Have you considered cloud storage for your data? Have you heard of Microsoft Azure? There are lots and lots of options right now and I want to explore some with you in this newsletter.
Cloud storage
Data storage has never been cheaper than now, and never before has there been so many options. Cloud storage has so many benefits over local data storage and in nearly every case is cheaper and more efficient.
| Location | Cost | Description | Business Risks |
| PC / Laptop Hard drive | Free | Local storage only, no duplication of data | Drive failure or loss of machine = total data loss |
| Server or NAS | $2000-$5000 | Fast local storage with data drives in RAID array for loss prevention | Total loss from theft or fire can be mitigated by cloud backup with Azure |
| USB attached Backup Drive | $100-$200 | Duplicates data from local machine (if configured correctly) | Risk of backing up corrupted data, no version control (unless using Windows 10 File History) Can still be lost with pc |
| Dropbox – free version | Free | Online storage and access from anywhere – can be synced and shared with others | Risk of data loss if other user deletes – malicious data etc. No SLA with Dropbox
Authentication is not controlled corporately |
| Dropbox for Business | Cost – $17 per user per month min 5 users | Online storage and access from anywhere – can be synced and shared with others | Version control can eliminate loss, SLA with Dropbox mitigates safety of data, can be authenticated with Office 365 |
| OneDrive (personal) | Free | Limited to 5gb per user but allows for sync of data and access anywhere | Authenticated using Microsoft ID not Office 365 |
| OneDrive for Business | Free to Office 365 users
Office productivity Suite included |
1TB user space – syncs data and access anywhere, can be shared with inside and outside organisation | Controlled by office 365 authentication and administrators have control of data. |
| Box for Business | $17 per month per user, min 3 users | Built for businesses this storage solution has local sync, active directory SSO and good admin controls | |
| Google Drive | 15GB free | Online and offline access, but no collaboration offline. No productivity suite included | Online browser apps only, and no support for many MS Office features. Basic documents and spreadsheets only |
| SharePoint | Free to Office 365 organisation accounts | Document Management system with check in/out, version control, workflow, fine grained security permissions | Training and support costs |
| Microsoft Azure Storage | Many different options and pricing calculator is complex | Data storage can be local or geo redundant, with multiple retention points and access anywhere | Training and support costs |
There are many others as well but these are the major ones being used in businesses today. We can assist you in determining what is the best solution for your business and how to identify the risks and costs associated with each option. Then we can implement and train your staff.
Contact us today for a free discussion about cloud storage options for your business.
Microsoft Azure
As a Silver Microsoft Small and Midmarket Cloud Partner we have access to technical support, demos and trial scenarios as well as engineers and solution proposals. We are currently implementing Microsoft Azure storage systems for several clients and would love to talk to you about how you can reduce costs and make data more accessible for teams. Backup solutions, virtual machines and other cloud services exist as well.
Contact us today for a chat about Microsoft Azure
Google Analytics Dashboards
We have been developing dashboards for a number of clients that take Google analytics data from their websites and display information in an easy to view and understand dashboards. The tool to view this data is free, but there is a small time cost to develop data dashboards and customise them to your website.
Here are some examples:
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