The evolution of the way business is conducted, the normalization of the digitalization phenomenon and especially the new hybrid work system, both from home and from the office, have inevitably led to an increase in the importance of databases, but also cloud solutions. Some of the most popular are OneDrive and/or SharePoint.
But what are these and how can you use them for your business? Find out below!
Microsoft One Drive is a cloud storage service. cloud computing offered by Microsoft, used to access all the files you work on from a single point. With it, you can store and protect your files, share them with others, and access them on all your devices, from anywhere, as long as there is an internet connection. OneDrive is generally used for work or school, and you will need an account to access it. It is part of the suite Microsoft 365.
Microsoft SharePoint is commonly used by organizations in the process of creating shared databases. It will be used as a secure place to store, organize, and share information accessible from most devices. To access it, you only need a web browser. It is also a cloud service, hosted by Microsoft, and is suitable for companies of all sizes.
Of course, there are other technologies available in the SharePoint range, for example SharPoint Server, SharePoint Designer 2013 or synchronization with OneDrive.
Although both are cloud solutions, there are still some notable differences between them. To understand them better, we can start with a simple question: where do I save the files I'm working on, in OneDrive or in SharePoint?
It depends on the situation: if you are working alone on a file, it will be best to save it in OneDrive, if you are already working as part of a team, it will be recommended to save the files in SharePoint, more precisely in the common place where the whole team works.
OneDrive is basically part of SharePoint. While OneDrive gives you access to all your files at work, including files that other people will share with you, SharePoint is the mechanism through which file sharing is managed. So, as a OneDrive document becomes more important and needs to be reviewed by other people on your team, it can be moved to SharePoint to facilitate collaboration among team members.
A particularly important aspect of IT infrastructure in your company is also about how technology helps people collaborate. With team members spread across the globe and working different hours, you'll need collaboration tools like OneDrive, SharePoint, and a communication channel that employees can use.
When you create a team and an Office 365 group, a SharePoint is automatically created for that team. Documents that everyone needs to have access to will be uploaded to this common point. As employees work on personal files in OneDrive, they can share them with colleagues or push them to SharePoint when they’re ready to share them with the whole team.
SharePoint will allow you to manage editing and access permissions for all documents, including what external users can access. OneDrive comes to the rescue when documents need to be accessed independently and are in progress or shared with other users.
Use the two functionalities together to ensure the most efficient working environment for employees!