Virtual Cabinetry
Designed exclusively for the SMB class, Cabinet NG, from the maker of the same name, based in Madison, Ala., is software that offers automated electronic data management. Touting that it removes the tedium of manual processing and creates paperless solutions, the vendor says its software also has an open API that fully integrates with most Windows-based programs and streamlines with various software—such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Access and Intuit's QuickBooks, to name a few—to create storage systems that meet modern-day needs.
Although priced with the small business in mind, according to several Cabinet NG partners cost is the least determining factor when courting prospective small-business customers. Partners believe the key is that they can provide a service customers can't achieve on their own—because of either lack of resources or staff—and can offer storage security in a world besieged by mounting long-term document-retention requirements.
"Primarily what people are the most interested in is the reduction of storage space, ease of retrieval, and moving documents through a workflow," said Jim Moomaw, president of Fairport, N.Y.-based Cabinet NG partner Integrated Filing Systems.
Advantage Data Systems, another Cabinet NG partner, makes good use of the accessibility the vendor provides, especially when going down the services route. "Cabinet NG provides ongoing updates; we value-add," said Roger Veach, CEO of the Chillicothe, Ohio-based VAR. In addition, if solution providers keep their membership with Cabinet NG, they can load updates 24x7, according to Veach.
"The thing about Cabinet NG's channel program [is they're] down to earth. You can call and talk to the CEO," he said. "You get a lot of hands-on with them. The product margin is [about] 35 percent. Where you make money is on the services very easy product to support, not buggy," he said.
Once deemed technology specific to the medical and human resource vertical industries, many resellers shied away from document management solutions, avoiding the intricacies of policies such as health care's HIPAA and cumbersome paperwork. But VARs say the Cabinet NG software is organized like a filing cabinet, is highly scalable and can be used for both large and small businesses in any industry.
"For the most part, [Cabinet NG] is for the small business but it can be used for larger businesses," said Jodi Delapaz, project specialist at Cabinet NG partner Advantech, Annapolis, Md. "It's a comprehensive filing system [and the customer] can become completely paperless. It's structured just like a filing cabinet so what you're used to can be done electronically."
"We've done a large number of installations ... a number of products across the field," said Todd Knapp, president of Providence, R.I.-based Envision Technology Advisors, another partner. "We're not vertical to any particular market."
Once a document's information is input via scanning or manual entry, Cabinet NG ensures immediate compatibility to create a cohesive, virtual filing system.
"[There are] different ways to input information in the system: drag and drop, e-mail, scan it in, or create a [Microsoft] Word, Excel, or any type of document," said Advantage Data Systems' Veach.
Cabinet NG "almost becomes your desktop, especially with project management," he added. "You can start the application right within Cabinet NG."
"I'll tell you something. From every point of view, this kind of technology makes sense," said Envision Technology Advisors' Knapp.
For regulatory compliance requirements, Cabinet NG has the inherent knowledge to hold onto data, yet can effectively destroy it at the proper time. According to Knapp, who said 65 percent to 75 percent of his business comes from SMBs, many companies do not realize that there is a statute of limitations on data retention.
"Compliance is a double-edged sword. You can retain documents for seven years [there is] a liability component for retaining longer than that and government is only allowed to audit back seven years," Knapp said.
"From a liability point of view, it's a mistake to maintain longer and most of these documentation retention components not only keep the length of time you're supposed to, but [they] eliminate liability off you," Knapp said, adding that "as a small business, it makes so much sense."
However, it seems that storage for regulatory policy adherence isn't the driving force behind this technology, as was once thought.
"All the feedback I'm getting is [that the customer] isn't that concerned with regulatory compliance," said Integrated Filing Systems' Moomaw. "They are with security, of course, [but] unless they're specifically associated with medical or human resources, they're not that concerned."
Cabinet NG's document management program is priced at $995 per user or $1,395 for concurrent users.