It’s Time to Update That Outdated Microfilm and Microfiche

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It’s time to say it: microfilm and microfiche are outdated. In fact, they’re actually in the Museum of Obsolete Media. So as you plan for the future of your company, maybe microfilm and microfiche shouldn’t be in the picture. After all, it’s important to make sure that you, your employees, clients, and anyone who may need information in the future has accessibility of important documents.

Even if the Museum of Obsolete Media doesn’t convince you, there are still plenty of reasons why microfilm and microfiche aren’t the best choice for information longevity.

You Need Continuously Trained Personnel

If your company continues storing records in these forms, you will need to rely on one or two people who know how to access, process, and store microfilm and microfiche. Continuously retraining people to work with these formats is tedious and time-consuming. By scanning and converting your outdated microfilm, you develop one uniform process and method of storage that you can update according to changing technology. Everyone will know how to access and process important records.

You Need Special Equipment

It is also becoming more and more difficult to find the proper equipment to view microfilm and microfiche. Viewing machines are expensive, and many of the companies that sell them are going out of business. Because the writing is on the wall, there are no new providers to replace those that have closed, which will, in time, phase out microfilm and microfiche readers completely. It wont be long before viewing machines are commercially unavailable.

You Need to Consider Storage Logistics

Accessing and storing microfilm and microfiche are problems that many organizations face as well. Finding the right rolls in a room full of them can take hours, whereas finding digitized records takes a few clicks of a mouse. Rather than spending valuable time attempting to find a single record, employees can stay on task and increase productivity. Furthermore, where you store microfilm can affect its longevity. If conditions aren’t perfectly dry and dark, microfilm can mold and disintegrate from moisture in the air, ruining those records forever.

So what’s the better way to store information?

Newer and more convenient scanning and conversion technology is quickly making microfilm and microfiche obsolete. In order to best protect your records and your company, digitize your microfilm and microfiche with Datamation today.