With cloud storage going mainstream and becoming more and more popular with both businesses and consumers, the hype surrounding it doesn’t look like it’s about to die down any time soon. Many organizations are still in the experimenting stage when it comes to cloud computing and storing their data, whilst others have already taken the leap to switch over to complete cloud storage solutions. However, the actual pros and cons of using this technology and its different channels are not very often a hot topic of discussion. So, if you’re thinking of using cloud storage for your organization, here are some advantages and disadvantages that you might like to consider.

First let’s look at the pros:

Cost

Perhaps the most prominent advantage of cloud computing is the cost, as the wide range of different cloud storage options available makes it possible for organizations of every size to be able to store their data in the cloud. Whether you run a sole proprietorship, small business, or a large scale company, there will be an option available to store data on the cloud for a small or even no cost.

Easy to Use

Another benefit of cloud storage is the ease of use. Most cloud storage solutions are designed to be user friendly, so it doesn’t take a technology expert to be able to manage data stored on the cloud, in fact any employee with a basic understanding of computing should be able to do so.

Flexibility

Finally, another major benefit of using cloud storage is that it’s flexible and can be easily incorporated into any organizational infrastructure.   For those seeking options beyond the conventional platforms, various Google Drive alternatives also exist to cater to specific needs.

However, as with any decision, it’s necessary to consider the disadvantages before a choice is made. Let’s look at some of the cons:

Unmonitored Access

Because the cloud offers relatively open access to data and provides easy data transferring options, it can be more difficult for an organization to monitor data access when using the cloud. Information sharing can often go unchecked, especially if a large number of employees are using the system.

Operational Inefficiency

Because cloud storage systems usually have their own structures, management of data can often also become more difficult. If the existing storage system used by an organization does not fit in well with the system used by the cloud storage vendor, it can often result in inefficiency and a lack of uniformity when carrying out operations.

Protection

Data protection is a crucial part of any organization’s storage system, along with the need for backup and accessibility to these files when needed. Cloud storage can make the sharing and barring of access to files a serious issue, as it can be more difficult to assign access to a single file component within the cloud.

If you are using cloud storage at the moment and can think of any other pros or cons that you’d like to add to the above list, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.