Is it Time for Your County to Move to the Cloud?
August 08, 2023 by Mashal Babak
As technology continues to evolve and change the way counties manage land and official records, it is important to understand the many benefits of cloud technology.
While mentions of “the cloud” are seemingly everywhere these days, its actual meaning can be, well, somewhat nebulous. Let’s focus on cloud functionality as it relates to counties — specifically the benefits associated with “Software as a Service” (SaaS), which is one of the most popular forms of cloud computing for counties across the country.
A county with SaaS uses a web interface to access applications that are managed by a third-party software vendor. While there are many SaaS benefits, I’ve highlighted six key ones below:
- Improve Security and Disaster Preparedness
County offices have large volumes of data and keeping it secure is more than a full-time job. An experienced cloud provider employs teams of security experts with this singular focus. While you may think your on-premises data is secure, how confident are you that your IT resources are comprehensive enough to ensure 24/7 security? The cloud is a more reliable environment with increased security, 24/7 monitoring, automated backups, and server redundancy.
- Cut Hardware and Maintenance Costs
With SaaS, there’s no need for a significant service and infrastructure investments. Costs are predictable -- no unexpected investments in servers, operating systems and database support, nor do you need to have a plan for a hardware refresh for servers or upgrades.
- Reduce the Burden on Your IT Staff
Since your vendor is responsible for managing servers, upgrades, and operating systems, your county IT staff doesn’t have to bear the burden of protecting that infrastructure against hackers or natural disasters. You also won’t have to compete for scarce IT resources at the county level.
- Take Advantage of Scalability
SaaS allows you to operate as if server restrictions don’t exist. You can increase staff size, the amount of data being stored, and staff licensing to the application without any potential server constraints. You’ll also be able to accommodate all the users that may require access to your website for index data, images, or any of the constituent self-service modules for applications that you manage such as permits, licenses, marriage license applications, and FBN/DBA applications.
- Enhance Access to Information
When data is in the cloud, your staff and departments are, in fact, better connected. Staff can access information from any location, at any time, streamlining connections to work remotely if needed.
- Utilize Trusted Technology
Keeping up to date in a cloud environment should not be dependent on budgets or waiting for IT staff to deploy software upgrades. Select a technology partner that utilizes the newest technology and software and has the resources and track record for long-term growth and stability.
So, is it time for your county to move to the cloud?