Google Drive’s Lack of Mobile Support Hurting its Cloud Storage Reputation

Even after a few weeks of Google Drive’s cloud storage release, there are still a few issues not just with its service, but with who can use it. Its rival competitor, Dropbox, seems to have had nothing to worry about in this area...for a while now. Google drive may provide integration with its own services such as Docs, GMail and Google+, but many mobile device users are still currently unable to enjoy these benefits.

Why is this? It’s for the simple reason that Google Drive doesn’t yet support access for a large number of mobile devices. If your smartphone is of the Android variety, however, you are very lucky.

The unsupported mobile devices are the iPhone and iPad. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but when it’s considered how many people use these mobile devices, you’re looking at quite a number of potential users who Google Drive are pushing away from using their service into the arms of other providers. There is news that they are currently working out issues with their iOS versions, but until then, users will simply have to wait.

It doesn’t stop there, either. Though Windows Phone and Blackberry mobile users among others can give Google Drive a whirl, it’s not currently recommended from the many who have tried. Complaints have been heard across the internet landscape, citing the difficulties faced when trying to use the search engine giant’s mobile site. For Windows Phone and Blackberry users in particular, it’s not known whether there are any apps being designed for this area of the mobile market.

All of this is hardly reassuring for current devoted users of Google who wish to get on board with their latest product. Sadly this is not the only issue the public are voicing their opinions about. Google Drive’s Terms of Service is currently being branded as confusing and ambiguous because of its mouthy jargoned small print that states they have a broad means of reproducing and distributing their user’s data. This is enough to make anyone cautious of signing up. On top of this, reports of very slow download speeds are also on the rise.

It seems Google Drive just isn’t at championship competing level yet.

Cloud Storage: Lesson 3: Photo’s

Storing photo's is one of the key features of cloud storage. Clouds provide us with a safe place to store a lifetimes worth of memories away from the pesky threats of loss, deletion or corruption.

All cloud storage providers will allow you to upload your photos from one device and access them again from another but in this lesson we are going to look at uploading images from your smart phone how best to share your photo's with others through your cloud storage service.

Smartphones: 

Smart phones have become our digital cameras, except we have them on us at all times. Digital cameras have become something we take on holiday or to an event, but we carry our phones with us at all times meaning we can document tit-bits of our daily life in ever increasing high quality.

iPhones already uploads your last 1000 photo's to iCloud and syncs them to all your Apple devices. Other smartphones users can achieve a similar outcome by using applications from other cloud storage providers such as Google Drive or Sky Drive. These providers upload your photo's to their own social network tool, but kept private until instructed otherwise.

Regardless of your phone or the type of cloud storage service you use, it is imperative we backup our phone pictures just as often as we do our traditional camera ones.

Sharing Pictures: 

There are two ways to share your photographs though a cloud storage provider. The first is to allow access to a known individual via an access URL sent by email. This is perfect for people looking to share folders of images with friends or family who live abroad perhaps.

The second is, most cloud storage providers will automatically let you share your files through one of the mainstream social media sites. For example, Twitter, Facebook, Flicker or Pinterest.  As with all the features discussed in these blogs the capabilities vary from cloud storage provider to cloud storage provider so get researching which is best for you!

Cloud Storage: Lesson 2: Streaming

Lesson 2 is streaming music and movies.

Music:

Providers allow you to stream the music you have stored in your cloud to various music outlets so you can access all your tunes, all the time.

As you may probably expect, the best providers are cloud storage services with dedicated music streaming facilities. i.e. Amazon, iCloud or Google as they can have built in apps and players which stream you files seamlessly from your cloud. Whilst Amazon and Google offer limited GB's, they are free. Whereas iCloud and Ubuntu charge a nominal annual fee to be able to access all your files rather than just a proportion.

Services like Dropbox may excel at file syncing, but fall at this hurdle as they don't have a dedicated music streaming function.

So the question is at this point, when deciding on a cloud storage provider that you need to assess whether access to all your music files at the cost of an annual fee is worth it or is uploading and accessing a proportion of your files and streaming them for free a more worthwhile option?

It also calls in to question, whether multiple cloud storage accounts may fair you better than one?

Movies:

Much like music, streaming films to your various internet ready devices also depends on which cloud storage services are best equipped to handle this.

Advice:

Take a realistic look at how much music or how many films you are likely to want to stream and then find a provider which works best for you.

Cloud Storage: Lesson 1: Syncing

We've have been talking a lot lately about this new batch of online cloud storage providers who have waded valiantly into an already overcrowded arena to make their mark and state their claim as the best cloud storage provider around.

Truth is we all know that each provider has different strengths and weaknesses and whilst each user will find the best cloud storage provider for them, to grant one the top spot is nigh on impossible......well at the moment anyway.

Over the next few blogs I am going to give you some of the best ways to use different features of cloud storage and hint towards some of the best providers.

Lesson 1:Syncing

Music:

The best way to sync you music across multiple PC's depends whether you are syncing between computers in your home or devices whilst on the move. It you are syncing between PC's at home then simply using the  Home Sharing feature in iTunes will work. But if you are out and about and are looking to access all you music from a variety of different devices, cloud storage providers like iCloud or Google Music are some of the best. Other good quality cloud storage providers like JustCloud can allow you the same level of access and the ability to sync multiple devices to the same cloud.

Folders:

Folders are a little more tricky than music as cloud storage providers often rehouse folders which isn't always the most logical of processes. Ubuntu however allow you to upload any folder without you having to move it. One of the best on the cloud storage market for this though is Amazon Cloud Drive. Instead of renaming and relocating files, Windows users (thanks to a nifty desktop client) can simply right click on a folder and choose to send it to Amazon Cloud Drive in order to sync it to their cloud. Only downside however is in order to complete this process, you have to be attached to the internet.

Small Business and Cloud Computing: Is it right for your company?

If you're even mildly paid attention to business tech trends in the past decade, you've heard the term cloud computing. But despite the cloud's rising popularity, many small-business owners and consumers are still unsure what it actually is. They also don’t know how cloud services can specifically help them. We at Top10CloudStorage.com are working hard to change this. We feel users should at least know the cloud's capabilities and then make a decision about if it's right for them. Here's what you should know about cloud computing and how it applies to your small business.

What is cloud computing exactly?

Cloud computing can be seen as an online service that enables web-based application use. In other words, it’s a network of tools and software programs that are based entirely online. The word “cloud” was created because these web services appear to be in thin air. Cloud services include data storage, customer-relationship-management software, bookkeeping, and project management.

The Pros

Collaboration

Many of today’s small businesses have employees in multiple locations. Your staff may even be scattered across the globe. Cloud computing can be an enormously helpful tool in completing group work. Programs like BaseCamp allow real-time video chat, file changes, meeting minutes tools, and scheduling options. Utilizing a cloud project management program can easily double your company's productivity.                         

Cloud Collaboration Tools: BaseCamp, ActiveCollab, Redmine

File Backup                       

Every company with their own servers is just one major power surge away from losing critical files. Even the best servers can fall victim to power failures or system crashes. This can cost you money and important files that may not be replaceable.

Companies using cloud storage services don't ever have to worry about losing files. Cloud providers automatically backup all files on a company's system on multiple servers in multiple locations around the world. This enables small businesses to remotely access any file they need, whenver they need it.

Cloud storage companies like Box offer many different types of data storage plans for companies, depending on their specific needs. The plans usually differ in the amount of storage space, technical support, and user accounts. Storage Services: Box, Mozy, SugarSync, DropBox, JustCloud

Cost Savings

Web servers and company networks are expensive to maintain.  They require office space, support staff, and electricity to operate properly. But cloud computing gives you the power of web servers at a fraction of the cost. Many companies switching to cloud services save thousands of dollars per year while either maintaining or increasing productivity.

The Cons

Security

Many critics of the cloud worry about it's security. They argue that user files can compromised by hackers and criminals. Their critiques do have some truth to them. Cloud services like Gmail and Salesforce.com have experienced security breaches from time to time. Most of the security breaches come from human error on the cloud provider's side. The storage provider typically catches a break-in within minutes however and examines if any files have actually been accessed or copied.

Server Availability

Like any technology, cloud servers can shut down unexpectedly. Some cloud storage providers like DropBox have experienced outages. Though they typically only last a few hours, a cloud storage failure can cost users valuable time.

Software Effectiveness

Cloud service providers often have to reduce the capabilities of the applications available. They do this largely to save hosting space. The Google Docs system is a good example of this exercise. The software enables basic text-editing features but many of the advanced tools you find in Microsoft Word have been left out.

Conclusion

Cloud computing offers some fantastic opportunities for a small business: cost savings, increased productivity, and file backup. The cloud can allow enterprise to work faster and more efficiently than ever before. But there are reasons to be cautious. The security and reliability of the cloud can be questionable. There are ways however of minimizing your risks by backing up your most critical files on-site.

Bottom Line: Start with a small cloud computing service like Box or Mozy. Examine how itintegrates into your company. If you feel comfortable with the cloud over time, you might move your company's servers to a full-blown cloud provider.