Microsoft offers fantastic business and personal solutions for people worldwide. Their cloud storage and sharing platform are called OneDrive. While it might look similar to other web-based platforms, it provides a more individual experience alongside many benefits.
Today we will talk about some of the main advantages of using the OneDrive cloud, including automatic backups, file access, syncing, sharing and integration with other Microsoft products.
You can schedule automatic backups.
Using OneDrive cloud allows you to choose their web version or desktop app. If you choose the web version, keep in mind that you need to upload files manually to save them to your OneDrive, which can take more time than necessary. On the other hand, if you install OneDrive’s desktop app, you can enjoy automatic backups of your most important files.
All you need to do to schedule automatic backups is go to your OneDrive desktop app, and go to Settings – Backup – Manage backup. These actions will open a window to select the top priority folders that you need OneDrive to backup automatically.
Unlimited file access, anytime
Another one of the main advantages of using the OneDrive cloud is accessing all your files at all times, from anywhere. OneDrive is always functional with an excellent up-time (continuous availability), meaning you can access your content whenever you need to. Even if a problem occurs with one data centre, the cloud will continue running thanks to another one located in a different geographic location.
All your local PC or phone files can be automatically backed up and saved in OneDrive. This means you can access your content no matter where you are and what device you are using. All you need is Internet access and your login details for OneDrive. After successfully logging in, you can open, view and edit your files.
Sync anything you want
Similarly to other cloud storage providers, Microsoft OneDrive also allows you to work online and offline. If you need to travel or work without an internet connection, all you need to do is download the file you will be working on your local device beforehand. Once you connect back to the internet, you can manually or automatically sync the file with OneDrive again.
You can easily choose which files you wish to sync across all your devices via the File On-Demand option. This option presents several benefits, including saving available storage on local devices and saving time syncing thousands of files at once. To enable file On-Demand, go to OneDrive Settings and choose between the three options: online-only files, locally available files and always available files.
Your files and data are safe.
OneDrive gives you and your team the peace of mind you need when it comes to data safety and sharing capabilities. Administrators in the OneDrive cloud have the option to limit or expand sharing options for entire teams. For example, as an administrator, you can limit sharing time of a specific file. In other words, the shareable link will expire, and the file will not be accessible anymore.
Another great opportunity Microsoft OneDrive gives you is that you can choose and control the sharing permissions of your team members, meaning what sharing options they can give to third-party users. All of these options are available in the OneDrive Admin Center, and only a person with administrator rights can adjust them.
Microsoft 365 product integration
Since Microsoft offers OneDrive, the company integrated it well with other Microsoft products, including their Office 365 package. The seamless integration offers users to directly share files from Office apps to OneDrive instead of first saving them to the device they are working from.
Another benefit of this integration is that you don’t need to install the Office app to view the file. For example, if your colleague shares a presentation with you and asks you for your feedback, but you don’t have PowerPoint installed on your phone, all you need to do is open the file through OneDrive.
