Types of Document Repositories

A document repository is a much needed storage location for a non-profit or corporation’s documents, as email is cumbersome and creates versioning issues. A document repository can help a company overcome the clutter and capture, organize, and distribute the essential documents and knowledge required to run a successful enterprise. There are a few different types of document repositories.

File Transfer Services are the first type of document repositories. These services are often called FTP’s as they operate in a very similar manner as a FTP server, however they are upgraded with a few simple options having to do with compliance and privacy (some even have SSL-digital certifications). The pricing for an FTP service is based upon usage and storage, so the more data you host and the more you use it, the more it will cost.

The second option for a document repository solution is cloud based file transfer. A cloud based FTP is similar to a file transfer service but requires no software be installed on the users computer. Cloud based File transfer solutions are web-based applications that allows delivering static information back and forth.

Although both FTP and Cloud based services are a vast improvement when compared to email, both have essentially the same drawbacks. When it comes to telework, telecommuting, or managing multiple office locations, both FTP and Cloud-based services are still cumbersome and difficult. Neither has the capacity to provide file or user audit reports, so management cannot tell who changed what files and when, which is especially troubling because both of these systems only have two levels of user access: full and none. This means that users that can view a file can also edit or delete it, and that a manager cannot tell which user deleted it without a data forensics expert looking into things. Secondly, these services often do not have technical support personnel and thus cannot help figure out how something went awry if it does.

The third option is a virtual data room, which is a file and folder based document repository that enables to store, sort, and search for documents in an ordered way. Virtual data rooms are also equipped with online banking level encryption and full search capabilities.

A virtual data room also provides granular report of file and employee activity, so that administrators can see who accessed a file, from what location, for how long, and any changes that they made. They allow multiple user-file access and security levels such as viewing but not saving, preventing printing and downloading, and watermarks displaying a user’s name, ip address, and date to discourage screen captures.

In concussion, email is an inadequate solution for document collaboration among multiple parties. File transfer protocol services offer many benefits to emailing by getting rid of versioning issues, but have their own security risks and lack of accountability. The best solution is a virtual data room.

This article has been constructed by V-Rooms.com. V-Rooms has been providing secure document management systems and document repository solutions for corporate communications for the last 5 years.