These days, with so many of us working from home, having reliable cloud storage is paramount. Most business processes and services now run primarily in the cloud, which has resulted in business storage applications continuing to adapt in order to serve the changing needs of their customers. Storage space is also more affordable than ever and in terms of capacity, most cloud storage providers offer considerable amounts of storage in various tiers.

Best cloud storage services of 2020:

Dropbox – most of us have a Dropbox account due to it being the pioneer of personal cloud storage. Even though it only offers 2gb of free storage, this can be used on any platform; one can access files through the Dropbox website, desktop applications for Mac, Windows, and Linux, as well as, the iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire mobile apps. This means that users need not worry about syncing their files. If users need more storage, Dropbox offers personal plans of up to 3TB of storage, while business plans start at 3TB with a 14-day free trial. Moreover, Dropbox Standard Service provides 5TB with the cost depending on the number of users, making it very cost effective for small organisations.

Google Drive – the tech giant now offers its online office suite, Google docs, together with its cloud service. Simply having a Google account gives users 15gb of free storage and an excellent office suite. In fact, many businesses are now using this as their complete cloud-based office service. When more storage is needed, Google One offers plans of up to 30TB and all the plans allow users to share storage with up to 5 people. Furthermore, the Google One app on Android and iOS automatically backs up smartphones, including device data, multimedia messages and photos/videos in their original quality.

iCloud Drive – as with most Apple products, the benefits of this cloud service are best realised when used with Apple’s latest products and, even then, it definitely won’t blow you away. The personal cloud storage service is available on web, Windows and all Apple operating systems, but not on Android. This will immediately put off most organisations that require the service to be used by various employees. Additionally, the Drive tends to be quite slow and some users have also had trouble syncing files between Apple devices. Most used to think that iCloud will eventually be for Apple users what OneDrive is for Windows users – but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case.

OneDrive – Microsoft did a great job by merging the Windows desktop with cloud storage. For Windows users, it couldn’t get much easier since OneDrive is just another directory in the File Explorer. This allows for very quick access to Windows users, but one can also access the drive from desktop apps for Mac, Android, iOS, Windows phone and even Xbox. However, the real selling point is that it works very closely with Microsoft Office programs; with Office 365, one can collaborate with colleagues through documents and spreadsheets in real-time. For Windows users, there is no dilemma on which service to choose, but Microsoft also offers great subscription plans for other users, with a maximum of 6TB of storage.

 

The real value from a cloud storage service comes from how well it works for you or your business. Some work much better with certain operating systems and business plans than others. There are many other service providers and what works for one organisation may not be suitable for another. This is why the Clamtech team is always in a position to offer you sound Cloud Computing advice, as well as, helping you select the right solution that is best suited to your organisation.