Cloud Productivity Apps for your Marketing Agency or PR Firm
While many Boston-area small businesses may still be using legacy apps such as Microsoft Office 2007 or even Corel WordPerfect (really? REALLY?), there's no need for your team to be tied to working from one location.
With the following applications, all information is automatically stored in the cloud and instantly accessible from all major devices (Windows and Mac, and Android and iOS), allowing for full collaboration.
Office 365
With its Office 365 offering, Microsoft has shown its hand - the enterprise giant will be focused specifically on a cloud-based subscription model for Office moving forward. The disadvantage of this? Recurring payments in order to continue using the product. The HUGE advantages? Better mobile device compatibility, instant updates, and the ability to edit documents on machines where Office may not be already installed (such as at an airport terminal or library). Office 365 is built to compete very directly with Google's productivity offering.
Google Apps
Just a heads-up, here: You really can't go wrong with either Google Apps or Office 365 at this point. While the Google app-name analogies may still be lost on some (Docs = Word, Slides = Powerpoint, Sheets - Excel), the files generated in both application suites can be both read and edited in universal file formats. Both suites also offer robust cloud storage platforms, with Google Drive taking a slight lead over Microsoft's OneDrive due to more accessible email integration (via Google's Gmail for Business, of course).
Dropbox
Originally launched in 2008 as a consumer-focused "flash drive in the sky", Dropbox has steadily increased their business product offering in the years since. While Dropbox's business/Enterprise offering isn't as robust as competitor Box's, their recently announced partnership with Microsoft for full-featured Office document collaboration is certainly a huge feature.
Box
When first launched, Box was known as "Box.net", and targeted mostly the lucrative business-to-business market. While their slightly larger competitor Dropbox initially targeted consumers and added business features over time, Box has made great strides in becoming more appealing to consumers in the year's since their founding. Box has certain Enterprise-grade security features that Dropbox still is yet to offer, though Dropbox's aforementioned integration with Microsoft Office is certainly appealing.
THE VERDICT:
Small businesses, specifically marketing agencies and PR firms, need to collaborate regularly. While there is no one right tool, the modern business will need to use some combination of the above cloud solutions to be as productive as possible when using their amazing new hardware. Due to the high level of user familiarity with Dropbox on a consumer level, plus the seamless integration between Dropbox and Office 365, a Dropbox for Business and Office 365 implementation will likely make the most sense for your team.
As always, with any business decision, it helps to have an expert consultant. But what are the key reasons to choose such a consultant? Take a look here to find out:
