The term ‘cloud’ has a lot of buzz behind it these days. For most, it’s an unknown and mysterious place where files are stored and somehow accessed through their computers, tablets, phones and other smart devices. But for experienced businesses, it is a place where files can be shared while adding to increased efficiency and production.
3 Business Cloud Usage Advantages
In a survey of business users by SpiceWorks, 61% said they are currently using the cloud or plan to in the near future. The top 3 advantages they listed for cloud-based file sharing were: Accessibility from anywhere (76%), collaboration & sharing capabilities (51%), and convenience (36%). Other popular advantages listed were backup features, lower cost and ease of use. The main concern that these business users had was security issues (73%), legal liability (49%), reliability (48%), and management headache (36%).
IT and Employees Think Differently When it Comes to the Business Cloud
Another very interesting part of this survey is the difference in preference by the employees and IT professionals. We all know that our personal preferences often influence some of our decision making at the work place. Cloud file sharing is no different. 87% of employees preferred DropBox, while only 28% of IT pros agreed with that preference. 37% of IT Pros prefer a more secure source that isn’t as widely popular with personal file sharing users (the most popular option among the group).
One user from the survey was quoted:
“I love Dropbox and use it daily for my personal files. That being said I still have some concerns with corporate data being in a Dropbox account.”
Another quote from a SmartFile follower on Twitter said this:
“Sorry, but for any business that cares about security, Dropbox isnt an option. Its not an enterprise solution nor sold as one.”
So, as you can see, there is a gap when it comes to personal and professional preference. There are many cloud file sharing solutions out there that fit the needs of many different people and businesses. With security, compliance, reliability and ease of management being the biggest headaches, SmartFile is a great solution that addresses all of those. Make sure your IT pros are the main influence on your company’s cloud file sharing decision and keep SmartFile in mind.