Many of us can’t even remember a time in small business computing when the file share didn’t exist.   We have grown so reliant on our (Insert Drive nick name here), that we have thrown around the nomenclature for years, the P Drive, the accounting drive, etc.   File share and these “drives” have been a corner stone and a staple to small businesses for decades.  While there were many file sharing applications brushing the surface of replacing file shares such as Drobox, Google Drive and One Drive, they never quite nailed the convenience and simplicity that file shares provided.  That was, of course, until the Pandemic hit.  The restraints of file shares were immediately thrown into the spot light.  Users quickly became aggravated having to utilize a cumbersome VPN to connect to these shares.   The apparent constraints of file sharing, as usual, forced everyone to up their game. Queue Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint!   

At first glance OneDrive and SharePoint seem to fill the exact niche that file share once had. We now have the ability to store our files in Microsoft’s abundant and ultra-available cloud, accessible on any device.  If you have used OneDrive, it seems pretty straight forward and simple to use, almost mirroring the exact way your legacy file shares work. However, there are some constraints, mainly the fact OneDrive is arguably used for storing an individual’s files with occasional sharing.  It presents a problem with broadscale sharing and large active use.  This is where SharePoint steps in to handle the heavy lifting!   

SharePoint has the flexibility to handle intricate hierarchical file permissions, making sure the data is locked down to only the users that should be able to view the information.  While both OneDrive and SharePoint have their respective uses, we have found if you’re looking to replace file shares with the flexibility you’re used to, the recipe requires the use of both!   

So, does SharePoint and OneDrive spell the end of the file server era?  In short, under certain circumstances, the answer is YES!  Obviously, your situation needs to be analyzed in depth with many questions being asked.   For example, do you run a database driven application on your file server that cannot be hosted on SharePoint or OneDrive?   Is your file server handling other network roles or servicing something like local QuickBooks? Or do you have dramatically large individual files that wouldn’t adequately be shared on SharePoint or OneDrive?  

When you are talking about file sharing in the strictest sense, it does seem, outside of small use cases, Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint are coming for the dated file shares and the new era of business file sharing has officially begun!   

Specializing in Microsoft Teams/365, Fuse can quickly analyze your existing technology environment and create a plan of action to migrate your data from your local file sharing environment to the cloud.