As the global economy continues to expand, your business is bound to get more clients and grow significantly as well. For your business to run smoothly, you need to have a database that is efficient and reliable. A database is a structured set of information usually held on a server network. Employees can easily access the information in your database, because it is easily structured and indexed. There are two main types of databases – physical databases which are within your premises, and cloud databases which as the name suggests is based virtually in the cloud.
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Which is better? A physical database or a cloud database?
The first step in getting a database for your business is deciding between the physical option and the cloud option. The main advantage of having a physical database is that it’s a onetime cost. Once you install the database, you will only incur maintenance costs and nothing more. The downside to this type of database is that it can be quite expensive to install and can take up space. On the other, the cloud option is a much simpler database. All you need to do is to pay a subscription fee, and that’s it: no initial high installation costs or maintenance fees. The company you subscribe for the service from will take care of maintenance, security, and updates.
There are also distributed databases which distribute information among different computers of storage devices and use different microprocessors. Both cloud and physical databases can be distributed. So, depending on your business vision, you can pick the database that suits your needs the best.
How to choose the best database
Choosing the best database for your business is essential, as it will influence the future and growth of your company. If you’re not tech savvy, it can be a little intimidating trying to identify which is the best choice for your business. Here are some few tips to help guide you through this process.
- A good database should have data backup and recovery options.
- Make sure the database you pick supports the current technology your business uses.
- It should be able to restrict any unauthorized data access.
- It should be accessible and support data sharing across the company.
What are some of the benefits that your business should expect from a database? Here are a few of the greatest benefits a database can bring to your business.
Improved data security
In business, data is king. Your business data is easily one of your business’ most treasured possessions. This could be internal procedures, employee personal information, customer information, product details, and more. You wouldn’t want this data to be accessed by unauthorized individuals, as this may compromise the integrity or reputation of your business. It is for this reason that you should get a good database. Databases are usually password protected and encrypted, which makes it harder for unauthorized individuals to access it. A distributed database has a built-in failsafe in case there is a compromise in one of your business’ networks. You could run the business off the other networks without missing a beat. You can even set up permissions so that certain departments only have access to the data that they need in order to perform their tasks. This way, you can avoid a situation where a call center employee has access to payroll information or vice-versa.
Improves the efficiency of your business
In the business world, increased efficiency means that your employees can be more productive. This can result in more sales, which also means more revenue. A database will help your business become more efficient operationally. It will allow your employees to quickly and accurately get the information they need, allowing them to perform their job faster. Being able to perform their job easily, quickly, and efficiently is the best way to improve productivity.
Accelerate decision-making times
A database is comprised of structured and organized information that will help you make decisions easily. You can access reports about your business’s past, present, and future effortlessly from your database and use the information to highlight what works and what does not work. Once you have that information, you can make changes to your business that will help it grow.
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