How Using The Social Cloud Enhances Your Productivity In Every Department

For today’s businesses, the cloud is one of the first things set up.  For those that aren’t as experienced with the cloud, it has dramatically changed how we store information, from a local location to a centralized one.  It has also completely changed the way we communicate with each other – digitally, that is. Almost every business uses the cloud; in fact, it’s as organic as breathing.  The cloud enables us to manage, track, utilize, and update our digital assets. Because it is the preeminent strategy for most IT organizations, it has become a true lifeline for smaller and mid-size organizations.  From its flexibility to its accessibility, the cloud enables us to work better, faster, and smarter – from anywhere. This tool will only continue to grow. It’s that simple.

One of the best perks of the cloud is that it enables us to use what is stored in it on demand.  Because it is flexible, the cloud is prime for many programs to warehouse their data in it – from Microsoft to Photoshop.  Each user experience with the cloud is different; this is a tremendous additional benefit it offers. Simply maintaining access means tapping into the top of the mountain but not all the way to the base of it.  For the cloud to really make a difference in business, it has to be used throughout everything, accessing it remotely, and organizing individual information (including data) strategically. When organized properly, it is a fantastic insurance policy for any organization’s digital assets.

It is a known fact that business risk is significantly reduced with the cloud.  CIO.com and other publications have reported that, “20% of cloud storage users recover from a site disaster in four hours or less. For those outside the cloud, a mere 9% of storage users can typically restore their information. For those that don’t use the cloud, this can be disastrous.”

A plethora of media have reported that the cloud was designed with the original goal of protecting, centralizing, and managing data.  Those goals have been met! And to that point, the cloud has evolved significantly since that first iteration. Whereas, originally, the cloud was simply a data repository; today, social cloud storage is used successfully by many.  With Social Cloud Storage, the cloud is used both personally and professionally, with high levels of data management and organization. With Social Cloud Storage, information is stored in one fully searchable central area, which is controlled by the user.  Organization, access, control, and customization are the four mainstays of social cloud storage.

While all of this information is helpful, at the end of the day what every C-level manger wants to know is “will this reduce our bottom-line costs while protecting us and keeping our data secure?”  This is a subject that is covered regularly. Far too many companies misunderstand the true impact of productivity on the bottom-line. Essentially, in order to be measured properly, it must include everything from the amount of time it takes to do something to the amount of time lost by not doing it faster.  Otherwise, you only see a portion of the picture. When you can’t find a file or specific data you need to do your job, you are reducing your productivity. This is a measurable impact to the bottom-line of any organization. Even though almost every organization looks at bottom-line expenses, using the cloud not only reduces cost(s), but also makes your technology spend go further. Cloud storage, according to many analyst reports, “has been proven to reduce IT costs by up to 75% on an ongoing basis, while offering additional productivity and security benefits at no additional cost.”

The cloud, as we know, is a living, breathing thing.  Changes are always happening and enhancements are seen regularly, with no stopping in sight.  As the CEO and Co-Founder of, MrOwl, a platform that utilizes the cloud’s flexibility and scalability in multiple ways, Arvind Raichur believes “this is because both companies and consumers want real time access to their data in a sharable, personally organized manner.” In response, Raichur and his team literally invented a new category for cloud-based technology applications called Social Cloud Storage™. 

Social Cloud Storage “enables the sharing of content directly out of your cloud storage to a community beyond your contacts.” With MrOwl, information can be shared amongst users, while creating communities of curated wisdom through their own personal cloud storage accounts.  The information is secure, flexible, and accessible from anywhere you have an internet connection just as it is with anything else in the cloud. This makes your work/life balance stronger, while encouraging a growth mindset.

Raichur notes, “it’s all about enhancing communications and building a wider community where individuals feel heard, understood, and above all, connected.  And, it’s never been easier to share knowledge and resources because MrOwl offers unlimited storage for public content as well as 10GB’s of free private storage.”  For those that aren’t aware, MrOwl offers the storing of free unlimited files in public branches up to 20MB per file. As your files go beyond that size, MrOwl offers a private, pay version that is optimally priced to fit any budget.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.