How to Make Dropbox File Sharing Without Compromising IT

Variety of Cloud Storage Services

Nearly all businesses these days have at least one group in their ranks that uses shared storage and collaboration services such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon Cloud Drive, or Google Drive. In fact, most of them likely use two or more of these services, even though the IT department of many companies discourages their use. While these services aren’t inherently bad, at a minimum they’re certainly inefficient from the organization’s perspective. But they also reduce the control IT has over its business data, known as hidden IT, that can potentially leave the organization vulnerable to data loss.

Despite IT’s regulations against their use, cloud-based shared storage services have continued to increase in popularity over the past several years, primarily due to the convenience they offer individuals with storing files for easy access, and the ease with which they enable file sharing amongst team members and external partners. 

Data Storage Strategy

Think for a moment about the number of groups, each with their own file sharing solution, with files located where only they know where to locate them. Then think about the IT storage strategy, including business continuity and disaster recovery requirements. While shared storage services can certainly be easy and convenient for individual users, it requires IT to: 

• Know the location of every data source, including external accounts 

• Pull data from multiple storage locations 

• Deal with multiple accounts, logins, and file systems 

• Provide centralized storage and regular syncing from disparate sources 

So while IT professionals inherently understand that an IT-controlled, centralized storage strategy with nightly syncs is the key to protecting the organization’s data, they will unlikely be able to stop users from doing their own thing. The bottom line, if it means convenience for the user, they’ll gladly go around IT to do it, despite company policies dictating otherwise. 

But what if IT was to actually embrace these shared storage services? And what if they could do so without enduring an overwhelming threshold of pain? In fact, what if the shared services could be integrated into IT’s centralized data system, so that it’s part of the organization’s core storage, thereby blending user convenience with sound data protection strategy? 

Enterprise File Sharing with Morro Data Cloud NAS

With Morro Data Cloud NAS, it’s possible to get the best of both worlds. The Morro Data CacheDrive makes it easy to save files directly to the cloud as a primary storage environment and collaborate with a remote team. All files are centrally managed and, using Cache & Sync technology, automatically backed up in the cloud in real-time, thereby solving the primary storage and offsite backup challenges. Even better, Morro Data’s Echo feature enables users to sync or mirror a folder with one that corresponds to their Dropbox or OneDrive account. Once a file is saved in the Echo folder, it is automatically available for sharing within Dropbox. Likewise, any files saved via Dropbox will sync with the core storage, thereby enabling regular IT data management. 

By enabling files from shared storage services to be linked with the organization’s primary storage solution, IT provides users with the freedom and flexibility they need while maintaining control over all of the company’s critical data. As a result, Cloud NAS delivers the convenience employees are looking for, while also providing the efficiency and security that IT requires – therefore enabling both groups to achieve their respective goals. 

Hybrid Cloud WFH Solution 

With the challenges and uncertainty in 2020, some cities were placed into lockdown. More companies shifted to long-term work from home and reveal related policy (read an article from flexjobs.com). Businesses need to empower teams to work collaboratively. Morro Data Cloud NAS allows two or more locations to collaborate and sync without a VPN. CacheDrive can be deployed on-prem, in cloud, and at home. With CacheDrive at home, employees can build in-house offices and boost remote work productivity.