File sharing and syncing services have transformed the way we do business. No one misses the days of clogged inboxes and clunky file-upload workarounds but it’s important to note the differences between consumer-grade and enterprise services. If you’re business is currently using Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive or one of the other services designed for personal use, here are three things you need to consider (courtesy of Datto, a leading-edge expert in backup, recovery and business continuity solutions).
- Security and compliance. You may be unintentionally violating regulatory mandates regarding protection of Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This is because many consumer-class public cloud services are not sufficiently secure for use with sensitive and/or business-critical data. This can apply to business, customer, partner/supplier, and employee data.
- Data backup and recovery. If employees use separate accounts to access the file sharing site, their files are scattered across different public clouds. This can make recovery painfully slow (actually totally impractical) when a disaster strikes.
- Archiving and e-discovery. Can you easily access former employees’ files? If not, your consumer-class service may present a huge problem when you need to find files from a previous project or if an investigation or legal action requires e-discovery.
Enterprise file sharing and syncing solutions, such as ownCloud on SIRIS, are designed for business use. Through our Datto partnership, Zantek offers a solution that enables you to store files and data in your local infrastructure rather than relying on a public cloud. We can also set you up with OneDrive for Business, a popular Microsoft solution. If you’re currently using a service designed for personal use, talk to us about a business-grade alternative. We’ll ensure you get a cost-effective solution that meets your needs. Most importantly, we’ll fully align all of your file collaboration, backup, and recovery needs in a single solution so you don’t have to worry about or manage disjointed IT services.