The truth that technology is infallible tends to be something that we don’t really like to hear. We spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on sophisticated computer systems every year, precisely because we want to make life in the workplace much easier and much faster. The realisation that technology isn’t always a friend can be a hard one to come by, especially for small businesses who have put their money and their faith in a complicated IT system or infrastructure.

Nevertheless, it is an important realisation and one that must be reached if a small company is ever going to grow to become a dominant force in the marketplace. As the experts at La Trobe University point out, we are in the middle of a data deluge. It can only grow in intensity as the number, frequency and resolution of available data sources continues to rise and the dependence on data increases. External storage backup is the only real way to arm ourselves against this increasing dependence. Experts agree that all upwardly mobile businesses should now be investing in external document & records management and here are just a few of the reasons why.

Reduced Operational Risk 

Investing in and maintaining an external storage bank is the only way to ensure that your data is always safe. It is wise to assume that absolutely everything that isn’t backed up could be accidentally or even deliberately lost at any point. Though there are ways to recover some forms of lost data, none of these methods are sure-fire and almost all of them are very expensive. Does it not make sense to use external storage as a sort of business insurance policy, a sort of liability cover in the rather likely event that your IT system loses power or facilities? Data storage systems are completely independent of your mainframe system, so can be accessed even if this mainframe system is itself inaccessible. In the event of a potentially catastrophic IT crash, you’ll lose only the very minimum amount of time and money because you’ll be able to recover your data and continue working almost immediately, say the experts at Northumbria University.

Increased Efficiency 

Though significantly reduced operational risk is, undoubtedly, the main advantage when it comes to investing in external data storage backup – it’s also important to be aware of its other benefits. Storing your data documents in an external location can be a great way to ensure that they’re organised efficiently. Documents that aren’t immediately relevant or useful can be stored in a convenient manner and location and easily accessed at any point in the future, says Saching.com. This is good news for future mergers, infrastructure shake ups and tax audits – no more scrabbling around for data, because it’s all neatly organised and stored in an external location.

Safety & Security 

External data storage systems, particularly things like record management, are a great way to keep your company data and documents completely safe and secure. Record management systems offer the wisdom of data experts who can advise you on what needs storing and what needs erasing. This means that you’ll never have to worry about the legitimacy of the data that you keep – important documents will be organised and stored, whilst irrelevant documents that could pose a security risk if left unattended can be securely destroyed. There is no safer way to handle and store your vital company data and documents.

Author Bio:

Lisa Jane has been a data recovery specialist for eleven years. She recommends Saracen Data Store for reliable, top quality external document & records management solutions. She can usually be found rescuing important documents for worried businessmen and women who thought that they were lost forever.