Cloud computing has become a critical component of any modern business. On-premises servers have mostly disappeared. The cloud offers security, lower costs, scalability, and more. However, data in cloud repositories is subject to the same regulatory rules as any other environment.
When transactional communication companies adopt cloud computing, there are additional nuances to consider. Let’s review what you need to know about this framework.
What Is Cloud Computing?
In the context of transactional print and mail, cloud computing offers the infrastructure to receive, process, and use data. Much of this is sensitive, falling into categories of personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI).
Regulations guide the security of this data, requiring encryption and other protections to ensure privacy and to avoid data breaches.
The Role of the Cloud in Transactional Print and Mail
There are several ways that the cloud is an integral part of the entire lifecycle of a production run.
- Data transmission: Before any job begins, it starts with a data upload to the printer. In most cases, this is via Secure File Transmission Protocol (SFTP) to ensure secure file processing. Once transmitted, the data moves through the provider’s system and remains encrypted while in transit or at rest.
- Third-party applications: Software applications must reside somewhere for use in production. Hosting them in the cloud ensures they are always up to date without any effort for the end user.
- Proprietary platforms: Transactional professionals often have a web-based system for their customers. These document management solutions provide real-time and historical information. They also have reporting functions. These live in the cloud, too.
Modern production involves high volumes of data, multiple applications, and internal platforms. To scale and preserve operations, the cloud is really the only option. But not every cloud is the same.
Public vs. Private Clouds
There are different categories of clouds, and that impacts security and privacy to some degree. In public cloud computing, third parties manage these and users “share” them. Public clouds are secure, and there’s no commingling of data, but there are limitations.
Organizations own private clouds and offer more customization regarding security and tighter controls. The cloud is only accessible by the users within that company or their customers. A private cloud also tends to be more consistent and reliable since a single group manages it.
In the realm of transactional print and mail, a private cloud is preferable. Hosting applications and storing data within them ensures more stringent compliance standards.
Private clouds do require considerably more investment than public ones, but the benefits outweigh the expense.
How PCI Group Uses the Cloud
With the opening of our new facility last year, we also launched our own secure and private cloud for data and applications. It connects to our second location, as well. We custom-built the cloud to align with all regulatory requirements and those of our customers. This allowed us to achieve true redundancy as well, as jobs can easily move if necessary.
Security and compliance affect everything we do, so we needed an infrastructure to support this. That’s our commitment to every customer.
Learn more about our technology and operations by requesting a consultation.
