The Long Leash of "Digital Independence"
Original Post: May 25, 2017
The first time we put our puppy on a long leash, he took a few steps, realized he was out of our "normal" leash radius and must have thought "FREEDOM!!" He excitedly took off at full speed toward the neighbor's yard...until *SNAP!*...he reached the end of the leash and was was restricted by a factor he didn't realize was there.
That story isn't unique, but it is a great metaphor to describe what we have come to accept as "independence" thanks to many software tools nowadays. Consider:
Social Media promises to unlock the power of your network--but at what price? You have to stay tethered to their platform and abide by their parameters and standards of conduct.
Stores, banks, and insurance companies are increasingly pushing customers to use their portals to be independent of printed letters or emails, but that requires that you go from portal to portal to portal to access all your "digital life." Good grief.
Many enterprise tools claim to open up a whole new window of insight into your workflows and processes to release you from the bondage of manual procedures...then they bind you with an entirely new set of chains that keep you completely reliant on them. It's YOUR data, shouldn't you be able to have it when, where, and how you want it? Of course you should...
Don't get me wrong--I'm not saying these are bad tools, per se. Just don't suffer from a false sense of freedom when using them. They may let you out of the radius of confinement you've been used to...but be aware that the end of the leash is somewhere, and they control it.
Whether you're an individual who wants a more independent way to store, access, and share your personal documents or you're a company who is serious about eliminating the silos that contain your data, (or maybe you're both!), we feel your pain. In fact, we're one of you, and it's why we do what we do. Everything at ATLAS revolves around liberating your data so you control it and use it to improve your life...on your terms.
Visit us today at asset-atlas.com or drop us a line. We look forward to helping you shed the leash and really, truly run free.