The era in which documents and files were kept on physical or local storage systems is long forgotten. And that is there's a word that completely changed the storage paradigm: Cloud. Nowadays, cloud storage services are widely used by a large number of companies.
But, What is cloud hosting and how does it work? What types are there? What benefits does cloud storage offer? What are the best cloud storage systems out there? Read on to find the answers to these questions and discover which one best suits the needs of your company.
What is cloud storage?
Storage (O cloud storage in English) in the cloud is, briefly, a Service that makes it possible to store and transfer data through the Internet to an external storage system operated by a third party..
There are many cloud storage systems, that range from personal storage (to save photos, videos, audios, email backups, passwords, etc.) to the business (as a remote backup solution to securely send and store files).
How do cloud storage systems work?
The mechanics of all file hosting services is next: provider provides IT infrastructure (information technology) with which you manage the servers safely. They do not act autonomously, but in a group.
A) And, hard disk memory is virtualized with the help of hypervisors (an abstraction layer in addition called virtual machine monitors or Virtual machine monitors, VVM) that mediate between the hardware and the virtual environment.
In general, Log in to the virtualized space of cloud storage services you need specific software and an active internet connection for public clouds or on an intranet or virtual private network (VPN) for private clouds. These services usually offer specific applications for various devices (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.).
Advantages of storing in the cloud
Between the different benefits of cloud storage the following can be mentioned:
1. Savings
The biggest cloud storage professional is not having to buy or manage any hardware own self. Thus, the plan can be modified to pay only the essential.
2. Flexibility
Unlike proprietary hardware, storage systems can be rented or canceled according to the needs of the moment.
3. Scalability
Virtualization enables you to customize memory volume, even when it can be adjusted at all times according to the space required.
What types of cloud services exist for companies?
In general, These storage systems are scalable and adapt to the needs of companies, being accessible from anywhere. At the same time, generally they are independent of the applications so they can be accessed from any device. The three main models of cloud storage services are:
Public cloud
In a public cloud, both hardware and software are owned by the cloud provider, who also manages them. In this type of cloud hosting the same hardware, storage and network devices are shared with others “tenants” from the cloud. Services are accessed and the account is managed in a web browser.
Private cloud
A private cloud consists of computing resources used by a single company. This can be physically located in the company itself or hosted by an external service provider.. Despite this, both services and infrastructure are on a private network.
Hybrid cloud
In a hybrid cloud, the previous two are combined, so data and applications can be transferred between public and private clouds for more flexibility and deployment options according to the needs of the moment. It is one of the most used types of storage.
The 3 top cloud storage services for companies
After making a comparison between different cloud storage systems, taking into account different characteristics, these are The best on the market For business:
1. OneDrive
OneDrive for business is a Microsoft cloud storage system that can be purchased individually or within the Microsoft package 365, which according to the plan includes more Office productivity applications (like Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access o Publisher), at the same time from other services such as Exchange, Teams, Yammer o SharePoint.
To use OneDrive for business must have an account associated with the company, instead of a personal one. All the information that is stored is private, so all data and files in it will be the property of the company. Only administrators can control who can enter and what can be done.
- OneDrive for companies (plan 1): At a cost of 4,20 € per user per month, ideal for companies that require file storage and sharing on OneDrive.
- OneDrive for business (plan 2): For only € 8,40 per user per month, advanced security and compliance capabilities added to above plan.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: At a cost of 4,20 € per user per month, is ideal for companies that need Microsoft Teams, while including the web version of Office (PC) and download applications for smartphones and tablets.
- Microsoft Business Standard 365: For only € 10,50, all of the above is included, as well as business class mail and more options like full Office on the desktop.
2. Google Drive
Another of the best cloud storage services out there is Google Drive. With the can be stored, share and enter to all company files in a safe place at any time from any device.
He comes included within the G Suite service (in its Business and Enterprise editions), which offers many additional options such as business email, Meet for video calls and video conferencing, chat, shared calendar, office tools (Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms, etc.).
Despite this, there are three G Suite options can be tried for free during 14 days:
- G Suite Basic: At a cost of 4,68 € per user per month, includes the above with up to 30 GB of cloud storage.
- G Suite Business: For only 9,36 € per user per month, to the above are added more options regarding security and administration with unlimited storage space if they are hired at least 5 users (otherwise it is offered up to 1 TB).
- G Suite Enterprise: At a cost of 23 € per user per month, is the most complete service. The above is expanded with even more exclusive features.
3. Dropbox
Dropbox Business is one of the most widely used cloud storage services in the world, being one of the pioneers of the sector, as well as the administration and organization of information remotely.
It is one of the fastest synchronization solutions on the market, so it should not be surprising that it has more of 500 million users. Dropbox Business enables IT administrators to save business data and enforce strict sharing controls to ensure confidentiality.
They are offered up to three plans de Dropbox Business:
- Dropbox Business Professional: With a cost of 19,99 € per user per month, comes with up 3 TB of secure storage, as well as premium productivity features and file sharing of up to 100 GB. It can be tried for free during 14 days.
- Dropbox Business Standard: For only € 12 per user per month, has until 5 TB of storage space, along with easy-to-use team management and collaboration tools. It can be tried for free during 30 days.
- Dropbox Business Advanced: At a cost of 18 € per user per month, at the same time as the above, offers unlimited storage space, as well as sophisticated administration functions, audit, security and integration. Your free trial period is 30 days.
Cloud file storage services: essential for companies
At the same time, Most cloud storage services offer many features in their plans that make them very useful for teleworking, an increasingly widespread working modality in business. You just have to do a little research to find out which one best suits the needs of the company.
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