Technology: Tools for Transition

There’s no denying Technology is a driving force in our personal and professional lives.

We are constantly having to adapt to changes in technology. Most of us believe the changes are for the better, and most probably are, although sometimes the oldfashioned ways are still the most comfortable and enjoyable.

I spend most of my day reading on a computer screen. For private reading, l prefer the print version of a novel, with a soothing beverage by my side. I hope technology never replaces the paperback book.

BC Notary Akash Sablok has been writing Technology articles in The Scrivener for more than 15 years. Never at a loss for a storyline, Akash constantly finds innovative technology to include in his column. If you look back at his early articles, you will note that some of those latest-andgreatest devices are not even in use anymore. The articles are now historical reference points to the power of technology and how it changes the way we live our lives.

When I became a BC Notary 15 years ago, the Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA) was just introducing the Electronic Filing System (EFS).

I worked in another Notary office at that time; we had to transition from paper filings and use a registry agent for filing digital PDF documents using EFS—a major transition as staff members were reluctant to change.

personal desktop will appear on the monitor and they just continue from where they left off. That change has taken a while to feel normal, but the benefits are already being realized. Our data is still very secure and well-backed-up. It is now simple to employ off-site personnel as “the office” can now be any place that has an Internet connection.

As humans we tend to get comfortable with our surroundings and how we do things. Suddenly, technology comes around and insists we update our ways.

Once the office got working with EFS, the staff could not imagine ever going back to paper filings. Fifteen years later, those PDF Land Title forms are gone and we use web forms—a vast improvement from the PDF—but nonetheless a major change in the way we do our jobs. Technology strikes again!

My office has just completed a major technological change. We have moved our entire computer system into “the cloud.” We no longer store our data in-house—of course we still own and control it.

We no longer have dedicated workstations. Anyone can sit at any terminal and just log in. Their own

If we have hardware problems, for example a computer malfunctions or dies, we can just switch to another computer, log in, and continue. If someone is home sick for a couple of days but wants to get some work done, they can log in from their laptop or home computer as if they were in the office. Technology has provided a more flexible work environment and approved efficiencies.

I encourage everyone to check out the cloud-based options. There are many advantages.

In summary, while technology can help us live our daily lives better, it also has the power to make them more complicated. It is up to each of us to choose which technologies we embrace in our businesses while at the same time we must be willing to adapt to the inevitability of new technologies being imposed upon us.

Please enjoy this edition of The Scrivener as we explore technology together. ▲