What are white papers? And why do we care?
What is a white paper? There is one standard answer and then there are many options. A white paper is usually a problem and solution report. For example if you have a problem with your computer you could search white papers for a solution. But what if you have an IT person for that? What use could a white paper possibly have for you?
I had a friend recommend to me that I sign up to get the latest tech white papers. And I did, much like a kid who thinks they might be quizzed on something later. So when they arrived in my inbox I wasn’t sure what I should make of them. Until one day there was one that applied to an issue I was having with our computers. Then, lo and behold, I understood the importance of getting the latest white papers.
Soon it became like getting notice of problems that were going to happen before they actually did. I could be prepared when it came to IT.
Then another funny thing happened. I started browsing through these papers to find out what kind of free tech gadgets are available to help me with everything from marketing to Microsoft. I could learn the basics about disaster recovery and online back up tools. We have wonderful staff here that takes care of all of those things for us, but it helped me feel more educated and more in control when I wanted to implement something new or if questions came up about system and procedure.
White papers helped me feel empowered. It made me feel like I had a general working knowledge of what was taking place in the world of IT. (Please ignore the giggles of all of the very talented people who work in the IT field when they read the last sentence!)
So even for us non-tech types white papers can be a wonderful tool at our disposal. I challenge you to take a look at the latest in IT. An excellent source is www.ZDNet.com. The white papers are easy to understand and very useful.
Now, I said I wasn’t a tech person, but I did get excited about the launch of the iPad and I am off to go check out the different specs!
Meg Eynon, VP
The Payroll Factory®