We would bet that your business, like most, is either using cloud storage or strongly considering making the move. On the surface, the major players in the cloud data storage industry all seem about the same. However, there are some major differences between Microsoft’s OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Let’s break down some factors and find out what sets our pick, OneDrive, apart from the rest.
Integration –
A lot of Office 365 users don’t realize it, but OneDrive is included in your subscription. So you may already be paying for OneDrive. And since it is a part of Office 365, it utilizes Single Sign-on. Meaning no additional passwords to manage.
OneDrive is built-in to Windows 10. Since this is a Microsoft product, it seamlessly integrates with Windows and Office products. For example, you can right click an attachment within Outlook and save it directly to your OneDrive folder.
File Sharing –
Sharing files is easy with most cloud providers, but OneDrive has a few features that not every other solution offers. With OneDrive, you can work on a document with others simultaneously and all edits are saved to each user’s OneDrive account. You can also check to see who is working in a specific document and the real-time edits that are being made.
You can also share files up to 100GB in size with anyone. The recipient does not have to a Microsoft account to view the files you send.
Files On Demand –
The feature lets you view your entire file library without the need to sync them with all your devices. This comes in quite handy when using a laptop or tablet with inadequate storage. If you need to edit a file, you can download them individually, helping maintain the limited space of your drive.
File Sync –
All the major providers offer file sync, but OneDrive does it much faster thanks to block-level syncing. Block-level sync works by only syncing the part of the file that was changed, not the entire file. This leads to much quicker sync times.
Security –
OneDrive offers a “personal vault” for your private or sensitive files. This vault requires multi-factor authentication to access as well as an automatic inactivity sign-out feature to decrease the likelihood of unauthorized access.
Unlike other solutions, OneDrive uses individual “keys” to unlock individual files. This makes it much more difficult for an attacker to gain access to all of your data.
OneDrive also allows you to set an expiration date on sharing links you may send to colleagues and co-workers. This lessens the risk of unauthorized access to a file or folder you have shared out. Not all providers have this ability.
Mobile App –
OneDrive’s mobile app is not only very user friendly, but it provides a feature rich experience that the competitors can not match. By using the camera on your mobile device, you can scan photos, documents, business cards and whiteboards directly into OneDrive. Each type of media has individual settings that can be customized and are saved in color. Most other providers only have one setting and save the images in black and white.