The virtual data room is the modern equivalent of the physical storage that was used in the past. Current business realities and technological progress dictate new conditions in which the essential requirements are info protection, the ability to exchange large volumes of data, mobility, and access to resources from anywhere in the world.
You can fulfill all these conditions if you use the VDR. Modern online data room software is a full-fledged working environment in which you can store almost unlimited amounts of information, exchange data with partners and colleagues, and communicate using built-in instant messengers and live chat options.
Thanks to modern security standards, your data is protected from leakage and unauthorized use. Scroll below to learn more about the main features and benefits of VDR.
VDR vs. Cloud Storages?
In general, virtual data rooms and ordinary cloud storage services have a lot in common. At the same time, VDR offers more tools you can use to optimize your workflow (you can learn more about the specific software on the VDR’s official website or data room review). Scroll down to learn about the main advantages of VDRs compared to cloud storage.
Scalability
VDRs are usually used in areas where it is necessary to deal with large volumes of information. It can be, for example, tables with several thousand results or a text document with hundreds of pages. When using traditional programs, such volumes of information can cause your computer to freeze and lag, which reduces your overall efficiency. This, in turn, can affect financial losses, slow down development, and so on.
Modern data room software helps you access any amount of data, no matter where you are. In addition, the system optimizes data, indexes, and group content. As a result, you spend less time searching for the correct file and work faster.
Availability
When using standard programs, you often need to download an executable file, install the program, and then access it from your workplace. This limits your options and thus affects the speed of work. Virtual rooms provide maximum accessibility to their resources from any registered device. In this case, the only limitation that you may encounter maybe the quality of the Internet connection.
Reliability
A large proportion of the losses of modern companies happen due to hacker attacks. As a result, crucial financial information may be leaked or data lost as a result of direct damaging actions. Virtual data rooms do away with these shortcomings and give you the ultimate level of protection with two-factor authentication, 128-bit or 256-bit encryption, role-based access, and more.
Main VDR Features
The set of features may vary depending on a particular VDR provider. However, most virtual data rooms come with the following features:
- Document management.
- Security.
- Artificial Intelligence.
- Tracking.
- Inbuilt communication channels.
VDR Due Diligence Checklist
Due diligence can be used at the stage of due diligence in various businesses and fields of activity. But most often, it is used in M&A processes. Here, data room providers help to maintain this complex process that requires not only the collaborative work of a large number of team members but also the processing of a large amount of data. It is rather difficult to describe the documents that the due diligence checklist contains fully. It depends on the specific company, but you can find the most common ones below.
Legal Documents
Here, VDRs help store data about the structure of your company, owners, constituent documents, addresses of enterprises, and more.
Historical Documents
The electronic data room can store documents, which are essential for keeping track of the changes that have taken place in your company. Based on this data, you can analyze errors, adjust your business plan, and more. In addition, this is essential information for stakeholders who are interested in you and need maximum openness.
Personnel Documents
Investors are always looking into this data because they want to get to know your team better. For company owners, this data is helpful in order to manage the staff effectively.
Investment Data
This information describes the shares of the company’s members, owners, and so on. It contains data on fundraising and financial flows, which is necessary for transactions.
Documents on Assets
Here, data room services help stakeholders find all the information about a trademark, intellectual assets, patents, and more.
Concept Documents
Along with the documents that describe the history of your company, you need to have a clear plan for the future. It reflects both small goals that you are going to accomplish in a short period, as well as large, strategic tasks. This data is helpful for stakeholders to form an understanding of where you are going.
Financial Documents
These documents contain information about financial estimates, supplier reports, audit results, cash flows, and more. This data is essential for building transparency in your company, giving stakeholders more info about your project life cycle, etc.