Cloud Services Cloud Storage (Iaas) Cloud storage providers offer online access
ID: 3687595 • Letter: C
Question
Cloud Services Cloud Storage (Iaas) Cloud storage providers offer online access to hardware for storing files, and web and mobile apps to access, back up, and manage files. Cloud storage is an example of IaaS (infrastructure as a service), a service of cloud computing that allows individuals and businesses to use a vendor’s hardware to manage their computing needs. Cloud storage providers offer both free and paid service plans based on the amount of free storage, and some allow users to earn additional storage by recommending friends to use their services or by participating in promotional campaigns. Many cloud storage providers enable users to synchronize files across multiple devices, access files via mobile or web apps, share files with team members, and maintain previous versions of files. Some provide built-in access to web-based productivity software or integrate with third-party web and mobile apps. Research This: (1) Use a search engine to find three popular cloud storage providers. Create accounts and try each for a period specified by your instructor. In a table, summarize their features, including amount of free storage available (offered or earned), restrictions on file sizes you can upload, ease of use of web and mobile apps, operating systems or devices supported, cost of paid plans, and additional services provided for a fee. (2) Many cloud storage providers offer several gigabytes of free storage to their users. What is the largest amount of free What is the largest amount of free storage you can find? Who is the provider? Can you identify any drawbacks to using this service?
Explanation / Answer
1. Cloud storage comparison
OneDrive
Dropbox
Google Drive
Box
Amazon Cloud Drive
File size restrictions
10GB
10GB with website, none with Dropbox apps
5TB
250MB for free plan, 5GB for paid personal plan
2GB*
Free storage
5GB**
2GB
15GB
10GB
No***
Can I earn extra free storage
No**
Yes
No
No
No
Paid plans
$2/month for 50GB**
$10/month for 1TB
$2/month 100GB, $10/month for 1TB
$10/month for 100GB
$12/year for unlimited photos, $60/year for unlimited files
OSes supported
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Kindle Fire
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire
There is no file size limit with desktop apps.In early 2016, Microsoft will change its free storage from 15GB to 5GB and offer a $2 per month for 50GB paid plan instead of its earlier offerings. It will also no longer earn free storage.
Amazon Cloud Drive offers limited free storage with an Amazon Prime subscription.Before we get started, just a note about Apple's iCloud Drive. It is not available for Android and it's really meant to be used within the Apple ecosystem, meaning if we use Mac computers and iOS devices together. If you do use mostly Apple products, it's a solid choice for cloud storage. For a full run-down of its features, pricing and availability.
OneDrive
First up is OneDrive, Microsoft's storage option. Those who use Windows 8 and 10 have OneDrive built into their operating system, where it shows up in the file explorer next to all of the files on your computer's hard drive. However, anyone can use it on the Web, by downloading a desktop app for Mac and earlier versions of Windows, or the OneDrive Android, iOS, Windows Phone and Xbox apps.
Advantages
· Works seamlessly with Windows devices because it's built in to the Windows operating system.
· It's easy to open and edit files from OneDrive in Microsoft's other applications, such as Word or Excel.
· Signing up for OneDrive gets you a Microsoft account, which gives you access to Outlook, Xbox Live, and other Microsoft services.
Disadvantages
· OneDrive's automatic file organization doesn't always put files in the correct folders.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a favorite in the cloud storage world because it's reliable, easy to use, and a breeze to set up. Your files live in the cloud and you can get to them at any time from Dropbox's website, desktop applications for Mac, Windows and Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora or compile your own), or the iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Kindle Fire mobile apps.
Advantages
· Dropbox works equally well on PCs and Macs, Android and iOS.
· The service is so simple and elegantly designed, that it's easy for anyone to master.
· Its desktop applications seamlessly blend with your computer's file system.
Disadvantages
· Dropbox's website doesn't let you control how your files are displayed.
Google Drive
Google combines a complete set of office tools with cloud storage in Drive. You get a little bit of everything with this service, including a word processor, spreadsheet application, and presentation builder, plus 15GB of free storage space.
Advantages
· Google Drive requires very little setup if you already have a Google account.
· If you use Gmail, it's easy to save attachments from your e-mail directly to Drive with just a few clicks.
· The app can automatically back up your photos on its own, without the need for the separate Google Photos app.
Disadvantages
· If you use Google Drive's tools to create documents, spreadsheets or presentations, you must export those files to edit them in another program.
· You have to share your storage space with Gmail, so if you're inbox is overflowing, you'll get less cloud storage space.
Box
Anyone can sign up for a free individual account on Box, but the service's endless list of sharing and privacy features were built specifically for business and IT users. Beyond the basic cloud storage setup, where you can store just about any kind of file, Box lets you share files with colleagues, assign tasks, leave comments on someone's work, and get notifications when a file changes.
Advantages
· Box comes with tons of tools for businesses, including collaboration and file privacy control.
Disadvantages
· The service's endless list of sharing and privacy features can be lost on someone who's just using the service for personal storage.
· Because of all those features, it can feel overwhelming to navigate the Box website if you're only trying to manage a few files and folders.
Amazon Cloud Drive
Amazon already sells you nearly anything under the sun, and it wants to be the place you store all of your music, photos, videos and other files too. Amazon Cloud Drive has been around for a few years, but the company introduced new storage plans in March 2015; one just for photos and one for all other kinds of files.
Advantages
· If you already have an Amazon account, you don't need to sign up for a new service, you can simply sign into Cloud Drive.
Disadvantages
· The desktop app doesn't work with your file system, you can only use it upload or download files.
· You can only view and manage files from the Cloud Drive website, but you cannot upload files larger than 2GB there.
2.cloud storage providers offer several gigabytes of free storage to their users:
When choosing an online storage provider it often comes down to “how much space”, over “how many features”. Not everyone is interested in paying a monthly subscription fee for ample room. To help out, here are five cloud storage companies with large free service plans.
1. MEGA
A cloud storage company that offers 50GB of storage for free, is . This company is not only known for their generous basic service plan, but also its commitment towards customer privacy. Due to the massive server allocation for free accounts, there is no way to earn more room without paying for an upgrade.
Unlike some cloud storage providers, Mega offers end-to-end encryption for all customers, resolving privacy concerns. In addition, clients can set bandwidth speed limits to help cut down on how much the program uses.
Other features include the ability to upload whole folders via any browser and to share data with anyone. The desktop sync allows users to include only files with specific keywords.
However, there are a few downsides to Mega. The bandwidth has a limit of 10GB, and once it’s used up users have to wait 30 minutes for a refill to continue
2. Firedrive
Firedrive also gives users 50GB of free storage off the bat. Once again, there is no way to earn additional space without a paid account.
They do offer the same features to their non-paying customers as they do paid accounts. These features include:
Users can also set up “Filedrop” folders which allows for file uploading without logging in.
3. ADrive
4. OneDrive
It is another generous provider of free storage. Users get 15GB of space no strings attached. Additional room can be earned by activating automatic camera roll uploading on mobile devices and getting friends to sign up. Each referral earns the customer 500MB more, with a limit of 10 referrals. Granting a total capacity of 23 GB.
OneDrive offers users the ability to access data anywhere and share documents with anyone. Other features include mobile access, creation and file editing within the cloud, built-in integration with Office, real-time co-authoring, multi-factor authentication support and automatic document versioning.
5.MediaFire
It offers users 10 GB of space free upon sign up. While that might not seem like a lot at first, there are ways to get more storage at no cost. Customers who refer friends, download software and apps, and post links on social media can earn up to an additional 40 GB– for a total of 50 GB.
MediaFire has many handy features which are also a big draw. Users can upload large documents, each limited to 25 GB. While there may be a restriction on file size, no such limitation exist on how much information can be transmitted at one time. Stored data can be shared with anyone, even if they don’t have a user account.
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 with the safety and privacy of important data stored remotely. The possibility of private data commingling with other organizations makes some businesses uneasy.
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.
OneDrive
Dropbox
Google Drive
Box
Amazon Cloud Drive
File size restrictions
10GB
10GB with website, none with Dropbox apps
5TB
250MB for free plan, 5GB for paid personal plan
2GB*
Free storage
5GB**
2GB
15GB
10GB
No***
Can I earn extra free storage
No**
Yes
No
No
No
Paid plans
$2/month for 50GB**
$10/month for 1TB
$2/month 100GB, $10/month for 1TB
$10/month for 100GB
$12/year for unlimited photos, $60/year for unlimited files
OSes supported
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Kindle Fire
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry
Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Kindle Fire