Getting work done and storing files safely is important to all of us. From work life, to home activities, we all need the right tool for the job. That’s where Microsoft OneDrive comes in. OneDrive is a cloud-based collaborative platform that can be used on both an enterprise scale, as well as for personal file sharing and storage. Users can access robust security features, seamless backup, and access to the full Microsoft 365 suite, from any device.

OneDrive runs alongside Microsoft 365, and enhances the collaborative freedom users have for their business and personal file use.

Here is a rundown of what’s new, and what you can look forward to, after installing OneDrive:

Add to OneDrive – Users can now share, store, and edit any file as if it were their own. Add to OneDrive gives teams the freedom to collaborate across files remotely, whilst still retaining all the latest security and compliance policies.

It really is a game changer, as it allows every kind of user to step up their collaborative flexibility. This feature will bring applications like SharePoint and Teams closer together, which leads into the next feature:

Teams sharing integration – File sharing in Teams just got a lot more secure. Now, users can benefit from having the same sharing options that come with their other Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook.

The new update means that Teams will allow you to choose between anyone, or only people from your organisation or group chat. Once you select your preference, those people are then able to make changes real-time, as well as see any updates you make to the file yourself.

Move and keep sharing – If you ever need to relocate a file, now you can do so whilst automatically notifying your teams/friends. Whenever you move a file, those that previously collaborated on it will be provided with a link to the new file, plus, they will maintain the same permissions they had beforehand.

Increased file size limit – Like to share large files? Now, OneDrive has given you more freedom! The maximum file size for uploads to OneDrive and SharePoint has increased from 15 GB to 100 GB for all kinds of users, great for video and 3D file users.

Comment notifications – Comment notifications can now be turned off for individual files, instead of a full library, so that you can focus on your most important files without distraction.

Sync admin reports – As an admin, you should have better control over the monitoring of your team. Microsoft has enhanced its admin reports feature, to let you fully see where users are falling behind on updates, sync success, and where errors are occurring in the sync process. This is great for ensuring files remain both secure and up to date.

Better group sharing, better privacy – Now, users can specify people they wish to share files with. Your files can be kept within your group, and everyone in the group can edit those files real-time.

Privacy is Microsoft’s top priority, so have peace of mind that all files stored via OneDrive can be protected with file encryption, a personal vault, virus scanning, and much more – your files are always protected via OneDrive.

OneDrive is the ultimate file collaboration tool for business and home use. File sharing is safe, secure, and scalable between colleagues, friends, and family, while accessing the latest security and collaborative features.

We believe OneDrive can help anyone, that’s why we are here to help you make the most out of your solutions. Call us today to see how we can help you get more from your OneDrive.

The COVID era will be a wakeup call for many organisations to start thinking about their digital transformation, if they have not already started doing so. But what is digital transformation? Put simply, it is the harnessing of modern technology and digital services, to further enhance business processes, culture, and flexibility. Digital transformation is designed to ensure a business can keep up with changing market conditions and channels of demand.

Digital transformation gives a great level of flexibility within any business, as it allows staff to utilise cloud-based services and online portals, as opposed to doing everything over the phone or via pen and paper. The most valuable thing to consider for any business when considering digital transformation is the extent to which you will invest in cloud infrastructure. 

In a survey carried out by Cloud Industry Forum, more than 80% of respondents believed that it was either critical or very important to be using cloud services to support their digital transformation. It goes without saying that the more you utilise cloud infrastructure, the more flexible you will be in times like these. Up to 93% of businesses already use cloud services to some degree, so it would only make sense to dive further into what is possible with other, more enterprise-level cloud solutions, such as:

• Microsoft 365 – A great cloud-based service for additional security on data, documents, and users, where businesses can benefit from being able to collaborate real-time on projects. Senior team members are also able to implement administrative controls, and chat with fellow staff members using the built-in Microsoft Teams service.

• Microsoft Azure – Businesses can turn to this cloud service for multiple purposes. Azure is a fully equipped digital deployment platform, where virtual desktops can be implemented and managed securely, and applications can be tailored and developed around a business’ requirements. Azure is great for any digital transformation, as there are endless ways for you to bring your physical infrastructure into the cloud network it offers.

• Acronis – When planning your digital transformation, having a backup solution always helps as you are moving paperless essentially. Acronis allows businesses to sync files in the cloud, and teams can track live changes to any files. With Acronis, data can be logged, tracked, and restored at any time using file syncing.

Being able to use these kinds of applications to your advantage will put you steps ahead of your competition – the problem is that a lot of businesses struggle to get the support they require in order to tailor these cloud services, so that they are built around their business. 

This issue arises due to pre-existing road blocks such as skills shortages, not having the budget to scale up cloud solutions if it were necessary, or simply not having the support from their current vendor, that is if they already have one. Some businesses decide that digital transformation is necessary, and they can often dismiss the flexibility and reliability available from using cloud solutions. As a result of this, they don’t end up reaching out to a vendor or an expert. 

This often leads to the issue where a business is willing to undergo digital transformation, but they are unable to leverage the best aspects, as they do not know how to best use the resources available to them.

Around 56% of respondents in the survey mentioned above stated that they were actively looking for strong and trusting relationships with vendors/suppliers. What’s more is that 51% of these businesses stated they were seeking the deep technical know-how, i.e. the skills and expertise required to get the most out of their digital transformation.

That is where we come in – If you are looking to invest in digital transformation, it is vital that you seek support from a trusted vendor. We can offer cloud solutions such as Microsoft 365 and Azure, to support your business’ productivity and profitability. 

Our goal has always been to help businesses small or large make the most out of cloud solutions when undergoing digital transformation, to ensure that security, back-up, collaboration, and scalability are all factored into the process.

With the way that online business is going, the future is definitely in the cloud. Forbes has said that 83% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by the end of this year. There’s a distinct advantage to using both public and private cloud solutions in business because it offers more flexibility.

Flexera also says that of the organisations that do use the cloud, 91% of them use a public cloud, while 72% use a private one. Either way, it suggests that there’s always scope for switching to a cloud hosting service if you haven’t done so already. With that in mind, you should be looking for the best cloud hosting service that you can find that suits your organisation perfectly.

There’s always going to be a need for scalability because over time, your SMB will grow, and you’ll need good cloud hosting in order to offer that. The extra resources that will be needed from time to time will be handled for you, giving your clients a better service.

No matter where you are in the world, security is an important feature. Whether it’s GDPR or country-specific regulations, having compliance will measure the same on the scale of security to protect your business data from the outside.

Since your cloud partner will take care of most things on that side of the world, you may not even need to get support, but if you do, you must have the best kind type of technical support. You’ll need a host that offers 24/7 support all year round.

If your company is one that is completely transferring across or even just making use of cloud-based support, then migration assistance is essential, and offered by many hosting services. They’ll help to provide expert assistances, spotting problems before they arise and ensuring a smooth move.

The price point will always be important too. It doesn’t mean that the most expensive cloud hosting is always the best, that’s why it’s one of many factors to consider.

The reason that a lot of cloud hosting solutions are popular is that they work well. Never try to look for something completely brand-new because it might miss the mark. Popular cloud platforms exist because they work well.

There are many recommendations that people will put forward as their ideal hosting solutions; we’re in the market, so we’re able to discuss our top solution and why we feel that it works for all. There’s a degree of flexibility and you only pay for what you need.

Microsoft Azure is perhaps one of the best solutions out there because it’s ideal for many types of businesses including SMBs. It has scalability and allows workers to focus on more important things without worrying about back-ups and security. Azure is an incredibly powerful platform with multiple features that will make life so simple. If anything, it’s perhaps more than some folks need, especially if they are just hosting a website though this gives you a great chance to future your business.

Of course, there are many options out there to choose from. That’s where we come in. Why not reach out to us today to talk about your business’s cloud hosting needs and find out how we can help.