File sharing is an essential part of any business. During the working day we share links to important documents, collaborate on reports, upload or download project-related materials, and exchange internal information. So it’s natural that finding a perfect remote file storage is something that business owners are pondering over. It’s easy to get lost with a variety of tools available in the market, so we have gathered the list of the most important criteria one should take into account to make the right choice:
Security
Make sure to check the security features of your storage solution. Malware and ransomware protection, a possibility to exchange password-protected links, supported encryption methods, and protocols are just to name a few. If you plan to store the customer information, especially when it goes about personal data, it’s worth checking on a GDPR/CCPA compliant solution. In this case, free file sharing hosting options like Google Drive are a strict no-go, as the fines for violating customer privacy are much higher than any paid storage.
Compatibility with your existing tools
If you plan to introduce a cloud file storage or cloud-to-cloud backup service into the existing infrastructure, make sure it will be compatible with other systems. If you use permission access systems like Active Directory and NTFS, give a preference to solutions like Triofox or similar ones that can seamlessly integrate into your environment. In case any additional tools need to be adopted in the nearest future, check if there will be a possibility to connect them as well to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Backups and Data recovery
It’s worth checking if a solution you are considering offers disaster recovery and if there are regular offsite backups in case something goes wrong with the system. Pay attention to the terms of use and guarantees like rotation time, allowed number of copies, and additional payment for backups that may vary depending on a vendor. As the old saying goes: hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Easiness of migration
In case you look for a replacement for your current storage, check whether the provider can offer support from their side with data migration. If so, you can save a lot of time and effort for your team. When there is no data yet, it would be also worth checking how easy it is to migrate to some other solution later, if you ever need it.
Price
Last but not least is the price. It may seem obvious that the cheaper is the solution, the better. However, the cheaper solution may have hidden costs like higher rates for additional space after reaching a certain limit, extra charges for system addons, and management. And it may appear that in the end result the initially cheaper file storage will cost you much more than you expect.
Depending on the business scale and industry, some of these criteria may seem to have a higher priority than others, while some of them may not be applicable (i.e. if there’s no client data or you have reserved backup storage, you may not take these into account). However, everything may change if your business expands or changes the direction, so knowing all your options will never hurt. And prior to making the final decision, make sure to test several options getting their demo versions or enrolling on a trial period in order to see what works best for your company.