Where does your team save its files?
For many businesses, the answer is a mixture of desktops, laptops, shared drives, external hard drives and perhaps the occasional USB stick.
It might work day-to-day. But where your business stores its files has a much bigger impact than simply determining where employees go to find a document.
It affects how easily your team can collaborate, how securely information can be managed, and how quickly your business can recover when something goes wrong.
So, how does local storage compare with managed cloud storage?
Local storage means files are stored directly on a physical device, such as a desktop computer, laptop, external hard drive or USB drive.
It can feel convenient because the file is right there on the device. But that convenience can create limitations as a business grows.
If a document only exists on one employee’s laptop, for example, access to that information depends on that device remaining available and working.
If the laptop is lost, stolen or damaged, the business could lose access to the information along with it.
Managed cloud storage gives your team a centralised environment for accessing and working with business files.
Instead of important documents being tied to individual devices, authorised employees can access the information they need from supported devices and locations.
This can make a significant difference for businesses with employees working across different offices, from home or while travelling.
But accessibility is only part of the benefit.
We’ve probably all seen files named something like:
Proposal_Final_v2_FINAL_Updated.docx
When files are stored and shared locally, multiple copies can quickly appear as employees email documents back and forth or save their own versions.
Cloud-based platforms allow multiple people to work on the same file, helping reduce duplication and making it easier for teams to stay on the latest version. Previous versions can also be retained automatically, rather than disappearing as soon as a document is overwritten.
For growing teams, that can mean less time searching for documents and more confidence that everyone is working from the right information.
Hardware doesn’t last forever.
Hard drives fail. Laptops get damaged. USB sticks disappear.
When business-critical information is stored only on that hardware, a relatively simple device failure can become a much larger business problem.
With a properly managed cloud environment, files can be backed up and restored without relying solely on the physical device an employee happens to be using.
That helps improve business continuity and gets employees back to work sooner.
Moving files to the cloud doesn’t automatically make them secure. The environment still needs to be configured and managed correctly.
When it is, businesses can use permissions, encryption and access controls to determine who can see and work with particular information.
This becomes particularly important when employees change roles or leave the business.
Rather than trying to determine which files may be sitting on someone’s laptop or external drive, access to centrally managed information can be removed quickly.
It gives the business greater control over its data rather than leaving that control with individual devices.
Not necessarily.
There can be legitimate reasons to store certain information locally, particularly where specialist applications, performance requirements or operational circumstances are involved.
The bigger issue is relying on local storage without considering the risk.
Ask yourself:
If some of those questions are difficult to answer, it may be time to review how your business manages its information.
Cloud storage isn’t simply about moving files off a laptop.
Done properly, it’s about creating a more secure, accessible and manageable environment for your business information.
Your employees should be able to find what they need, collaborate effectively and keep working even when a device fails or disappears.
At Perigon One, we help businesses review their existing IT environment and put the right systems in place for the way their teams actually work.
If your business is still relying heavily on desktops, hard drives, USB sticks or disconnected file storage, it may be time to consider whether your current setup is keeping pace with your business.
