Understanding Office 365 OneDrive

You might have heard some of the buzz words over the last couple of years about cloud storage. Maybe you've even heard of Google Drive, OneDrive, or Drop Box, to name a few. Maybe a friend has recommended a similar “cloud solution” to you as a way for you to back up all your photos on your phone so you can free up some much needed space on your device, just so you can keep taking more photos. If there's any confusion over what these solutions really are, you aren't alone and you've come to the right place.

Microsoft OneDrive: What Is It?

OneDrive, simply put, is Microsoft’s solution to our increasing need for more storage across all our devices - but it doesn’t stop there. With OneDrive, you can sleep better at night knowing that if your computer dies or an employee’s computer gets infected with ransomware you’ve got versioned file history of your business-critical documents. You can also get to all your documents from any device, securely share documents, and easily collaborate on projects.

Microsoft defines OneDrive this way: “Access and protect your business and school work with this intelligent files app. Share and collaborate from anywhere, on any device.”

But what does that mean in the real world? Let’s take a look below at a couple of case scenarios where businesses can save time and save money by implementing Office 365 OneDrive.

Case #1

"OH SHOOT, I left that spreadsheet on my desktop! Can I get it to you tomorrow?"

The Problem:

Sally saved a copy of a regularly-used spreadsheet template to her desktop so she could begin plugging in her updated numbers. She planned on collecting a few documents on her desktop before sending them in an email to her colleague for the next step of the process. Unfortunately, she had to run to a meeting and left the files on her desktop. Since she never shared those files, Sally's team is now stuck and can't move forward with their project.

The Solutions:

1. Sally and her team could be using a shared folder in OneDrive for these projects. That way anyone from the team can see the latest updates and pick up where she left off. This saves Sally the time from having to drive back to the office that afternoon and the time the team would be waiting. That’s also saving money when the team stays productive.
2. If Sally had turned on OneDrive on her PC, she would have had the opportunity to enable desktop file syncing during the sign in process. This means even if Sally made an oops by storing the files locally on her desktop instead of a shared folder, they would automatically be in sync with OneDrive. As she checks her messages right before her meeting, she notices a teammate asking for those files. She can quickly hop on the OneDrive mobile app from her phone and share the files with her team before she enters the meeting.

Case #2

"OH NO, they weren't supposed to see that document! Now that data (and our reputation) is at risk."

The Problem:

Jim was in the middle of a proposal for one of his biggest clients when he needed to send a document with sensitive info to his manager. Unfortunately, he hit "Reply All" on the email and sent an unsecured link to a massive list, exposing that info and jeopardizing the trust he's built with his client.

Jim's not the only one; Many companies have been hit with data leaks or data breaches that lead to unexpected damages. These damages include loss of trust and relationship with clients as well as significant financial costs to restore reputation and comply with breach notification laws.

The Solution:

1. With OneDrive administration settings, Jim could have set the company default setting to share ONLY with specific people who he adds to the shared documents or content. The Microsoft default at this time is to send shared links in such a way that ANYONE who obtains that link has access to those documents in OneDrive. Switching the default to specific users means that whoever has access to the email account you send the file to has to authenticate with their email, proving their identity before they can access the files. This means with just a bit of configuration, you can make privacy and security the default. You can choose which ways to share but in most cases it’s advisable to start with security in mind and make the choice to open up sharing to anyone with the link if need be on a specific case by case basis.

It's not just OneDrive:

Click here to Read 5 More Office 365 Benefits

What You Need To Know About OneDrive

Office 365 OneDrive is a great cloud-sharing solution that covers these common problems in a way that only Microsoft can provide. With remote work becoming the norm, being able to easily share documents and quickly collaborate online is more important than ever. Agile companies that can reduce delays in communication have the advantage - as long as they can confidently secure their sensitive data. Office 365 OneDrive has the cloud-sharing features that will save you time, keep you agile, and protect your information - the best benefits of the cloud, without the risk.

Is OneDrive Right For Your Business?

The features and security of OneDrive make it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes to get started with cloud storage, but is it right for you? There are many factors that go into the decision to move your documents to the cloud: number of remote employees, speed of sales processes, industry competition, and need for team collaboration, just to name a few. And with 85% of Fortune 500 companies and over 250,000 organizations worldwide now using OneDrive, it’s imperative that businesses keep up with current technological trends. Understanding Office 365 OneDrive will help your business benefit from the flexibility and convenience of cloud storage without sacrificing security.  

How does OneDrive support remote work? Download 5 Awesome Office 365 Technologies that Enable Work-From-Home to learn how Microsoft supports working from home.