Choosing the right cloud
storage option for your company will contribute to having a robust
technological backend. Depending on the nature of your business, though, your
cloud storage needs will vary significantly. It can be difficult to make the
right choice, but one of these options is sure to resonate with your
requirements and budget.
We don’t recommend using a free cloud storage solution for your business needs. Unless you are on a particularly tight budget, it is worth remembering that none of the free options will offer the kind of reliability and support that an enterprise user might require. There are also legal factors worth considering, such as GDPR and HIPAA compliance, which is why we recommend investing in a premium cloud storage solution.
How to choose a cloud storage service for business?
According to Storagecraft’s Florian Malecki,
“organizations are often unclear about the best way to keep their files and
systems safe.” But, he says, “There are plenty of preventative measures that
can be taken to avoid the costly risk of downtime. Arguably the most important
factor is backing up and recovering data quickly and efficiently. That is where
cloud storage comes in.”
For businesses
operating under any budget, cloud storage is an attractive option that can be
tailored to custom-fit the company’s unique data and software needs. It can
help save on storage space and reduce maintenance costs, while still being a
much more secure option compared to brick and mortar storage solutions.
Data stored on the
cloud can also be accessed by employees from anywhere across the world, making
it a perfect choice for digital and remote-based businesses. Here are the key
factors worth considering when migrating your business to the cloud:
·
Redundancy equals
safety. If you have the budget for it, we recommend keeping both on-site and
off-site copies of your most valuable data in the form of physical drives as
well as cloud storage. This way, if you were to accidentally delete a file from
the cloud, you’d still have the ability to restore files locally. Inversely, if
the local storage were to be damaged or infected, you’d still have the copies
stored on the cloud.
·
If you don’t have the
budget or storage space to set up a local recovery mechanism, try investing in
a cloud storage solution with data recovery options. Various cloud services
store multiple copies of your files and allow you to recover them from memory
if one copy was deleted. Some of them even let you set up a virtual machine
with additional storage to keep a second copy of your files.
·
Apart from keeping
separate physical and digital copies of your files, you should also have your
most mission-critical mirrored and stored away in a different geographic
location in case of an unexpected malware attack. If you operate in an industry
where constant uptime is essential, this is a must-have for your
business.
·
If this is your
company’s first foray into cloud storage, consider investing in a hybrid backup
plan instead of going fully on the cloud. This will help keep things simple for
your employees and make the transition to an entirely cloud-based system later
much easier.
·
Finally, remember to
perform a proper cost and return-on-investment analysis to compare your current
storage plan with your new cloud-based one. This has to be done before you make
any important decisions regarding migrating your business to the cloud so that
you can make sure that the process is ultimately profitable.
Below are some of the
best cloud storage options available for businesses. Note that business plans
typically cost more than personal ones due to the priority support and high-end
technology that usually comes packed with them.
1.
Dropbox business cloud storage
Unlimited storage for large
businesses
Max file size: 100GB
| Free trial: 30
days | Available storage per
user: Unlimited
Ø Intuitive user interface
Ø Feature-rich file sharing
Ø Selective synchronization
Ø Expensive
Ø No full device backup option
Founded in 2007 as a startup by MIT students Drew Houston and
Arash Ferdows, Dropbox is one of Y Combinator's most successful properties to
date. It is a cloud storage solution that, although not a jack-of-all-trades
like G Suite, still comes with plenty of options to create and modify files
alongside backup and storage.
It comes with a very simple
desktop application that you can use to drag and drop files directly into the
cloud. These files can be in any known format as the system prides itself on
compatibility. Files can also be circulated easily among users using the
in-built share function, even if the person you’re sharing with does not have
an account with Dropbox.
Dropbox Transfer is a tool that
makes it extremely easy to transfer files to other users, whether or not they
have an account. That way, the receiver gets access to an exact copy of the
file with all the appropriate permissions without getting to the original. With
free accounts, Dropbox Transfer has a file size limit of 100MB. Upgrade to a
business account, however, and the maximum file size quickly expands to a
whopping 100GB.
Dropbox Business Standard is
available for $12.50 per user per month when billed annually, for a minimum of
three users. Dropbox Business Advanced is available for $20.00 per user per
month, also for a minimum of three users. While the standard plan limits your
storage space to a maximum of 5GB, the advanced plan is one of the rare plans
to offer truly unlimited cloud storage for businesses.
When it comes to the UI,
Dropbox features a clean, minimalistic design that’s easy to understand and
operate. The desktop app is available on Windows and macOS, while the
smartphone app can be found on Google Play and the Apple App Store. There’s
also a very smooth web-based interface for users who want to keep things
lightweight.
2.
Egnyte business cloud storage
Feature-rich option for every
business
Max file size: 10GB
| Free trial: 15
days | Available storage per
user: 10TB
Ø Extremely compatible with third-party applications
Ø Fast and intuitive interface
Ø Lots of user management options
Ø Downloadable clients are too simplistic
Ø Pricey two-factor authentication
Egnyte is
a file sharing and management solution designed specifically for businesses,
built for maximum security and compliance. The hybrid cloud storage design
allows you to store data both locally and online, allowing for abundant
redundancy in case of the unforeseen.
Egnyte is also compatible with a wide range of third-party applications, including Microsoft 365,
Salesforce, Slack, and AutoCAD. Its web interface can, for example, be used to
create and edit documents directly in both Google Docs and Microsoft Office.
The Egnyte App is available on both desktop and mobile devices, including
Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Mobile, and Kindle. There is
also a unified web interface that you can access on any device with an internet
connection.
Egnyte has really good servers,
which means that downloads and uploads happen fast, even on average internet
connections. Files can be accessed and modified offline if needed, using a
nifty feature available via the web interface. You can also restore previous
versions of existing files. Sharing and collaboration are fairly easy.
The web interface is truly as
good as it can possibly get. You can add a comment, share a file, or assign a
task with ease using one of the sleekest interfaces available in cloud storage.
Common file types can be opened directly in your browser, and the system offers
excellent user management and analytics reports.
In stark contrast to the web
interface, Egnyte’s desktop and smartphone apps appear basic and outdated.
There’s also very little you can actually do using these apps, as the majority
of features are exclusive to the online interface.
Egnyte standard is available
for at least $8 per user per month for 5–25 employees. This plan offers a
maximum storage space of 5TB and supports a maximum individual file size of 10
GB. If you have more than 25 employees, you will have to opt for the business
plan, which supports up to 100 employees and 10TB online storage. Higher-end
plans with premium support are also available, but you’ll need to call for
pricing.
3.
BackBlaze business cloud storage
Minimal solution offering
encrypted backups
Max file size: Unlimited
| Free trial: 15
days | Available storage per
user: Unlimited
Ø Unlimited storage space
Ø No limits on individual file size
Ø Super easy to set up
Ø Web interface is basic
Ø No full disk image backup
Unlike the other options mentioned so far, BackBlaze doesn’t
come with file-sharing or management capabilities. Instead, it offers a very
secure backup service that keeps your essential files safe from malware attacks
and system corruption. The emphasis is on security as functionality takes
a back step.
BackBlaze is built with novice
users in mind. You only need to set it up once and then you can completely
forget about it. There’s a very simple installation wizard that guides you
through the first-time setup. Once done, BackBlaze will automatically back up
all your files and folders as it runs in the background. You can set it up to
run backups continuously, once a day, or when prompted manually.
The service is pretty
basic. The only time you will need to access the client after the
initial setup is if your computer is somehow compromised. Usage is restricted
to just one device per user per account. There’s support for external hard
drives, but no network drives. There is also no support for mobile devices.
While advanced users may find
the functionality lacking, those with little experience with cloud storage will
find the offer appealing for the very same reason. For as little as $6/month or
$60/year, users get access to unlimited storage space on a single device. While
the service only stores older versions of your files for up to 30 days, you can
extend that time limit up to one year for an additional $2 a month. There are
also no limits on individual file size.
Despite the limited
functionality, BackBlaze is really popular among its user base. At this moment,
it has over one million terabytes of data stored away securely using its cloud
platform. It has also helped recover over 50 billion files since it was first
launched in 2007. If you are looking for a simplified option that lets you back
up and store your files on the cloud without giving it much additional thought,
you need to look no further than BackBlaze.
4.
Tresorit business cloud storage
Zero-knowledge service with a
focus on security
Max file size: 10GB
| Free trial: 14
days | Available storage per
user: 1TB
Ø Timed free trial
Ø Extremely secure
Ø Lots of options for enterprise users
Ø Expensive
Ø No add-ons or extensions
Founded in 2011, Tresorit banks
its entire cloud storage technology on a “zero-knowledge
encryption” claim. Apart from the selected few people that you choose to
share your files with, no one will have access to the stuff that you upload to
your cloud storage. Your account is secured by two-factor authentication and
end-to-end encryption.
Because of the strong focus on
security and privacy, Tresorit’s cloud storage technology doesn’t integrate at
all with third party applications. There are no options to edit or modify your
files on the cloud or stream audio and video without downloading them first,
either. These things can feel limiting, but for a data-centric company that
requires extensive security, Tresorit is well worth the compromise.
Tresorit offers both cloud
storage and network drives, with data residency options to help you choose
where to store your data from one of several data centers across the world. It
has good servers with decent download and upload speeds. The desktop and mobile
apps are smart and intuitive, with a guided tour to help you get your bearings
when you first begin.
Tresorit offers a free 14-day
trial on all its subscription plans. Plans start at $20 per user per month when
billed annually. This plan offers up to 1TB of storage space per user for
three–nine users. The business plan is available for $24 per month per user for
10–100 users with 1TB of storage per user. There is also an enterprise plan for
upwards of 100 users, but you’ll have to contact them for the pricing on that
one.
5.
SpiderOak business cloud storage
Secure and straightforward
encrypted cloud storage
Max files size: Unlimited
| Free trial: 21
days | Available storage per
user: 5TB
Ø Secure and encrypted storage
Ø Clients for different platforms
Ø Limited free trial
SpiderOak is
yet another zero-knowledge cloud storage solution that offers end-to-end
encryption. Your files are secure from all prying eyes, including those of law
enforcement. Not even the employees of SpiderOak can gain access to your files.
The only exception to this rule is the ShareRooms, which are left unencrypted
to allow for the easy sharing of various file types.
SpiderOak One’s client is
available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices. However, the
mobile apps are read-only and cannot be used to modify files in any way. The
design is very basic, trading modernity for security at every step.
The centralized dashboard is
pretty easy to navigate and the drag-and-drop system that comes with the client
is a welcome feature. The company claims that your data is encrypted as soon as
you install the client onto your desktop, even before the files have actually
synced, but this claim is impossible to verify.
SpiderOak offers a 21-day free
trial to all prospective users. After that, it has tiered plans that scale in
price depending on the amount of storage you need. You gain access to 150GB
storage on unlimited devices for just $6 a month. This is followed by a 400GB
plan for $11, a 2TB one for $14, and a 5TB plan for $29 a month.
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