Cloud storage solutions are probably one of the best investments a small business can make to improve profits. Cloud is probably one of the best investments a small business can make to improve profits. With literally zero maintenance costs and security risks, cloud solutions have become the most sought after service across industries.

Businesses, irrespective of their size and industry, have started investing in cloud-based solutions due to the flexibility they provide along with low maintenance costs. Most of the companies these days have adopted newer business trends which require data access on the go and across various locations simultaneously. For small businesses, one must also be cautious about any associated overhead or maintenance cost for hardware associated with data storage.

This makes cloud-based solutions more lucrative and cloud-based storage services a better option when compared to the traditional storage methods that involve hard drives and other storage devices. Cloud storage solution for small business enables real-time storage of data on a remote database. Many service providers exclusively provide online storage solutions for small businesses.

Cloud storage solutions enable companies to store huge chunks of data in logical pools. This data is physically available in the online storage service provider’s environment and is maintained and managed by them. Such storage spaces are leased or bought by the businesses from such providers to store and manage organizational and application data. These data can then be accessed by the employees as well as the management across the globe using cloud computers, web-based APIs, storage gateways or web based CMS.

Online Storage Solutions for Small Business has gained enormous popularity in the recent times due to their cost effectiveness and flexibility of usage. These cloud-based storage services are scalable and do not involve huge capital expenses to procure physical storage devices. Disaster recovery, increased security, and real-time updating of data are other advantages of opting for Cloud storage solutions.

Let us look at the key players in Cloud storage solutions and the features they offer which make them stand out from the other providers.

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Top Storage Solutions on Cloud

The storage solutions providers are majorly rated based on their scalability, data security, syncing capability, pricing, accessibility, and support. Some of the key players in this area are:

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Just Cloud

This is the first entry in the list primarily due to its reliability and speed. Just cloud provides automatic backup of photos, documents, music, and videos on the cloud. It also provides unlimited storage at a minimum cost. It can efficiently sync multiple computers and mobile devices while ensuring a high level of data security at the same time. It also offers more than 50 features including admin control, geo-redundant storage, file versioning and access management.

Dropbox

Next on our list is the Dropbox which has a huge clientele base and are providers for big brands like Hyatt, Yahoo! and National Geographic Channel among many others. This storage service provider boasts of cross platform sharing, seamless sync, backup and integration features. It also provides data sharing option with users who do not have a dropbox account. It offers up to 2GB of free storage space along with Microsoft 365 integration. Other plans provided by them include the Pro plan with 1TB of storage and the Business Plan with unlimited storage and prioritized support.

Microsoft OneDrive

Cloud storage and backup option for small businesses provided by the IT giant Microsoft comes next in our list. It comes with a plethora of features and applications. The ones that are sure to catch people’s attention are cross-platform syncing, power searching, and the downloadable software for syncing files to the cloud. The storage service also supports third party apps to function smoothly and efficiently. Onedrive provides about 15GB of free space for individual users and higher storage capacities of 100, 200 and 1TB at a minimal price per user. The business plans have a trial period and offer 1TB storage capacities at a very affordable pricing.

Open Drive

This cloud storage solution for small business is also popular for the multitude of features which it provides for its users in its business plan. Some of the main features include workflow management, data management and user management for its clients. It also offers data syncing, backup and disaster management. Along with this, it offers an online Office suite which can support more than 17 file types for direct editing. Its basic plan offers up to 5GB of free storage. However, it has limitations on the file size and access speed. The Professional plan offers unlimited storage and does not have restrictions like the ones in the basic package. The other two plans available are the personal unlimited plan and the business unlimited plan differing in the number of users (three in the case of the former and unlimited in the latter). It also provides customized pricing and packages or specific client requirements.

Amazon Web Services

This storage service provider offers loads of payment options along with many exciting features. There payment options like ‘Pay as you go’, ‘Pay less when you reserve’, ‘Pay even less as AWS grows’ and ‘Pay even less per unit by using more options’ along with customized payment options makes the provider more lucrative for small businesses. One can invest in a storage capacity reservation, use more to save more, and then save even more every time AWS optimizes the operational costs. It provides data backup, syncing, app hosting and other such features to its clients. This cloud storage solution for small business also comes with a trial package to get a hands-on experience before investing in it.

SpiderOak

The last in our list is SpiderOak. It is no less when compared to other storage service providers mentioned above and also comes with its share of an interesting USP which makes it worthy of a mention here. This storage and backup option for small businesses comes with a 100% data security and privacy feature with complete control with the clients. Data security is the key selling point of this storage service provider. It comes with various hosting plans starting with the basic plan of 30 GB of storage space that extends up to 5TB. For a business with over 100 users, it has an enterprise on-premise plan and for companies with less than 100 users, they have an enterprise hosted plan. The brand is best for all businesses which have highly sensitive data to protect and require advanced security and system configuration.

There are many more storage service providers in the market who have competitive pricing and a plethora of amazing features. It is essential to understand the various options available and also to have a thorough knowledge of the business requirement before investing in a particular business cloud storage solution for your company.