The cloud storage market continues to get larger every year as more companies put their data online to make it more easily accessible and shareable. Between 2018 and 2019, the cloud storage market grew by over 23%.
But not all Massachusetts companies are completely happy with cloud storage in their business ITinfrastructure. They worry about security, availability, and control of their data.
They’re often stuck between a rock and a hard place. They need to have their data available from any location or device, but they aren’t quite happy with the loss of control when using a 3rd party cloud service.
Another decision point that companies face is whether or not to buy an on-premises server. It gives them more control, but is rather expensive and can mean they have a lot of ongoing maintenance and administration that comes along with owning a server.
It turns out there is a better option that can give companies the convenience and low cost of the cloud along with the control and privacy of a server.
What is Network Attached Storage (NAS) & Why Would We Want It?
Network attached storage (NAS) is a small local storage device that is attached to your business network. It doesn’t require the maintenance or administration of a server and it also costs much less than a typical server.
NAS allows companies to host files and applications in a space that they control completely and makes those files available via an internet connection, just like cloud storage.
Here are some of the benefits of switching from cloud storage to network attached storage.
NAS Can Host Applications
You can store both files and certain applications on NAS devices, which gives you the ability to better control application access and the security of your data.
Many NAS systems have their own applications that you can use, such as those that allow video streaming from NAS. This gives you some of the same features that you would find in a full file server, but without the cost.
Files are Cloud Accessible
One of the biggest reasons that companies move to cloud storage is for the ease of access. Cloud storage services allow files to be accessible from anywhere through an app or browser and easily shared.
NAS offers all those same features. Users can access your NAS-stored files through a browser or application, from any device and any location.
You Can Use NAS for Device Backup
Many companies like to follow backup best practices for business continuity by backing up both in the cloud and on-premises. This ensures that even if there is a cloud service or internet outage, they have a local backup they can access.
You can use network attached storage to do a full image backup of your computers and laptops. This gives you the convenience of having your files local if you need them. NAS devices are also fairly small, so you can take them off-site easily if there’s an impending storm.
You Get More Space Than Free Cloud Services
Small businesses will often sign up for a Dropbox or Google Drive account because it’s free. But with the amount of data a typical office generates each month, it won’t be long before you have to upgrade to a paid plan due to lack of space.
Free cloud storage services usually give you between 5 to 15GB of storage. With an NAS device you can choose a much higher storage capacity.
NAS storage capacity is available in multiple increment levels (i.e. 64GB, 128GB, etc.). There are also add-on storage capabilities if you find you need more.
No Frustrating SaaS Outages
Software provider outages seem to come more frequently nowadays. When you’ve entrusted all your files to a cloud service and it has an outage, you’re helpless to do anything except wait for things to come back online.
When you use NAS, you have complete physical control over your files and aren’t at the mercy of SaaS outages that can leave your office at a standstill.
You Don’t Have to Trust a 3rd Party with Your Data
The privacy benefit is one that causes many businesses to ditch the cloud for NAS.
When you’re using a cloud service provider for file storage, you’re entrusting them with all your businesses data. Additionally, your data is stored on servers along with other customer data.
When you use network attached storage, your files aren’t sharing space with anyone else’s. You have total privacy and the ability to completely control the security of your NAS environment.
Learn More About Network Attached Storage Options for Your Business
Pro Tech Guy can go through NAS options for your company and get a system fully set up for all your file storage and sharing needs.
Contact us today for expert help with your technology. Call 508-364-8189 or reach us online.