In the age of information, virtually everyone with a computer or smartphone expects a comprehensive digital platform when dealing with your ad agency. And while only IT professionals may fully understand the inner workings of your cloud computing software or data recovery plan, it is essential that advertising experts can at least grasp the fundamentals and understand what technology can do for their business.
Here are some tech tips that will help grow your agency:
Find the Right Cloud Service
The cloud can sometimes seem like a very abstract concept. A common misconception is that the cloud is one place, like a country floating in the sky, and that each user owns a certain amount of property. The reality is that cloud services are more like actual clouds, with different shapes, serving different purposes, for different parts of the world. Different cloud services satisfy different needs and it’s vital that business owners choose the correct service for their company.
Private cloud services are tailor-made for your business, and while they have the most customized functions, they are often more high-maintenance, require more upkeep and take longer to build.
Public cloud services, like Google Apps, QuickBooks and many others, are accessed through a browser and charges are incurred based on use. These are great for smaller companies and startups that don’t need completely customized services, but may be difficult to manage because of the more general infrastructure.
There are also hybrid cloud services that combine the best of both services, but can be more complicated to start than the public and private services separately. For more help on the differences between the cloud systems, check out this video.
Protect Yourself from Data Breach
In 2015, there were half a billion records stolen via data breaches. While not all data breaches lead to disaster, it is safe to say that any company– especially those with client confidentiality agreements such as advertising agencies — should take every step possible to protect themselves to lessen the likelihood of a data breach. Forbes created a list of easy steps that can be done within the office which include investing in password management software that will help to change passwords periodically, storing customer data in an encrypted database and having your attorney update your company’s terms and conditions. All of these offer protection in the event of a data breach.
Backup Completely and Backup Often
To an ad agency, this may be the most important data protection step. Although you think it will never happen at your agency, sometimes all it takes is a minor accident or machine error to erase years worth of data and information. Hardware failure accounts for 78 percent of data losses, so even if you care for your tech with the utmost precision, it’s still at risk. Performing a full system backup at least once per week ensures you and your client’s information is protected. Additionally, a disaster recovery plan should be created with your IT team so that in the unfortunate event of a breach, you will know exactly what can be done.
MDL is a full-service IT solutions company that can help you with your tech needs. If you have any questions or are interested in working with MDL, call us at 816-781-3006 or email us at info@mdltechnology.com today.
