File archiving software is a computer program that stores files in an archive. The program can compress, encrypt files, and set up rules for storing the files. Many different file archiving software is available and differ in price and feature.
With the overwhelming options, how do you decide which archiving software is tailored to your needs? Regarding archiving software, there are some crucial things to consider to find the best fit for your needs. Ease of use, affordability, and compatibility are just a few factors you should consider.
Over the years, archiving software has become quite popular among businesses and companies globally. In 2022, the information archiving market was estimated to be 7.20 billion U.S. dollars annually. It is projected to grow even further as it helps companies and businesses to improve data efficiency.
Before choosing an archiving software, let us examine the top 8 things you can look at.
Ease Of Use
When it comes to archiving software, the most important thing to look for is ease of use. You want a program that will be easy to install and set up and won’t take much time or effort to use daily.
You can follow some things to ensure the archiving software you choose is easy to use. First, read online reviews from other users. This will help you to judge what others think about the overall usability and the program’s user interface.
Second, look for a program with a free trial period. This will allow you to evaluate the software and ensure it’s as user-friendly as you need.
Functionality
When it comes to archiving software, functionality is critical. You need software that can handle all your day-to-day archiving needs. It should be able to manage your documents and files easily. Moreover, the software should provide you with tools to search your archives. You must ensure the software can administer your archiving needs. If you have large data files, you’ll want to find a program specifically designed for dealing with extensive file archives.
Compatibility
For archiving software, compatibility with your business is a must. First, the software should be able to archive all types of data, including emails, images, and videos. Second, it should be able to archive data from multiple platforms, such as Windows, and closed storage systems like NAS, SAN, and Cloud-based storage systems, e.g., Amazon FSX Azure Shares. Third, the software should have a searchable database to find your needed files quickly.
Pricing
Pricing should be transparent and should not include undeclared charges.. Most importantly, there should be no extra fees or hidden charges. You should be able to estimate your total cost based on the initial price of the software and any additional expenses you may incur for extra storage. The pricing should also be flexible to upgrade or downgrade your plan.
Customer Support
Customer support is an integral feature that you should look for in archiving software. It helps you resolve issues you may encounter with the archiving software. In 2020, 58% of customers said they had contacted customer support in the past month. This shows that customer support is an important and integral part of any software.
Regarding customer support, there are some aspects you should look for in archiving software. When choosing archiving software for your business, you can choose the following:
- Does the software have 24/7 customer support? This is crucial in case you have any issues with the software or need assistance using it.
- Is the customer support team well aware of the archiving software? It is helpful to get help from a team that is both friendly and knows what they’re doing.
- Is the customer support team available by email, live chat, or phone? This will allow you to choose the best communication method for your needs.
Security and Safety
Security should be one of your top priorities when choosing archiving software because data breaches are increasing worldwide. In 2022, internet users witnessed around 52 million data breaches. Therefore, security should be your top consideration when opting an archiving software.
Here are the things to look for in archiving software to ensure that your data is safe and secure:
- Data encryption: Ensure that the software offers data encryption to safeguard your files from being accessed by individuals who are not permitted..
- Password protection: Choose software that lets you set up a password for accessing your archived files. This will help to secure your data from prying eyes.
- File integrity check: Look for software that offers file integrity checking to ensure that your files have not been tampered with or corrupted.
- 2 Factor Authentication (2FA): The authentication process must be further strengthened by 2FA protocols, and only fully authenticated personnel are given access to data.
Scalability
As businesses continue to invest in multiple data solutions and generate ever-growing amounts of data, the issue of scalability becomes increasingly important. An archive that can’t keep up with the data growth rate is useless, so choosing a solution that can scale to meet your needs is crucial. To ensure the archiving software can scale with your company, you can look for the following features:
- Cloud-based storage: With cloud-based archiving and storage, you can quickly increase your capacity without worrying about physical limitations.
- Modular design: A modular design means adding components as needed, allowing you to adjust the system to your needs. This ensures that the archiving software meets your business requirements and adapts to the changing needs.
- Scalable performance: Performance must be scalable to keep up with your archive’s data growth. You want a system that is easily expandable and can be used to store larger file volumes as your business grows.
If your archiving software lacks scalability, you will need to spend more money on additional storage space and hardware.
The Bottom Line
If your company deals with considerable volumes of data, archiving may be a practical solution. When looking for archiving software, you need to consider whether your archiving software is easy to use, safe, affordable, and scalable to your needs. With the right archiving software, you can improve your data flow.
