Why Cloud-Based Content Services Are a Must for Modern Businesses

Are the content services you rely on as forward-thinking as your business?

More than 75% of modern businesses consider their content management strategy to be critical to their growth. And increasingly, that includes the use of hosted content services to streamline the management of proprietary content – and to ensure it remains compliant, secure, and easily accessible. 

Modern content services put a digital spin on traditional enterprise content management systems (ECMs). Like your standard on-premise ECMs, today’s business content services offer a one-stop solution for storing and scaling your data. But instead of having to oversee that system in-house, modern ECMs bring the repository onto the cloud. 

Keep reading to learn more about this groundbreaking take on content management and why it’s a big win for your business. 

Hosted content services vs. on-premise ECMs

The way we publish and utilize content has changed rapidly over the past several years, so it makes sense that the approach to content management has too. 

So how are content management systems keeping up? By bringing your data onto the cloud for significantly more flexibility and scalability. 

With on-premise ECMs, data is stored on a shared repository based within a private closed system. Hosted ECMs, on the other hand, store that data within a secure cloud ecosystem, increasing both security and access controls while taking many of the system maintenance tasks off your IT team’s plate. 

This cloud-based ECM approach is a game changer for innovating companies, especially alongside the accelerated growth of digital documentation and content delivery methods. 

Key advantages of cloud-based content services for businesses

Cloud adoption can seem like a huge task. Fortunately, it’s easier than you might think to migrate your content management operations from on-premise legacy applications to the cloud, and the effort you put in pays off big time when considering the major benefits of modern content services. 

• Enhanced security – Cloud-hosted content platforms are fortified with robust security measures like data encryption, access controls, and regular security updates, all of which keep your data more secure than it is on an on-premise system.
• Cost efficiency – Hosting your content in the cloud reduces the need for expensive on-site infrastructure and the labor that goes into maintaining it. These savings are further bolstered by subscription-based models and pay-as-you-go service plans that let you pay for what you need when you need it and avoid unnecessary spending on everything else. 
• Improved accessibility and collaboration – Cloud-based content systems enable remote access to documents and data from any device, with security measures that give you full control over who accesses what content and when. Additional features like version control, real-time editing, and data sharing facilitate collaboration even further so your team can work together just as well remotely as they can in the same building. 
• Scalability and flexibility – With cloud-hosted content, you can seamlessly scale your system up or down as your needs change. And because these platforms are specifically designed to work within your broader operational infrastructure, it’s a cinch to integrate your cloud-based content with your other business applications and services. 
• Streamlined compliance and governance – Hosted content platforms help your business adhere to regulatory requirements and do a lot of the heavy lifting for you through features like automated workflows, audit trails, and automatic compliance reporting. 

Real-world use cases and applications of cloud-based content platforms

Cloud-based content management has utility in all industries, and is particularly useful in compliance-heavy sectors like finance, healthcare, and law. 

Take a look at the examples below to get a better feel for how hosted content platforms can be used to foster improvements in everyday content management operations. 

Healthcare

Hospitals, private practices, and other healthcare facilities rely heavily on digital documentation. Cloud hosting provides a central repository for electronic health records and other digital documents so they can be shared across systems for greater continuity of care. It also puts more data at provider fingertips, allowing for more informed decision making regarding diagnostics and treatments. 

Banking

Banks and other financial institutions must walk a fine line between meeting customer demands and adhering to complex regulatory requirements. Cloud-based content platforms speed up this process for faster transactions and reduced latency times, all while ensuring that banks stay compliant with federal and industry guidelines. 

Human Resources

For a use case that spans industries, look no further than the human resources department. Cloud-hosted content in HR allows for rapid onboarding and simplifies the process of accessing employee data. Meanwhile, integration capabilities interlink employee information with other relevant data, so you can always get a big picture view of each individual working for your organization. 

How to choose a content services provider

You’ve got many options when it comes to hosted content vendors. So do your due diligence, and make sure you select a platform that gives you exactly what you need at a price structure that works for your bottom line. 

Some of the deciding factors will include:

• Reliability – Does the service do what it says it does? Does it have safeguards in place to ensure ongoing performance stability, such as automatic updates and bug fixes?
• Customer support – Will a rep be working with you one-on-one to set up the system and organize training? Will you have a singular point of contact for addressing any issues that might come up?
• Customization – Can you pick and choose the features you want? Can you build out a custom dashboard that’s unique to your business?

Always do a demo prior to purchase to test out the ease of use and see firsthand what features are available. Cloud-based content management platforms are intended to grow with you, so it’s important to get things right the first time so you can start enjoying the long-term benefits right away. 

Ready to take your content onto the cloud?

Your ECM needs to work around your needs, and not the other way around. A flexible cloud-based ECM does just that, and can have a truly transformative impact on efficiency, security, and collaboration within your organization. Are you ready to enhance your business efficiency and security with modern content services? Contact Systemware today for a free consultation and discover how our hosted content management services can transform your business operations.