data is always backed up and available in the event of a disaster.

Cons

  • You will always need an internet connection of some kind to access your data. If a disaster strikes and you have no internet access, you will not be able to access the cloud.
  • You will have less control over your cloud interface and infrastructure. The software that you use is designed by an outside company, therefore you need to choose a set up that works best for your needs.

 Whether you choose on-site IT or cloud IT depends on your company’s particular needs. Oftentimes, it’s best to find a balance of both worlds by mixing and matching various applications to be on-site and cloud-based. For more information on both of these options and help assessing your Iowa-based business’s unique data storage needs, contact Infomax today. We will help you find the right fit for your business.

Why More Businesses are Bringing Digital Production Printing In-house

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When it comes to large print jobs for your business, you have two options: outsource your projects to a print shop or print them in-house. Many of today’s businesses are turning to an in-house approach with digital production printing due to a number of benefits that are difficult to pass up. The driving factor for doing it in-house is control; there’s no more need to rely on outside vendors to meet your quality standards or deadlines. The use of an in-house digital production printer puts the full control of your printing projects directly into your hands. Read more

How to Get Started On A Preventive Maintenance Schedule

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Your organization relies heavily on its office equipment to carry out important tasks on a daily basis. You can’t afford to have unexpected breakdowns with these valuable devices. This is why a preventive maintenance schedule is so important to implement.

A preventive maintenance schedule will ensure that your devices receive regular maintenance to keep them up and running without any costly disturbances. Let’s take a look at a few tips to help you get your preventive maintenance schedule started today.

  • Make an inventory list. Take a walk through your office and make note of all of your equipment. Once you establish this list, you can decide which devices need to be included on your preventive maintenance schedule.
  • Read through your owner manuals. This will help you understand what kind of maintenance each individual piece of equipment will need. You will also get a good understanding of the timing that is relevant to checking up on each device. If this seems like a daunting task, ask your service provider to break down your devices’ maintenance needs for you.
  • Check the current status of each device. Now that you assigned devices to your preventive maintenance schedule, you need to know the current state of each device and how these devices match up to the manufacturers’ recommendations in the owner manuals. You should also get all of your equipment into decent shape before it goes on your schedule. This evaluation step will help you understand what will be needed to keep your equipment running smoothly as you move forward.
  • Plan out your schedule. You should first map out a long-term schedule for the year, followed up by the planning of a short-term schedule by week. The long-term plan will give you a good overview of everything that needs to be done to keep your devices up-to-date—this schedule will likely be revised along the way as you go. The short-term schedule will keep these tasks on track relevant to the most recent needs of each device.
  • Get the right people on board—and start training! It takes a lot of hard work to design a preventive maintenance schedule. For this reason, make sure that you utilize trained professionals to safely carry out these maintenance jobs. A thorough, effective training program is essential to the success of a preventive maintenance schedule.

 

A preventive maintenance schedule will save you from equipment downtime headaches in the future. To help get you started with your preventive maintenance schedule, contact Infomax today.

Why the Copy Machine Remains An Asset to the Modern Office

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Running a successful business entails managing and coordinating a lot of information efficiently. As such, it is crucial to keep an organized record of all the company’s communications, files, documents, contracts, and much more. Surprisingly, one of the best ways to keep your information organized is to invest in a copy machine. These seemingly simple machines are the perfect tool to make sure your company’s correspondences and information stay protected and up-to-date, in addition to providing multiple other benefits to your organization.

Another way to backup your files
Companies tend to rely on computers for fast and easy archiving, retrieval, and searching of documents and other important information. Unfortunately, all too often, technology fails and computers go down or hard drives crash, losing all kinds of valuable data. While using computers for storing files is useful, do not forget about the value in printing copies as well for physical storage. Having a physical filing system with copies of everything the company does ensures that no technological mishap will create a devastating blow to your business or cause an employee to go without sleep because an important document disappeared and needs to be reproduced.
Mailed documents can get lost
Obviously, there are times when clients, vendors, or other company affiliates need hard copies of documents sent via mail, not shared digitally over email or via file sharing. You obviously never want to mail the original copy of an important document, as the mail system could lose the envelope or package, the recipient could make changes to the file, or the recipient might want to call the office and ask to go over the document line by line. In any case, keeping hard copies of your documents can be beneficial to quick and efficient communication.
Handle your last-minute needs
Sometimes, documents get a last-minute coffee ring stain before a big meeting, additional people unexpectedly arrive to a conference, documents suddenly go missing, or the computer is just running too slow to deal with. Instead of getting frustrated about not having enough copies of a document available to distribute, run straight to the copy machine and get to work. Copiers are the perfect last-minute solution to numerous problems within the office.
Technology is invaluable to our workflows, but the venerable copy machine is one office technology device that remains a timeless asset. It may not be the most high-tech piece of equipment in your organization, but not a day goes by that a copy machine goes unused or unappreciated by successful business everywhere.

To learn more about Infomax’s hardware solutions, including copiers, contact us today.

Why Your Business Needs a Disaster Recovery Strategy

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Due to the multitude of cyberthreats we face today, businesses need to be ready for anything when it comes to data security. Whether it’s a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or just human error, there’s always the looming threat of a potential data disaster that could strike your company at anytime. This is why it is so important to have a disaster recovery strategy in place to avoid downtime—or worse, a complete shutdown.

Some eye-popping stats regarding data disasters
If you’re a small business, the following numbers are extremely unsettling. Again, this is a testament to the importance of a disaster recovery strategy. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette:
• Nearly 40 percent of small businesses close after a disaster—and only 25 percent of that group ever reopen
• 52 percent of small businesses say it would take at least three months to recover from a disaster
• 75 percent of small businesses do not have a disaster recovery plan in place

Mobile devices exacerbate the data security problem
Most likely, your employees utilize mobile devices to conduct business on a daily basis. Unfortunately, these devices increase your risk of a potential data breach. If a phone is left behind at a meeting or in a public space, it can easily fall into the wrong hands. A disaster recovery strategy will counter this issue by enabling remote lockdowns and device wipes on all authorized mobile devices in the event that one goes missing or stolen.

Your reputation is on the line
We know the kind of damage a disaster can cause your business when it comes to downtime and shutdowns—but don’t ignore the damage it will do to your reputation. It takes years of hard work to build trustworthy reputations amongst your clients. A data breach with no recovery plan in place will surely sour your relationships in no time. Potential clients will also be wary about going into business with your company after a data disaster.

A little preparation goes a long way
It’s essential for businesses to not downplay the seriousness of a disaster recovery strategy. Even with a temporary solution in place, you can keep your operations afloat following an emergency. Regular cloud backups and off-site backups are essential pieces to a disaster recovery strategy that require regular maintenance and management. This kind of diligence will show your clients just how much you value the vital data that makes up your company, and foster trust.

To learn more about data recovery strategies and how they can help your business in the event of a disaster, contact us today.

Why Investing in Document Workflow Solutions Makes Sense

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Organizations have adopted new methods in order to stay ahead of the competition and to ensure that they take advantage of modern day technology—most of which is designed with efficiency and productivity in mind. Incorporating a document workflow solution is one such option. If your business is having problems with information workflows—and, as a result, time is being wasted on manual document processes—it’s time to consider switching to a document workflow solution. More and more businesses that produce a high volume of paper documents are using document workflow software, since it streamlines processes and adds a layer of security by keeping your vital documents safe.

If you’re on the fence, here are some reasons that may change your mind when it comes to document workflow solutions:

Greater Availability
Stop relying on hardcopies to get your work done. Document workflow solutions ensure your documents are available electronically 24/7. So, if your accountant wants to get a couple of hours of work in on her vacation, she’ll be able to access the files she needs without thinking ahead and packing paper files.
Better Organization
Document workflow solutions inherently rely upon electronic format of files. This ensures that staff can no longer say they can’t locate a hardcopy file. Moreover, they also can’t blame an inability to find an electronic file because of standardized labeling, storing, and retrieval patterns used when adding files to your electronic database.
Notifications to Stay On Track
Document workflow software allows you to set notifications to alert your staff when action is required on a project. When a deadline is missed, the staff member is notified that they are past due (and their superior can be notified as well). This holds staff accountable and ensures streamlined workflows.

Reduced Costs
By pushing forward your business process and streamlining workflows, document workflow software will save your company money. Whether it’s by reducing errors, completing projects on or before deadline, improving communication and availability of files, holding staff accountable, or something else, your company will realize real cost savings by implementing document workflow solutions.

If you’re interested in incorporating a document workflow solution to your business processes, contact Infomax today.

Scanning Documents to Save Time and Money

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If you work in a paper-centric office, there’s no doubt you’re familiar with the struggle associated with accessing the information you need to do your job. Files stored in paper form residing in old fashioned file folders within disorganized filing cabinets present big problems when it comes time to access data on demand. Finding a piece of paper in this less-than-ideal storage system can prove to be vexing, if not completely fruitless.

Thankfully, there is a better, more efficient way to store your documents. It all starts with scanning your paper documents via document imaging and converting them to digital files. This revolutionary method of storage will eliminate paper clutter in your office, benefitting your business immensely. How so? Let’s start with saving your company both time and money.

Save time through instant archiving and retrieval of files and documents
Time equals money in business, and storing files in paper form is costing you a bundle. How much time is spent in your office manually filing documents or searching for them after the fact? However much time it adds up to, scanning your documents and storing them electronically makes it possible to accomplish these tasks in a fraction of the time. This surplus in available time can instead be used for more important, value-adding tasks. Additionally, being able to retrieve documents in an instant will positively impact productivity, collaboration, and customer service within your company.

Save money by reducing overhead expenses
Printing documents to paper costs money, from the paper being printed on to the consumables used to print with. Storing documents in paper form takes up more space than doing so electronically, which also adds to your overhead. By scanning your documents and converting them to digital form, you’ll eliminate these printing costs from your budget. You’ll also eliminate filing expenses, as well as the need for additional space to store paper documents, which can be costly. You can downsize to a smaller, less expensive office, or use that newly available space for something that generates revenue.

The benefits provided by scanning documents and storing them digitally make it easy to understand why so many organizations have moved away from storing them in paper form. Contact Infomax Office Systems to get started.

Why Your Business Needs a Disaster Recovery Strategy

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Is your business ready if the unthinkable happens?  The statistics suggest that the likelihood that your business could survive a disaster is slim. In fact, 58% of small businesses don’t have a disaster recovery plan in place to protect their data if a disaster strikes or if their information is breached. This lack of planning can be catastrophic to businesses of all sizes, affecting credibility and even the longevity of the company.

Here are five reasons your business needs a disaster recovery strategy.

  1. Stuff happens
    Tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters can damage your physical office location and wipe out your data. Computers crash. Hackers can infiltrate your system. Software gets corrupted.The biggest threat to your data, however, is the carefully cultivated team of professionals you hired to make your business great. Your team edits, deletes, and overwrites files every time they are on their computers, and IBM reports that more than half of all data loss comes from human error. Even if you emphasize being diligent about data protection to your team, people make mistakes and your business needs to be prepared for the worst.
  2. Compliance regulations
    Having credit card information, certain customer data, HIPAA-protected medical information, or other personally identifiable information in your system makes you liable to protect such confidential data. You are responsible to protect that data to the point that you may have a legal obligation to do so. Forrester’s Disaster Recovery Preparedness Benchmark Survey reports that 65% of all businesses have compliance requirements, and a disaster recovery plan can help you abide by such regulations.
  3. Downtime costs you money
    Losing important data equals lost productivity. No business wants to pay their team to recreate documents that already exist – it’s like paying them twice for the same outcome. But that’s if they are capable of reproducing them. For some industries, lost documents simply can’t be replaced without starting over completely. Not only will your employees not be able to access the information they need to do their jobs, your customers may not be able to either. If your clients can’t wait for you to get things back up to speed, you may lose their business.
  4. You may not be able to recover everything
    Sometimes, you can get your systems up and working again in a way that makes things appear that you’re back to normal. However, even if you can get your systems back up and running, you may not get all your data back. Can you afford to lose all the information you’ve spent years collecting?
  5. It can cost you everything
    If the first four reasons haven’t convinced you, here are two scary statistics that should concern every business:

    • 60% of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that suffer a disaster shut down within half a year
    • 93% of business that lose their data storage for two weeks file for bankruptcy within the next year

If your business does not have a disaster recovery plan, you are putting yourself at risk.  Contact us today to learn more about disaster recovery options for your business. We will conduct a risk assessment and give you specific recommendations to help you protect your data and your business.

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The Benefits of In-House Production Printing – Infomax

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If your business isn’t directly correlated with printing, you may currently choose to send big print jobs to an outside printing company. Some firms make this choice assuming that professional-quality printing is too expensive to bring in-house or that it’s too difficult to do it well on-site. But in reality, many companies find that investing in the equipment for in-house production printing machine benefits them in numerous ways. If your organization regularly needs professional-quality printed materials in large quantities, such as programs, booklets, handouts and more, consider these ways that in-house production printing may serve you well.

  • Maintain your schedule: When you outsource production printing, you’re at the vendor’s mercy. There’s little you can do to rush an order, and there’s little chance you’ll get a quick job through after hours or on Saturday. The vendor’s largest clients will always take priority, so if that’s not you, you’re out of luck. Moving your production printing in-house gives you complete schedule control.
  • Control your costs: Of course there are upfront costs associated with bringing production printing in-house. However, there is significant cost every time you send an order to the nearby print shop, too. And those costs add up. You may find significant savings over the long run by doing your own production printing on-site, especially if you print in high volumes. Your purchasing options, such as leasing vs. buying, may prove to be surprising as you dig into the numbers to determine if you spend enough on outsourced printing projects annually versus the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a production printer.
  • Avoid leaks: In-house production printing reduces the number of hands and eyes processing your material. If you are printing material that is in any way sensitive or proprietary, you know that controlling access to that information is critical. Sending files to a vendor opens up many avenues for a data breach. The digital files can be stored or transmitted insecurely, and any number of personnel at the print shop could surreptitiously steal or copy your information.
  • Be free: Most commercial printing firms come with strings attached. They may require weeks of lead time or have a high minimum threshold for print runs. They may be finicky about file types or lack the will to call and ask about an obvious error in your content. With in-house production printing, you can set your own rules and perform more thorough quality assurance checks.

Contact us today to learn more about how our production printing offerings can help you meet your production print needs in-house.

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Gain a Competitive Advantage with Document Management

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Companies are always in search of the latest feature or killer app that gives them a clear advantage over their competitors. The ongoing shift from paper to digital is one such advantage that many companies are implementing. Digital document management offers companies a way to shift from paper-intensive processes to faster and more efficient digital processes.

The following describes how document management can give your company the competitive edge it needs to survive in today’s business climate.

Improvement in Productivity

Whether it involves searching for crucial documents or filling out forms, utilizing paper-based processes can prove costly in terms of time and cost. Transitioning to a digital document management solution paves the way for faster searches, live auditing capabilities, and automated workflows that ultimately improves productivity for employees.

Increased in Security

Paper documents are easy to lose track of and difficult to dispose of when needed. Achieving compliance with paper documents can also be difficult, making a digital solution the best option for your business’s compliance and archival efforts. With automated file retention, fine-tuned permissions controls, controls against malware and other malicious activity, and accurate auditing capabilities, digital document management provides a secure means of completing critical workflows.

Enhanced Employee Collaboration

Today’s employees are no longer tied to their desks. Instead, you can find them using the latest improvements in mobile technology to work outside of the office. With a highly mobile workforce, collaboration via paper can prove time-consuming and inefficient.

A well-designed document management solution enables seamless collaboration. Employees can securely share, edit, and finalize project files, with the option to audit and roll back changes as needed. Teams can work together on crucial projects from virtually any location without worrying about document access.

Expansion in Profitability

A surprising number of companies are still heavily vested in paper document storage, spending billions of dollars each year on on-premises and off-site document storage solutions. Digital document management offers a way for companies to eliminate those costs by shifting their storage needs from the physical to the digital realm. By taking advantage of digital alternatives, companies can free up physical storage space, reduce off-site storage expenses, and add further value to their bottom line.

Get in touch with Infomax to learn more about how digital document management can work for your company.