Phoenix, Arizona (NAPSI) - Small business owners across the country are increasingly taking advantage of “cloud computing” technology that allows them to store files securely and access them remotely. With no hardware to install or maintain, cloud computing is an easy and efficient way to back up and safeguard computers, external hard drives and network attached storage (NAS) devices.

However, many small business owners are missing out on the benefits of the cloud, and may also be sacrificing the profits that can come with this upgrade.

OfficeMax recently launched OfficeMax Services Centers in all of its stores nationwide to offer specially-tailored services and solutions to small business owners, including online backup from Carbonite and cloud storage from MiMedia. Here are some tips from the OfficeMaxServicesCenter on how to effectively put cloud storage to work for your business.

Protect your business with bank-level security

The cloud provides a safeguarded central location to encrypt and store the most sensitive, confidential materials on enterprise-grade servers, including employee payroll information. In addition to cloud protection, OfficeMax works with Merchant Payroll powered by ADP and Paychex to absorb payroll needs and even file all state and federal taxes.

Reduce hardware, paperwork and management costs

Cloud storage offsets the cost of purchasing hard drives or memory upgrades—and who doesn’t like saving money? Plans are based on storage space needs and can be customized at any time. Benefits include less equipment to maintain and reduced management costs.

Boost productivity with anytime, anywhere access

In today’s competitive marketplace, staying connected means staying in business. It’s more important than ever to maximize productivity on the go, wherever you may be. Cloud storage allows the business and its employees to gain access to critical business information across multiple devices, including laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Get a meeting room

Many small business owners know the feeling of scrambling to find a coffee shop with enough space to hold a quick meeting. OfficeMax now works with Regus to provide business customers with access to flexible office space, virtual office services, private meeting rooms by the hour and mobile business lounges to drop into to ensure your needs are covered.

Put real-time collaboration to work

Cloud storage allows businesses to create shared workspaces for staff. By enabling multiple people to share files from multiple locations, employees can then access, review and work on the same files in real time.

Rest assured with data backup and disaster recovery

If your computer crashes or is stolen, or if the office experiences a fire or burglary, how would your business get back critical data? Cloud storage allows you to easily save, back up, recover and restore all files remotely. An OfficeMaxServicesCenter advisor can provide a tutorial on touch screen technology to help you back up these files while working on a mobile platform.

For additional information about cloud computing and business solutions, visit the new ServicesCenter inside of your local OfficeMax store or visit www.OfficeMax.com/Services.