With any major advancement in technology come several popular myths and misconceptions. For example, many people still believe the only way to judge a digital camera’s value is by how many megapixels it has. This myth results in many misled consumers purchasing a more expensive phone or camera simply based on a high pixel count. The truth, of course, is that an overabundance of pixels can result in images that are far too detailed, or noisy, for the simple purpose of posting everyday photos online.
Debunking Tech Myths: Megapixels Don’t Tell the Whole Story for Digital Cameras
There are other tech myths people still buy into as well. Some still believe the number of bars on their cell phones represents service speed. However, you could have full bars showing on your phone but be in an area like a sporting event where many others are on their phones, too. Despite having full bars displayed — which is a sign of signal strength, not service speed — you can experience slow service due to the congestion of localized phone users.
Other people misguidedly believe Apple-branded hardware is immune to malware. But don’t think because you’re reading this on a Mac that you never have to worry about viruses or malware. Typically, because cybercrime, including malware, looks to take advantage of the greatest number of targets, it focuses on the more common PC market, but that’s been proven to not always be the case. In fact, a growing number of malware samples targeting Macs is being developed.
The important lesson we can learn from all of this is it’s better to know the truth than believe in myths — and that all computers need good anti-malware protection.
Cloud Computing Myths Unveiled: Separating Fact from Fiction in the Business World
Of course, over the last few years, cloud computing — commonly referred to as “the cloud” — has taken the business world in particular by storm. In its report “Building Trust in a Cloudy Sky: The State of Cloud Adoption and Security,” Intel Security interviewed thousands of IT professionals and decision-makers and discovered that 90 percent are already using some form of cloud computing. Moreover, 73 percent of organizations surveyed reported they’re planning to fully move their computing needs to the cloud within the next two years.
But, as we’ve seen, with any tech advancement — especially one that has the potential to disrupt how business is conducted — there will be numerous myths floating around about its effectiveness, capabilities, cost and level of security, to name a few. In order to make sense out of this phenomenon, let’s examine and debunk some of the most common present-day myths that are frequently associated with the cloud.
1. The Cloud Is a Fad
Is the cloud going to last or is it some passing trend that will soon be replaced and forgotten? The myth that the cloud is just a passing fad is simply that — a myth. Understandably, because we all live in a world where smartphones and other devices become obsolete in our very hands, we can be tempted into thinking the cloud is just another example of tech obsolescence.
But here’s the truth: The cloud isn’t a device. It’s a method of conducting everything from remote computing to storage via the internet. Do you think the internet is a fad? And while we’re at it, how about the need for businesses to store data and quickly retrieve it? Because the cloud supports how business is conducted via a reliable network that we use more, not less, every day, don’t expect the cloud to do anything other than grow in popularity, importance and influence for years and decades to come.
2. The Cloud Is Unreliable
How can I trust something I can’t see? This question exposes a great deal about where myths surrounding the cloud come from. Incredibly, many of those who mistakenly believe the cloud can’t be as reliable as having localized computing hardware and storage are the same people who regularly use their smartphones to conduct remote banking, update their social media accounts and check on their doctors’ appointments and lab results. Of course, in all of these instances, people accessed and used the cloud via their smartphones. So the truth in the case of the cloud’s reliability is that it’s already a trusted technology for many banking, financial, insurance, educational and healthcare organizations.
What’s more, if you’ve ever been concerned with losing your business’s data, it’s important to note that quality cloud providers offer extremely reliable backup, storage and disaster recovery services, making the switch to cloud computing a much more reliable option than the localized computing route.
3. The Cloud Isn’t Compliant
Won’t the cloud affect my organization’s compliance? Is the cloud HIPAA-compliant? From healthcare to finance, many institutions are required by law to accept, store and share sensitive data in a highly secure fashion. Whether it’s handling protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA rules or protecting customers’ financial data under SOX and GLBA regulations, meeting your industry’s compliance standards is a crucial part of staying in business and earning your clients’ trust.
What’s so important to know about this myth is that the opposite is actually true. The cloud and many of the services associated with it, such as cloud-based faxing, actually include a very proactive approach to ensuring compliance standards are met as part of any service agreement. For this reason, Softlinx uses the Replix® delivery platform to deliver a complete cloud-based faxing and document handling system that allows healthcare organizations, financial institutions, insurance companies and many other forms of business to remain fully compliant to their respective industry’s standards and regulations.
4. The Cloud Isn’t Secure
Is the cloud secure? Here, again, the truth is far from the myth. Since migration to the cloud began, the security of the cloud has proven to be far better than the vast majority of localized computing infrastructures. Cloud security is, after all, a big part of any cloud provider’s reputation. This means the large majority of cloud service providers will continually utilize the latest professional-level data encryption and security protocols to protect their business — and yours!
Softlinx Supplies Secure Cloud-Based Faxing
Now that you know the truth about the cloud, find out more about secure cloud-based faxing service. Contact us or schedule a live demo. You can also call (800) 899-7724 to speak directly with a Softlinx representative.
