The impact of the cloud on data

The cloud revolution has significant implications for how data is stored, accessed, and used. Historically, the usability of data had real-world limits, such as how many pieces of paper could fit in a filing cabinet, how many cabinets you could fit in a closet, and how well-documented the filing system was. Moving on from paper filing systems, organizations ran into data accessibility issues when supporting distributed workforces.

Although a file may be digitized, depending on how it is stored, it may not be accessible. For example, a salesperson may want access to the historical performance of their territory to build a territory plan for the coming fiscal year. Ideally, they would want visibility into the last 5 years of their transaction history, including the names of clients and the deal sizes. This information would help inform them of where and with whom their product has had traction, which, in turn, would help them define a strategy for the...