As a growing small business, you need your data accessible at any time and from anywhere. With so many irons in the fire, there’s no time or budget to invest in equipment, storage maintenance, or associated hardware maintenance — and this is where cloud services enter the picture.

Cloud computing is an increasingly popular solution for small businesses that want to run on internet-based solutions rather than on-site storage hardware. With cloud services, all of your computing services and needs — servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and more — are safe and easily accessible. This online storage means that no matter what happens — fire, flood, theft, cyber attack — your data and business resources are safe and instantly retrievable from anywhere you have internet access.

• Microsoft integration. If you’re a Microsoft Office 365 user, it couldn’t be any easier to adopt OneDrive. It’s already part of the package, so you’d be using tools that you’ve already invested in. OneDrive integrates with Office, so you can access all your Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets simply and from any device.
  
  
• Intuitive interface. The OneDrive interface is all encompassing and seamlessly integrates with your device. Rather than being a single interface, it’s spread throughout your devices with syncing icons to designate OneDrive folders from standard folders. Simply drop a folder or file into OneDrive and it’s immediately synced to the cloud and accessible from all your devices. Anytime you want to save space on a specific device, simply delete the file there and keep a copy available in the cloud.
  
  Search capability is also smart and comprehensive, even when you’re combing through text in images to find your chosen files. Plus, if you’re using the Microsoft Delve collaboration tool, it will even use machine learning to suggest the files that you’ll most likely need next, based on your recent usage and sharing history. 

• Ease of adaptability. OneDrive for Business is a great place for growing businesses, and there are multiple options for expansion to other tools as your company grows. Microsoft SharePoint can allow you to collaborate and store files within your team, in addition Azure file storage gives you another options for expansion.
  
  
• Backup. If setup, OneDrive will sync files with your laptop or desktop. The items you place in your OneDrive folder will sync to the OneDrive cloud for backup or for you to access while you are out and about. Add-on backup tools are also able to interact with OneDrive, providing an extra layer of protection by saving your data in an additional location.
  
  
• Security. OneDrive takes advantage of two-factor authentication to reduce potential hacking. Plus, OneDrive is encrypted using SSL, which makes your data more difficult to hack. If you are a healthcare organization that falls under HIPAA compliance requirements, Microsoft will enter into a HIPAA Business Associates Agreement (BAA) to assure the appropriate safeguards and security are in place for your business.
  
  
• Generous cloud storage. As a business premium Office 365 subscriber, you’ll receive an ample amount of storage — 1TB to be exact. If you need more you may look at upgrading your subscription to obtain unlimited file storage. 

• Mobile apps and device compatibility. OneDrive works well with Mac, PC, Android, and iOS, which gives you the convenience and flexibility to access your files from almost any device. Best of all, the apps are simple and intuitive to use, so you’ll be sharing and saving files across devices in no time.

Would you like to discuss what OneDrive can do to help your small business grow and expand? If you’re ready to run your business safely from the cloud, let a managed service provider help, so that you can have the peace of mind you deserve. Contact us to get started, and experience everything the cloud has to offer!