At a glance
By Rosalyn Page
Dropbox, iCloud, ShareFile, OneDrive, iDrive, Google Drive – choosing a document storage and sharing system can be a significant commitment for businesses.
With so many options, there are key factors to consider, such as security, integration and ease of use when making your decision.
Cloud storage for business
When choosing cloud file storage, people generally opt for platforms they’re familiar with, according to Korryn Haines, technology consultant and self-described Google Workspace geek.
“After working in corporate land for many years, some people are diehard Microsoft users, so they stick with what they know,” says Haines.
“Whereas others like the simplicity of Google apps and those who work on [a] Mac usually land on the Apple suite of options. When all they want is storage that works across all platforms, people usually opt for Dropbox or ShareFile.”
It’s a matter of comparing the feature set and subscription model, which might be monthly or annual, and the size of file storage space.
Haines also suggests looking ahead and planning for storage needs to continue to grow into the future.
“What may work with your team size for the moment may not work in a year or two as the client base grows and the amount of archival data grows as clients offboard from your business,” she says.
Consider the cost
From a pure cost perspective, with the majority of businesses using either Google or Microsoft for their emails, it makes sense to utilise the included cloud storage, according to Ben King, founder of Aviato Consulting, a Google Cloud consulting partner.
If more storage is needed, there’s a cost involved, but these platforms still usually work out cheaper than standalone cloud storage.
“Anybody looking outside of this ‘free’ storage that is bundled with their email is potentially throwing money away for no real benefit,” King says.
Prioritise security and options for migration
Security considerations can’t be minimised when choosing file storage in the cloud as the protection of sensitive finance data is vitally important.
Every cloud storage platform should include security features such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), encryption, access controls and compliance with industry standards to safeguard business data, King says.
Single sign-on across cloud and office applications is another important security feature to protect unauthorised access to files.
“It’s used with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace platforms, so if you delete an employee because they’ve left, they’re blocked from email and access to files,” King says.
Deleted files go to the recycle bin, where administrators can recover them for up to 25 days on Google, and on Microsoft, they’re backed up with a separate third-party application. In addition, built-in malware scanning, document sync and back-up provisions are important features included as standard in Google Drive and OneDrive, King notes.
Without built-in backup, it would be costly and complex for businesses to achieve this themselves.
“Businesses really benefit from having these features built-in, giving them secure and cost-effective document storage and sharing systems,” he says.
When it comes to migration, most cloud storage platforms will have an option for migrating files across to alternative systems, but this needs to be handled carefully.
“It needs to be done while also having consistent backup running as well,” says Haines.
File types and storage capacity
Looking at the mix of file types that need to be stored and accessed will also help in calculating the amount of cloud storage space that will be needed.
It might be high volume and small size per file or extremely large file sizes, including things like images and video, that very quickly consume the data quota.
“And don’t overlook additional data that will be allocated for things like emails and attachments in the storage quota,” says Haines.
Cloud document storage options
Dropbox is a popular cloud storage service that offers collaboration tools and integrates with many other platforms including Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace and Zoom.
iCloud is Apple's cloud storage service that can store and sync photos, documents and other data across Apple devices.
ShareFile is a secure file sharing and storage service, catering to sectors like healthcare and finance with stringent compliance requirements.
OneDrive integrates with Microsoft Office enabling file access, sharing and collaboration for both personal and business use.
Google Drive offers cloud storage and file sharing and integrates with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, with generous free storage and collaboration tools.
iDrive provides cloud backup and storage for PCs, Macs and other devices, with document syncing and back-up, including for Office 365 and Google Workspace.
4 types of cloud storage
Not all cloud storage is the same, so it’s worthwhile understanding the differences when comparing platforms.
Personal cloud storage is designed for individual users through internet-connected devices and includes Dropbox, iCloud and others.
Public cloud storage such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are large-scale platforms typically used by business.
Private cloud storage belongs to a single organisation and is supplied by a large-scale provider such as Dell, IBM or Oracle.
Hybrid cloud storage combines public and private cloud storage for flexible sharing and security options offered by Oracle, Microsoft Azure and VMWare.
