Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Storage

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Storage

Advantages of Cloud Storage

1. Usability: All cloud storage services reviewed in this topic have desktop folders for Mac’s and PCs. This allows users to drag and drop files between the cloud storage and their local storage.

2. Bandwidth: You can avoid emailing files to individuals and instead send a web link to recipients through your email.

3. Accessibility: Stored files can be accessed from anywhere via an Internet connection.

4. Disaster Recovery:  It is highly recommended that businesses have an emergency backup plan ready in the case of an emergency. Cloud storage can be used as a back‐up plan by businesses by providing a second copy of important files. These files are stored at a remote location and can be accessed through an internet connection.

5. Cost Savings: Businesses and organizations can often reduce annual operating costs by using cloud storage; cloud storage costs about 3 cents per gigabyte to store data internally. Users can see additional cost savings because it does not require internal power to store information remotely.

Disadvantages of Cloud Storage

1. Usability: Be careful when using drag/drop to move a document into the cloud storage folder. This will permanently move your document from its original folder to the cloud storage location. Do a copy and paste instead of drag/drop if you want to retain the document’s original location in addition to moving a copy onto the cloud storage folder.

2. Bandwidth: Several cloud storage services have a specific bandwidth allowance. If an organization surpasses the given allowance, the additional charges could be significant. However, some providers allow unlimited bandwidth. This is a factor that companies should consider when looking at a cloud storage provider.

3. Accessibility: If you have no internet connection, you have no access to your data.

4. Data Security: There are concerns about the safety and privacy of important data stored remotely. The possibility of private data commingling with other organizations makes some businesses uneasy. If you want to know more about those issues that govern data security and privacy, here is an interesting article on the recent privacy debates.

5. Software: If you want to be able to manipulate your files locally through multiple devices, you’ll need to download the service on all devices.

Internet speed:
 Cloud technology requires high-speed internet connection as web-based applications often require large bandwidth amount.

Constant Internet Connection:
Its impossible to use cloud infrastructure without internet. To access any application or cloud storage, a constant internet connection is required.

Security: Data storage might not be secure. With cloud computing, all the data gets stored in the cloud & hence unauthorized user may gain access to user's data on the cloud.