Tech Lover 9

According to a recent economic impact report performed by Boston Consulting Group (BGC), called Ahead of the Curve: lessons on Technology and Growth from Small Business Leaders, there is a huge opportunity for Small and Medium size (SMEs) in adopting cloud based services.

SMEs represent between 60-70% of all jobs in some economies around the world (OECD) and generate the lion share of new jobs created. The BGC report estimates that if more SMEs employed the full range of avilable IT tools, including basic office software, Internet connectivity and new Cloud-based services, SME revenues could grow by a combined $770 billion in just the U.S., Germany, China, India, and Brazil, the five primary countries surveyed.

The study discloses that, in particular, that new Cloud services are enabling small businesses to make business process changes and innovations to significantly grow their businesses.
Across the world, Parallels estimates $45 billion in the market for cloud services for SMEs last year, with a growth outlook to $95 billion by 2015 at a compound annual growth rate of 28%.

Keeping in mind that the BGC report was initiated by Microsoft, it shows that SMEs using Microsoft solutions are growing faster than non-Microsoft users. Being asked what software application or technology they could not live without, Microsoft Office was chosen as the top productivity application over all others.

In addition, the report showed that SMEs that adopted Microsoft Cloud services (e.g. Office365 etc.) grew faster than non-Microsoft SMEs.

Many SMEs are still concerned with security and privacy when it comes to the cloud, although it shows that those that have already adopted and experienced cloud services are less concerned and are increasingly paving the way for others. In fact, 94% of SMEs who have moved at least one of their workloads to the cloud find that data security has actually improved.

Broadband network access is another very important factor contributing to cloud adoption for SMEs and entails a major competitive advantage for whole regions and countries from a global perspective. Not surprisingly, it shows that SMEs with capable broadband access are more likely to grow faster and adopt cloud services quicker.

Did you know that more than half of American companies have converted to the cloud? No one can deny the benefits of cloud computing, but security issues are still a concern for many. Since the days of PRISM, surveillance controlled by the NSA, Americans have been acutely aware that their data is being tracked. Cyber-crime mimicking “Big Brother” has reached new levels when it comes to the security of your data and communications.

Are You Securing Your Cloud In The Right Manner?

Cloud Computing is not just about securing a good cloud service provider; it’s about ensuring that your data and communications are secure. Gaining confidence and trust in your cloud service provider (CSP) is just a mere aspect of cloud security. Here’s a look at eight commandments every company should follow to ensure the security of your cloud no matter what region.

1. In CSPs, we trust: No matter what your company does, it’s important to check the credentials of your CSP. Security issues directly impact businesses when there are immediate losses of data or communications. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with your CSP are a must, ensuring that you get the service and security that has been promised.
2. Follow the law: The convenience of the cloud can be utilized across the globe. Narrowing down on any legal issues involved is a vital part of the process. Laws are different across countries; it’s impossible to control the transfer of data across every location.
3. Ensure confidentiality: Profit margins remain high by ensuring that there is no unintended disclosure of important information. One of the best ways to ensure the integrity of your data or communications is with the help of secure locks and keys. In today’s world, the best way to ensure security of your data is with the help of encrypted data.
4. Digital signatures: The cloud provides the flexibility of using a common database. In such instances, the use of digital signatures give unique access to specific users. When the authentication of data and information is a threat, use the encryption to secure confidentiality.
5. Usekeys: A secure lock and key system can ensure that one has secured the data from all sides. The use of cryptographic methods can help you gain further control of your cloud.
6. Split data: An alternative to encryption, which is a common method, is to split the data. This is a much quicker option, as one can easily transfer data on multiple hosts that are not related to each other.
7. Try multi-cloud data models: As a component of data splitting, multiple clouds have the advantage of preserving confidentiality, availability, and integrity. Reducing the impact received on a single cloud also reduces the impact of security risks.
8. Don’t share cloud systems: The concept of multiple customer applications is not unique. Apart from cloud storage, other computational resources are also shared in order to reduce costs. Unfortunately, often shared or rented cloud machines are susceptible to hacking and other malicious attacks.

There have been several case studies that have used these various techniques to secure the cloud. No matter which of the eight commandments you use, your business shouldn’t be afraid to reap the benefits of cloud computing.

Cloud services is emerging as the most in-trend option for individuals and small business opting for seamless and secure file-sharing or storage  of data – thanks to popular cloud services like SkyDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive amongst many others. However, with more and more people (either working remotely, traveling frequently or telecommuting) opting to store sensitive work documents in personal cloud services; there is a growing risk for data security at workplace.

This has inspired businesses to provide employees access to small business versions of cloud file-sharing and storage services for secure handling of data. However, with employees in workplace insisting on using their own portable devices to stream applications, view and edit documents, share work with other users and synchronize files across multiple devices; cloud file-sharing services can prove to be challenging for small business.

Beating the challenges….

Considering the growing trend of mobile user’s demand for cloud services, companies are increasingly regulating IT policies for enhancing security and controlling access to corporate data. This has also led to an influx in enterprises expanding their product lines to deliver enterprise-grade cloud file-sharing and storage services.

Cloud  file-sharing services offer basic features such as storage, syncing with mobile and desktop, and some security and small business management. This has been further popularized due to the availability of cheap, easy-to-use and accessible cloud file-sharing services.

5 MOST POPULAR CLOUD FILE-SHARING AND STORAGE SERVICES

Dropbox

Dropbox for Business offers unlimited storage, 256-bit AES and SSL encryption, syncing and file sharing. Moreover, it also allows two-step verification and mobile passcodes besides providing unlimited file recovery and version history. It also helps prevent file sharing outside the ‘closed group’ team so as to keep data secure. Available for PCs, iOS, Android, Kindle, and BlackBerry; Dropbox cloud services costs $795 annually for five users, plus an additional $125 per user subsequently.

Google Drive

Fully integrated with Google Docs and Gmail, Google Drive delivers the ideal collaboration environment for Google Apps customers. Here, users are allowed to share specific files and folders, grant read or write access to those files and sync files across multiple devices. Google Drive also allows administrators to add or remove storage for individuals or teams and encrypt data transfers – however with fewer options for enforcing in-house security policies.

WatchDox

WatchDox offers a cloud-based file-sharing and storage service that enables end users to work together on Microsoft Office documents. Available in 2 versions – Enterprise Security (ES) and Enterprise, WatchDox is geared towards large enterprises offering file synchronization and access to mobile, Web, PC and mail applications. The service also offers file security and encryption features, besides giving IT teams more control of corporate data files. The Enterprise version requires a minimum of 50 users, which costs $15 per user, per month; while the ES version requires you to contact WatchDox for a custom price.

FilesAnywhere Inc

FilesAnywhere Inc. offers an enterprise option for a minimum of 100 users, with an unlimited amount of storage and limitless upload facility. Some of the basic features include mobile access and apps, an online form generator, the capacity to send and receive large files, and password-protected sharing.  A few advanced features comprises of group sharing, custom branding, collaboration, role-based access control, and a dedicated domain. The enterprise version of FilesAnywhere has a 50-user minimum that costs $12 per user, per month. And with businesses having 100 users or more, the service costs $8 per user, per month.

Box Inc.

Box Inc. offers two file-sharing plans for businesses that calls for a minimum of 3 users and offers up to 1 TB of storage space. Box allows secure mobile sync and share features such as desktop synchronization, mobile access, OneCloud Apps and Office integration.

Box with existing infrastructure (comprising of mobile device management systems, helps configure third-party apps, such as Microsoft Office and Google Apps). Moreover, Box’s association supports versioning, password-protected sharing and workflow management. This empowers users to run Box on Windows and Mac desktops, besides the usual iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices.
Have you chosen a cloud file-sharing and storage services for your business?

Free storage and sharing are part of the allure of public cloud storage services like Dropbox, Box and Google Drive. When it comes to the security of your data in the Cloud, there’s a substantial difference between “free” and “no value.”

Cloud vendors do a fantastic job of helping people work together by providing easy, fluid storage for the modern, mobile nature of business. Along with the ease of use on free public cloud platforms, you’re assured by the providers of the security of your personal and business files. But does that security really match what you expect and what your business requires?

For their part, public Cloud vendors provide encryption and decryption of data while it’s in their data centers. Cloud vendors talk up this encryption as a central point of security. But what value do encryption and decryption have if they are entirely in the control of the Cloud vendor? It’s like having a locksmith put a new deadbolt on your front door, but then letting the locksmith keep all of the keys. And, to make matters worse, all the houses in the neighbourhood have the same key!

What the security Cloud vendors actually offer is more along the lines of “zero-value encryption” as it’s been dubbed by trusted enterprise data security voice Steve Gibson and others. It’s a level of security for their data centers, but no great protection when it comes to how you sync, share and store files in the Cloud. The data should be safe inside the perimeter of the data center but as we have discovered, this vendor-backed security wavers.

Diving into the functionality of Cloud vendor-controlled security, a few cracks from this “zero-value encryption” have been revealed. In a recent instance, certain Web apps were regularly opened by Dropbox during the regular process of storing and sharing. One Box user found that a “complete stranger” had been allowed to delete all his files. Cloud vendors have been unable to shake security concerns since the start of the big Cloud adoption boom. Every week brings more tales of business data breaches, exposure of unencrypted personal information and revelations on federal snooping into programs. Every year, the cost of a breach goes up, registering nearly $200 per file in the most recent estimates from the Ponemon Institute.

The Cloud providers are even at odds with each other over what value their encryption provides. Recently, Dropbox and Google leaders got into a back-and-forth spat on the legitimacy of at-rest security of data. Digging into the details, cloud providers acknowledge that security-conscious customers would be best to take on their own layer of data protection. As Google Drive product manager Dave Barth summarized in a company blog outlining their in-house encryption and the control they retain over locking and unlocking the data: “Of course, if you prefer to manage your own [encryption] keys then you can still encrypt data yourself prior to writing it to Cloud Storage.”
Barth’s statement here cuts to the core of the matter. If you want true control over cloud security of value, it’ll take a bit more of a “trust no one” approach and some third-party software.

On the software front, there’s an emerging ecosystem of software, platforms and apps to fill in this security gap between business expectations and zero-value encryption on Cloud platforms. You can go the route of “containing” laptops and mobile devices through policies that implement an extra step or portals to share and store in the cloud. New security “as a service” vendors are offering what amounts to APIs for sharing and storage outside of the traditional business firewall. Coming from an encryption perspective with our product stack, including Viivo, we opt for data-centric protection of data where you hold the keys and authentication for data security in transit and at rest. Your data is protected wherever it goes regardless of how it gets there.

Storing data securely in the cloud is an uncomfortable prospect compared with how businesses typically seek security for their critical documents. Understandably, businesses within their own networks and systems aim for full control of data. Protection is expected for all information in transit or in storage. With public cloud storage services, users have opened up an exposure challenge to security norms, many under the perception that the cloud alone gives them full, valuable protection.
Businesses working in the cloud need protection of value, a level of control to go with security that doesn’t sacrifice user experience. With no shortage of risks and threats to business information, it’s worth your while to expect – and obtain – security and control in the cloud.

File Catalyst says an average HD movie can be 8 to 15 GB, and a Blu-ray movie 20 to 25 GB. If you have downloaded a collection of movies to your home computer, you’ll want to make sure they’re safe. Cloud backup has become a popular way to backup files. When you’re ready to find the best cloud backup service for your entertainment collection, make sure you ask the right questions.

Understand the Pricing

You’ll need to read the fine print of most cloud backup services to get to the precise pricing information. Some services offer unlimited gigabytes from one computer for a set price, with that price increasing with each computer you add. Other services offer backups of unlimited computers with a cap on the gigabytes, while the price increases as you need more storage. Your analysis of prices needs be clear and objective in order to find the best deal for you. No comparing apples to oranges.

How many computers do you need to backup? How many files do you need to backup? What is the approximate size of all of these files? How often do you need to backup them up? Decide what your backup needs are, and then determine the price of each service, as PC Mag suggests. That’s the way to compare apples to apples when it comes to cloud backup options.

What Does “Unlimited” Mean?

Many cloud services offer “unlimited” something or other, as a way to get business. Bandwidth, storage, or number of computers to backup are the typical “unlimited” resources vendors offer. Information Week investigated that claim and discovered that vendors reserved the right to change what unlimited means for specific customers if they believed the customer was misusing the privilege.

One vendor stated that the backup speed was lowered after a certain threshold was reached–in this case 200GBs. In another case cited by Forbes, the backup of a photographer’s files had not yet completed after days of uploading to a cloud vendor, due to the throttling down of upload speed after a certain data volume had completed. Read the fine print, again, to make sure you find out what the limits are to a service’s “unlimited” options.

How Secure is Your Data?

Determine how your data is stored with the cloud vendor. Cloud services manage online backup files in different ways. They may be encrypted, or not. They may use shared servers, meaning your data resides on a disk with the data of companies. You may have an option to choose a virtual server which carves out a chunk of space on a disk that is all yours. You still share the disk but your space is pre-defined. Service providers such as MyHosting offer virtual servers with the same options as the shared servers. You’ll see no difference in how a virtual server supports your site versus a shared server. However, you will be more secure.

The most expensive option is a private server, which gives you your own physical device for backup. This is what a small business chooses if they store highly sensitive information such as government files, financial data or personal medical information. This type of information is regulated and requires private servers for added security.

What Other Options Are Available?

Will you have access to your files in the cloud from a mobile device such as your smartphone or tablet? Some services provide an app to control your backups and restore operations. Some throw in the ability to backup your mobile device files, such as your contacts or calendar.

Do they offer folder syncing? This lets you specify a folder on your PC or mobile device that automatically syncs with a corresponding folder in the cloud whenever you add or change files in it. This is handy for keeping frequently accessed files backed up each time you update them.

“I don’t need a hard disk in my computer if I can get to the server faster… carrying around these non-connected computers is byzantine by comparison,” Steve Jobs said about cloud computing. Many people agree that cloud solutions are convenient for business applications and the practice is becoming more wide spread. The number of businesses that are trying to simplify their business processes with information technology is growing. With more and more companies using virtual business processes for varied tasks, systems are more complex and data security is a paramount concern.

A recent study by Gartner has shown that cloud compliance and cloud data residency are slowly gaining prominence. Some businesses utilize a cloud broker to arrange and manage the service, which can be a cloud broker platform or an actual person. With this platform, it is expected that almost 25% of companies will use some kind of cloud broker by 2016 and data losses would be reduced by 30%. According to the experts at Gartner, cloud security can be achieved with a cohesive cloud security broker solution.

Who’s On the Speed Dial for Cloud Emergencies? – The Cloud Security Broker








Cloud infrastructure is one of the most important aspects for any business today, making cloud security more important than ever before. One cannot deny the importance of a cloud access and securitybroker with the increasing implementation of cloud services to reduce costs for the business and also ensure that the company has secure critical processes.

We have narrowed down three types of cloud brokers who can enhance the security protocol for any cloud service:

1. Cloud aggregator: Certain brokers in cloud security are involved in adding capabilities and improving some aspect of the service. They are also involved in adding and supporting hosting services.
2. Cloud customizer: Multiple services from different cloud providers can be brought together and integrated for a company. This is usually offered by what is called a cloud customizer.
3. Brokers that arbitrage cloud services: These brokers give the ability to consumers to choose several cloud service providers that are dependent on attributes, costs or speed.

Can Brokers Actually Protect The Cloud?

In the event of complex infrastructure, companies feel the need to manage software applications by integrating the local applications and services. As the cloud increases its coverage across business processes, then the role of cloud brokers grows as well. As mentioned before, cloud service security is not just about simplifying the data processes that are managed within the business but also securing them.  Now it may be expected for the broker to ensure the complete security of the cloud.
Companies have learned from experience to reduce the consumer’s responsibility related to security. Cloud services offer security via brokers to give confidence to customers with the provision of greater security.

Whether companies are involved in ensuring the services of cloud brokers or a particular cloud broker platform, it’s important to consider capabilities and certifications. One should be confident in the certifications and other capabilities of brokers or broker platforms before engaging them in cloud security.

Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud storage services in the world. With well over 175 million users, Dropbox was arguably the first cloud storage service that promoted mass adoption thanks to a referral program and an intuitive interface. Dropbox cemented its place on our mobile devices with a range of capable apps, and developers have figured out ways to use it for all kinds of purposes: server backups, Google Docs sync and browser add-ons, to name just three.

But with Dropbox, there’s one challenge: privacy. The company has recently been linked to the PRISM scandal; the US National Security Agency had reportedly considered including it in its surveillance program. But for users, the more practical risk is the lack of encryption. Unlike a service such as Mega, Dropbox allows its employees to access and decrypt files, and files stored on the service are actually decrypted so that some of its more advanced functionality can exist. This is perhaps its biggest weakness.

Dropbox Encryption Explained

Many commercial cloud storage providers offer encryption using the AES-256 algorithm. AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard, and the ‘256’ means that your data is encrypted using a 256-bit encryption key.

In order to crack AES-128 – which is less secure – it would take a supercomputer almost 14 billion years. We can therefore presume that AES-256 is pretty secure.
Dropbox encrypts your data using industry standard encryption tools following the AES-256 standard, but the devil is in the detail. Dropbox holds the keys for the encrypted files. (Compare that with Mega).

That allows it to do two important things:

• It can decrypt your data to make certain features work.
• It can decrypt your data if law enforcement officials ask it to.

Additionally, some of the metadata sent from mobile devices is unencrypted.
This raises the question of whether Dropbox data is really, truly safe when storing data in the cloud. Cloud storage is often criticised for exposing user data to authorities, particularly under the scope of the US Patriot Act.

Dropbox does say that successful law enforcement requests are one in a million. But with its apparent willingness to decrypt on (legal) demand, Dropbox has ruffled a few feathers.

How to Improve Dropbox Encryption: TrueCrypt vs BoxCryptor

Several developers have mad add-on tools for Dropbox that put encryption back into the hands of the user, not the cloud storage provider. Let’s look at a few briefly.

BoxCryptor

BoxCryptor can be used to encrypt files before they are sent to a cloud storage service. It works with Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, Skydrive – basically any cloud storage service that allows you to explore files in your browser.

BoxCryptor works by creating a new password protected drive on your computer. Any file stored on that virtual disk can be opened as normal, but is individually encrypted. The encrypted file is synced to Dropbox; the only person who can see it is the local user with the right password. When the computer is offline, BoxCryptor still functions. There’s a more detailed explanation here.
BoxCryptor has apps for Windows, OS X, iOS, Windows 8 and Android. Most of its features are available using a free account.

TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt is completely free and open source. It allows a user to encrypt a file or a group of files, or an entire disk, protecting them with a key. The encrypted data can be mounted like a drive, providing you have the password, and data can only be viewed when decryption mode is active. Encrypted data looks like random characters, so a hacker would never know if it’s worth decrypting or not.
TrueCrypt is secure but slow, and it’s also rendered useless by malware – including malware you might not know is installed. The software runs on Windows, OS X and Linux

Conclusion: Which Dropbox Encryption Is Better?

The difference between BoxCryptor and TrueCrypt is the method of encryption. While BoxCryptor encrypts files one by one, TrueCrypt encrypts all of your files in a bundle (a container), and that is then sent to the cloud storage provider.

In practice, both work well. But with TrueCrypt, your files are bundled. If you need mobile device support, go with BoxCrypt; if you want to guarantee the software is free for life, TrueCrypt is the better option.

With technology rapidly evolving, one would make the natural assumption that people would adapt accordingly. Unfortunately, this has not yet been the case specifically in regard to how users protect and store their crucial data.

Two of the ten most important aspects in life that are frequently cited by countless individuals are relationships and music. After all, these are two things that people refer to as “bringing the world together.” People spend their entire lives building relationships which create lasting impressions and the best way to save those memories are by taking pictures or videos. People also spend a substantial amount of time listening to music on their way to work which could account for two or more hours per day.

Look around – it is highly unlikely to see anyone not attached to some technological device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.). All of their data is stored on their tiny piece of hardware and/or on their home computers. Regrettably, accidents are common.

Current Deprecated Storage Methods:

Some of the most popular data storage procedures used today are external hard drives or tape drives. People rationalize their decision to use these by stating ‘disaster will not strike; the odds are minimal.’ However, this is statistically incorrect as they open themselves up to a plethora of catastrophes including theft, natural disasters, accidental file deletion, or faulty machinery. Additionally, an external hard drive is no different than an internal hard drive of which the life expectancy can be just a few short years. The exposure is just too great, especially with a relatively new way to store your data effectively and safely.

The Future:

In reality, online (cloud) backup has been around for quite some time however individual users are only now transitioning to this storage process. For just a few dollars per month (or even for free), a person can sign up for an online backup package and will never have to worry about data loss or theft. Furthermore, with online backup, a user can access their data from any of their devices with an internet connection. Are you always on-the-go? No problem. Want to share your files in seconds? Simple. Worried about security? Online backup companies specialize in highly secured data protection and theft prevention. Memories and the files that come along with it are an integral part of your life. Why take the unnecessary risk?

Increased Productivity:

The amount of hours spent toward storing data offline is rather inefficient. Companies employ teams that can amount to dozens of employees just for their data storage needs. Aside from the obvious additional and unnecessary costs incurred, this type of storage method is extremely inefficient compared to online backup and in turn decreases workplace productivity. Any firm (or individual for that matter) who chooses to transition to online backup, even a not so reliable service, will free up time that should be allocated toward other important business related activities, instead of working on nitty-gritty work such as offline backup.

More importantly, online backup creates far better methods of communication in regard to data storage. For example, it enables one employee to upload files to the cloud and share it with the relevant parties all at the click of the mouse. While this may seem insignificant, small changes in how people can cut down on time consuming and frustrating work likely will increase their overall motivation and work ethic.

These are just a few of the reasons why cloud backup will most likely become a household item in the very near future and will essentially redefine the way we store our data.

The choice between public cloud and private cloud platform is a recurring debate, as the potential value of hybrid cloud environments and its benefits to business. Of course, the benefits of these environments is the power to leverage the inherent scalability and performance public clouds without the risks associated with outsourcing of business critical applications, but what is the best approach to manage hybrid cloud environments, and what more benefits companies can achieve by using them? A research on network and computing predicts that the hybrid cloud option will not become the dominant trend to within at least five years, because, apparently, still needed more training and education respect.

As was the case with the adoption of cloud hosting services, in its simplest form, in the case of hybrid environments, the first question that comes to business is: “Is it Safe? “. Along with safety, there are other practical issues to be taken into account when considering their implementation and business benefits

Business areas most suitable for hybrid environments,

Corporations are becoming more selective about the elements of your business that should be housed and managed in the cloud. In a hybrid deployment there is more choice when selecting which information may reside, and who can access it. For example, plans and sales forecasts could be accommodated in the same area, but the company would prefer that the sales team could see certain elements before other employees. In a hybrid cloud environment can apply some restrictions in order to allow access to information to some and not to others, without affecting the rate at which data can be displayed or shared. Decide what best suits your hybrid environment for a particular business function depends entirely on the user information, the frequency of access required, the need to integrate into other business areas, and how it needs to be stored information according to regulations.

Avoid conflict with the legacy system

The cloud is almost mainstream in companies and their level of adoption has been increasing in the last few years. What this means for the next generation of cloud services is that they should be easier to integrate with existing systems, without affecting performance. Based on the premise that a hybrid environment allows companies to get some services externally through the cloud, while continuing to use their own systems, technology providers need to help customers adopt a cloud strategy based on your particular needs, alleviating any concerns you may have regarding the implementation process. Of course, with potentially obsolete systems is important to offer a tailored approach and flexible, service-level agreements (SLAs) defined clearly to avoid confusion later. It is also necessary to note that while organizations feel the need to adopt a hybrid environment, any investment in cloud services today should be flexible enough to accommodate their subsequent implementation.

Securing a Hybrid Cloud

Of course, as with any new technology, companies are concerned and continue to question the risks associated with the implementation of cloud computing services, whether public or private. Unavoidable costs incurred during a power outage, the integrity of the data if it is the case that the chosen supplier bankruptcy, and the possibility of business disruption during the implementation process are among a long list of typical concerns Safety. While these issues are being addressed slowly by cloud service providers, global security requirements in a hybrid environment need to be improved so that customers can gain peace of mind. Fortunately, a hybrid model, by its very nature, offers the best of both worlds, providing companies a safe place for sensitive data in the private cloud, with the added flexibility to organize the elements of the business under the public cloud. The next item on the agenda of security, however, these are the SLAs and how providers can offer solid arguments of how it will manage data integrity at all times, from implementation to migration of services.

Besides the obvious benefit of flexibility and choice, it is clear that a hybrid approach of cloud computing brings many advantages, allowing corporations to achieve several objectives.

The development of hybrid cloud environments not only adds innovation to catalog cloud, but also provides a dynamic platform for organizations who wish to balance their IT resources between public and private clouds. This hybrid approach is a real breakthrough, allowing companies to leverage the scalability and performance that the public cloud provides without the risks associated with the outsourcing of business critical applications. Although Gartner predicts that it could take another ten years before we start seeing widespread adoption of this current, and is seated firmly on the radars of technology managers and added to the rapid growth of cloud services.

Privacy is the main concern holding many cloud computing companies back from prosperity and success. Even the massively influential Google is facing concerns of privacy. Sweden’s Risk Assessment Board has disallowed Swedish public companies from using Google’s cloud-based service, Google Apps, according to Datainspectionen.se. They have determined that the Google contract has given the search giant too much power over data usage, and a lack of concrete knowledge over what subcontractors are storing or using this data. This begs a harrowing question—if Google cannot be trusted for privacy, who can be?

The Big Privacy Hack

Many large companies do not have the capacity to store data in-house. Tablets and laptops have extremely limited internal storage capabilities, enhancing the overall drive for cloud computing. Evernote is a glorified note-taking resource that stores data through multiple devices. A recent security breach of the resource opened up 50 million encrypted passwords, usernames and accompanying email addresses were leaked. According to Evernote, this caused forced them to restart everyone’s accounts with new passwords.

The Value of General Protection

These security concerns are influencing users to seek identity protection through services like LifeLock Identity Guard. Through credit alerts, address monitoring and advanced Internet-monitoring techniques, these types of services bridge the gap between general security and public comfort. Their features help facilitate comfort in dealing almost solely though the Internet, amidst growing concerns of privacy.

Microsoft, the largest computer provider, offers detailed tips for protection. The company reports confirming that any cloud provider has a detailed privacy policy and the means to support it. The policy should not be a direct copy of someone else’s, but a policy that is adjusted and conducive to the company. This confirms that the company has taken the effort to provide something relevant and specific.

Cloud Computing: Hackers Great Big Target in the Sky

Hackers target cloud services because they store so much data. Seagate’s smaller cloud storage features offer between 500 gigabytes to 1 terabyte, reports Computer World. The latter data is equivalent to about 1,100 movies.

The huge Apple cloud is in North Carolina and spans acres. It is specifically designed for the iCloud service, notes ABC News and consists of an undocumented quantity of data storage. More speculation has the service providing anywhere up to 10,000 terabytes.

Of course, much larger cloud services such Dropbox and Google Drive are highly regarded. Technet reports that the free Cloud Security Readiness Tool from Microsoft is pushing privacy focus for cloud companies looking to realistically compete. The resource offers insight into very detailed cloud constructs and how to maximize safety. It also allows a firm to determine their readiness for moving to the cloud.

Paving the Road to Enhanced Protection

Microsoft is paving the road for future cloud computing services with 1 billion customers, 20 million major businesses and 76 global markets being serviced through them, Technet further reports. Detailed trust center security documents are available online to maximize cloud privacy and effectiveness. This is relevant for companies considering opening themselves up to cloud computing and for increasing their privacy efforts.

A single, potential breakthrough that has certainly gone up in appeal during recent years is the cloud. This small piece of innovation can prove beneficial to the tech-confident student in several approaches, and Degree Jungle is here to discuss just why every higher-education learner ought to think honestly about staying in the cloud while class is in session.

Forgot to print that essay paper before exiting the dormitory? If the paper rests in the cloud, it’s as easy as heading to the bookstore, connecting to the Internet, and printing it there. Stashing school documents in a cloud can significantly streamline a student’s schedule, giving them with a lot more precious time to relish in university life.

There are several cloud solutions that are primarily fashioned for carrying class notes. Evernote is just one of them. Taking notes on a laptop has several rewards: folks do key much faster than they write; and they can always restructure data, later; shortly after saving these text-written notes in the cloud; which is effortlessly reachable from virtually anywhere.

Occasionally, people must use pens, pencils and paper to write notes from a lecture. Did you know that learners can also store hand-written notes in the cloud? It’s actually true, stashing scribbled notes is simple for people who possess smartphones. There are several cloud applications that allow users to snap images of their paperwork. The Evernote smartphone app even features a new component that will immediately transmit photos of hand-written notes directly to the cloud for them. Simple as ABC, isn’t it?

Smartphone interface is one more perk. Many cloud service providers deliver awesome mobile apps, which are often free. Folks can connect to their cloud documents without the need of a laptop; this enables scholars to take a fast glimpse at their notes or to enjoy their cloud-music files in between classes; simply by taking out their mobile devices. And remember, if an edit is made to a document, the laptop at home will immediately revise the file kept on a computer’s hard drive as soon as the user logs in.

The cloud is a fantastic destination to stash group projects. Many cloud solutions deliver sharing applications for colleagues to virtually collaborate. Google Docs, for instance, is exceptionally valuable when tackling projects with other classmates, given that the application will systematically track document modifications produced by a project’s contributors. CX “Groups” is one more practical alternative because this app enables users to upload both documents and chat with one another at the same time.

The cloud provides countless approaches for students to become more efficient at school. Higher education can be very challenging, but working with the cloud to carry everything around and to communicate with group-mates can make activities a whole lot simpler. The following lineup of cloud service providers are the most well-liked among college students today:

#1 Dropbox
#2 Google Drive
#3 Apple iCloud
#4 Microsoft SkyDrive
#5 MediaFire
#6 Amazon Cloud Drive
#7 Mega
#8 SpiderOak.

Cloud services like Dropbox, Box , Gmail and Salesforce are rapidly being adopted by organizations and employees in regulated industries. If you’re working in the healthcare, financial or legal industry, chances are that your organization already has a significant number of employees using these services.
We believe these cloud services are the future of enterprise software. They are very simple to set up and use. They facilitate collaboration and mobility. They seamlessly let employees access their data where they need it and when they need it. And they are very secure.

Yep, that’s right. Cloud services are very secure. In fact, popular cloud services are probably much more secure than any traditional software applications. First, cloud companies hire some of the world’s smartest security experts (Taher ElGammal, Joe Bonneau). Second, cloud applications get upgraded on a daily or hourly basis, which makes them much more robust and bug-free than most software you install and run on a physical server. Finally, these services lose billions of dollars if they get compromised, so they are highly incentivized to keep your data safe.
So you might ask: why is everyone so worried about cloud security?

The problem is not that the cloud services are insecure, but that their convenience and great user experience significantly increases the risk of users making mistakes.

Case in point.

Imagine you’re working in a medical practice. Your doctors start using a file sharing service (e.g., Box, Dropbox, ShareFile, Egnyte). Each one of the doctors syncs 10,000 files that contain protected health information (PHI) into the cloud.

Since they want to access all their files on the go, they also sync the files on 5 different devices (laptops, phones, tablets), and share a few folders with colleagues working in other organizations, who in turn sync the files to even more devices. The end result: hundreds and thousands of individual devices containing thousands of health records each.

According to the HIPAA regulations, if you lose a device with more than 500 patient records or accidentally share the records with an unauthorized person, you have to report the breach to the government. You can get fined up to millions of dollars for such breaches. Not surprisingly, most HIPAA violations occur due to lost or stolen devices. With the proliferation of cloud services and synced devices, you’ve just increased your liability by orders of magnitude.

The biggest risk is not that the cloud service will get hacked and all your data will be stolen, but rather that one of your employees will lose one of their unencrypted devices or accidentally share files with an unauthorized individual. In short, the cloud makes it a lot easier and more likely to lose 10,000 patient records.

At Sookasa, we’re laser focused on mitigating this risk associated with cloud services. Sookasa is a cloud compliance solution that effectively reduces the liability of organizations that adopt cloud services, by eliminating the threats posed by lost devices and user mistakes.

Since Sookasa encrypts, audits, and preserves access control to files anywhere they go (or get synced), your organization’s most sensitive data is safe, even if a user loses a device or shares with someone unauthorized.

As an administrator, you can revoke access in real-time, to any user or device. You can also track exactly which files have been exposed, in case of an incident.

In summary, we believe cloud applications are here to stay. Sookasa can make sure that your organization’s transition to the cloud runs smoothly

The latest IDG Enterprise report on cloud computing says 49 percent of business executives see the cloud as strategic to their business, according to Forbes. Another 40 percent say they’ve asked their IT departments to research how they can use the cloud more effectively in the business. As the interest in cloud computing increases, so do the ways in which a business uses the cloud.

Hybrid Cloud Computing

As companies migrate their operations into the cloud, they are choosing multiple cloud platforms as opposed to relying on a single IaaS vendor. Businesses look for different vendors to meet the needs of various areas of their business. They may depend on one vendor for their CRM needs and another for order processing. The choice depends on the SaaS options that each vendor offers.

Performance in the Clouds

To meet the demands of business computing, cloud vendors are focusing on performance of platforms and applications in the cloud. Functionality and availability have been the concern of the cloud evolution. Vendors must now be able to compete on performance to attract business customers. Reliability and uptime is more of a concern as companies do more of their processing in the cloud.

High Tech Cloud Computing

For those companies with tech savvy staff and a tight budget, IaaS offers them a way to create their own infrastructure in the cloud. Special hardware requirements are being met in the cloud allowing companies to move more sensitive operations there. Such functions as vendor managed inventory, material testing, and compliance reporting are finding their way into the cloud.

Disaster Recover and the Cloud

As the reliability of cloud computing increases, businesses are looking at how it can help them with their disaster planning and recovery efforts. Storing large amounts of data in the cloud for a system recovery takes the burden of storage off of a company. The 24/7 availability from any device with a wireless Internet card means no waiting for backup files to start a recovery procedure.
Other significant findings in the IDG Enterprise Cloud Computing report include:

• Total cost of ownership is still a key driver for moving to the cloud
• Most organizations believe that they can keep their data secure in the cloud
• Enterprise organizations are spending more to move large systems into the cloud

Moving the Cloud Into the Future

Big Data as a Service

Companies of all sizes are using large data sets to make product and marketing decisions. The concept of doing analysis of this data in the cloud is appealing. This scalable solution to large data processing puts it into reach of any business.

Balancing Performance

As performance continues to be addressed by cloud vendors, companies may be given the option to choose the performance they want for a given application. An overnight run of payroll doesn’t need the same performance as an online order tracking application you give to your customers.

Paying for Cloud Computing

In conjunction with the performance options, a new model for paying for the cloud may evolve. Instead of the current subscription model, customers may pay for the space and performance they use. This creates a greater spread between companies that need little in the way of storage but high speed, and those companies with massive storage requirements.

As a business owner, you’ll have heard about cloud storage and the benefits that it can bring. It can free up space in your office, save you money, provide accessibility via mobile and tablet devices, and allow better collaboration in the workplace.

But when it comes down to the nitty gritty, which provider offers the best cloud storage solution? There’s no shortage of cloud storage companies out there that will be happy to take your cash, though it’s wise to weigh up the pros and cons of each before making your final decision. The most popular providers are Box and Dropbox, and here, we’ll help you to work out which is best for you.

Firstly, let’s consider price. In these tough economic times, it’s wise to keep an eye on your budget and spend only what’s necessary. Both Dropbox and Box have a free personal use option, so it’s well worth signing up to see what you think of the features and taking the opportunity to give them a trial run. The prices vary though depending on how many people you want to use the solution. It’s worth noting here that Box was designed specifically for the enterprise user rather than individuals, so getting a quote for your business could be worthwhile if you want to roll out cloud storage across your entire organisation.

Next up, what about the features themselves? We’ve included a screenshot that considers the key areas, so it’s easy to see where the strengths lie in each solution. Taking even the briefest of looks at the feature comparisons, it’s evident that Box is more appropriate for the enterprise user. It’s better in terms of sharing and access, document collaboration, and security. It’s these key features that business owners will often be most concerned about.


Security is another important factor that will be key to business owners. When you’re dealing with confidential client information, it’s vital that you have solutions in place that protect the data and doesn’t compromise it in any way. In this respect, Box is the clear winner. If an individual is looking for storage for home use, Dropbox is likely to fulfill their needs, but when it comes to an enterprise solution, there really is no competition.


Whilst there isn’t a definitive answer when it comes to the Dropbox versus Box debate, it’s quite clear that if you’re a business user, Box holds the key to the solution that you’ve been looking for. 

Every batch of statistics that gets released about cloud computing shows it’s becoming more prominent in business and personal lives. ERP Software Blog reports that 70 percent of businesses already using the cloud will create new applications specifically for cloud use. It has a lot of advantages over the standard computing model. Instead of filling up your office with servers and cooling systems, and performing updates and maintenance, the cloud host takes care of the dirty work. You get to sit back and take advantage of the scalable architecture, the expert help and the knowledge that a disaster taking out your office won’t take out your hosting accounts. Before you take the cloud hosting plunge, familiarize yourself with the basics.

How It Works

Many cloud hosts are popping up, from established companies such as Rackspace to up-and-comers that aren’t known outside of their local market. Some cloud hosts look and feel exactly the same as a standard web host, down to the same control panel adapted for use in the cloud environment. Even if the graphics look the same, what’s under the hood is quite different. You don’t have a single server, or a single shared server for your hosting account. Instead, your data is spread throughout several virtualized servers. The advantage to this is reducing a single point of hardware failure, since the data is spread out among different servers.

Another advantage to this system is that it’s easy to create new operating system instances. If you want to test out an application on a specific FreeBSD distribution, it only takes a few minutes to create the server. This gives you a lot of flexibility in business development.

Content Versus Whole Websites

If you are having an issue serving your content fast enough, but you feel your web server is robust enough to handle the website on its own, you may want to consider a content-delivery network that’s cloud based for site hosting, such as Amazon Cloud Front. However, this doesn’t protect your network framework from disaster and you still have to put up with the data center taking up a lot of valuable office space.

Fully hosting your website in the cloud doesn’t take much more of a learning curve than normal hosting accounts. Once you know enough to create the virtualized server, you can upload files and folders to it like it was a typical hosting account. Some cloud services may even have website-building tools integrated into their control panels. As your server needs increase, such as during seasonal changes, you can scale your plan up to meet with demand.

The lack of an up-front investment really helps to sell cloud computing services, so you can cut down on the amount of overhead your IT equipment requires. You can use that to upgrade your workstation, finally get that adjustable office chair you want, or spend the entire savings on Nerf guns for an all-out office battle.

From businesses to educational institutions, increasing numbers of people are utilizing cloud technologies to collaborate more efficiently. According to eWeek, more than three-quarters of surveyed companies are already in the cloud or plan to invest in cloud services in 2013. Organizations of all kinds can easily implement a host of applications to heighten their productivity.

Perhaps no cloud application has the potential to be as ubiquitous as that of Google Apps, with simple to use email, document sharing and more. Rapid adoption has been seen across industries and in educational institutions — over 5 million businesses have made the switch to Google Apps. Yet, the ease with which organizations can transition to Google Apps as their primary business productivity application disguises potential risks, and the fact that IT teams are still on the hook for the business-critical information that passes through it.

IT faces new challenges: the ease of adoption and implementation can be accompanied by complacency around traditional data protection best practices. And, the biggest risk of all is often human error, which causes 75 percent of data loss, according to the IT Policy Compliance Group, PCWorld. While Google has complete disaster recovery capabilities, they are created for Google’s errors, not necessarily for those of individuals or businesses.

IT can face serious challenges brought on by simple human errors that happen when the cloud allows less sophisticated administrators to implement changes. Errors can come in all shapes and sizes. For example, if an organization inadvertently sets arbitrary limits on how long emails are stored, all others will be deleted from the system. Edits to documents can be lost and the wrong calendars can be cleared. One or more of these missteps can cost an organization eons of time and mountains of money.

Backup and recovery solutions are essential to long-term, sustainable business continuity in the cloud.  An example of an enterprise-class data protection and recovery solution is Spanning Backup, one of the top-rated solutions for Google Apps.

The move to the cloud has made it easier to stay connected for the individual employee, but it has become more difficult for the IT team to keep up with an entire business’ data threats all while monitoring the status of their domain. It is truly a 24 hour job — solutions like Spanning’s mobile, Audit Log for Google Apps allows administrators to monitor activity on their Google Apps domain activity on the go. Admins are able to supervise changes in real-time with push notifications.

The days of software residing purely on desktops and local servers is coming to an end. But to be truly successful in the cloud, IT must evaluate key risks and keep complacency from setting in or else a company’s critical information could vanish forever. Cloud  backup and recovery tools like Spanning Backup have the same ease of deployment and can give IT the capability to track domain changes in real-time, allowing them to keep an ever watchful eye on the easy errors that can create cloud havoc.

To help business owners and other professionals understand the differences between these two solutions, we recently put together a detailed Box vs. Dropbox comparison of the features and functionality in each offering (here is another comparison – Box vs Dropbox – Are they equal?). Here’s what you need to know when comparing each offering.

Who It’s For and Pricing for Each


On the other hand, since Dropbox is designed for the everyday user, you’ll find more consumer-oriented functionality such as easy multimedia file sharing and HTML5 streaming. But that doesn’t mean that Dropbox isn’t a good fit for many small to medium-sized businesses. They offer easy document sharing and access and a simple user interface (UI) that we think leads to a slightly better user experience since the Dropbox UI doesn’t have to deal with all of the complexity that often accompanies enterprise application requirements.

How They Stack Up on Key Features

• Document sharing – Box provides more robust user access privileges that can be useful for companies that want to enforce a strict file taxonomy (i.e., keep users from renaming files and folders) to manage their corporate documents and user permissions.
• Collaboration – If your company needs robust features for document collaboration in addition to Cloud storage, Dropbox leaves something to be desired since you can’t create, edit or simultaneously collaborate on shared documents.
• Multimedia file sharing – As I’ve already noted above, Box leaves something to be desired when it comes to photo and video sharing. If you find that you often need to share either, then Box might not be the right solution for you.
  
  

One of the chief reasons that Box beat out Dropbox on security considerations is that their data centers are SSAE 16 Type II compliant, which certifies the security of their servers is the standard for data centers that manage sensitive information. Beyond that, Box also offers industry-specific security compliance such as HIPAA compliance. Here’s a breakdown of the security features of each solution.


Do you use either solution for your business? Let us know what you like or dislike about each in the comments below.

With the spread of fibre optic connectivity throughout the world broadband internet is finally living up to its full potential. In many countries net users are lucky enough to have access to ultrafast fibre optic broadband with speeds of up to 1Gb, and even those places where full fibre is not yet available it’s still common to find home broadband services with speeds several times faster than basic ADSL.

This broadband speed boom has helped contribute to the explosive growth of cloud computing. At one time internet access was too slow and too unreliable to consider relying upon it for vital functions, but it’s now so universal that many of the tasks we use a computer for on a daily basis can be moved onto the cloud for greater convenience and flexibility.

Here are just a few ways to take advantage of the cloud with a superfast broadband link…

Backup your hard disk to the cloud

How many of you keep backups? Not enough of us have our vital files safeguarded and this can lead to disaster in the event of a hard drive failure, theft or loss.

External hard drives are now very affordable, and recommended as a quick way to backup your data, but you either need to remember to keep everything up to date or configure a software tool to do it for you. And an external drive is also vulnerable to theft and damage.

The cloud may be the answer to backup woes. For one thing, backup services (like the popular CrashPlan or Backblaze) are fire and forget solutions. Configure the software, and they’ll automatically upload the selected files and folders, ensuring that the remote copies are updated at the same time as the local files without any further input. And because it’s offsite, you don’t need to worry about the physical safety of your computer – even if everything was lost in a fire you could still recover the latest version of essential data. It is, essentially, secure cloud storage.

And if you have extremely important files, cloud backup can sit alongside external hard drives or other local backup solutions, covering all eventualities.

The downside is that uploading data to a cloud service can take some time if there’s a large amount of data, but this is less of a concern with the fast upstream speeds of superfast broadband.

Switch to cloud applications

There was a time when the idea of replacing Photoshop or MS Word with a web browser app would have been laughable, but this futuristic concept is now a reality.

Google Docs is the most famous example. With GDocs you get a free word processor, spreadshoot tool, PowerPoint-style presentation creator and even an online equivalent of MS Paint. Whatever you’re working on is constantly saved, so you can be confident that your files will still be there if the net goes down or your computer crashes. It also integrates seamlessly with Google Drive storage.

Not to be outdone, Microsoft has Office 365, which provides online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Unlike GDocs a subscription is required, but they’re far more powerful and better suited to professional use.

One impressive demonstration of a cloud app is Pixlr.com. This online image editor is surprisingly powerful, perfect for those who require something that’s more capable than MS Paint but without the high cost of Adobe Photoshop.

Host your own cloud storage server

As useful as the cloud can be, the reputation of cloud-based services (particularly those located in the US) has taken a hit recently with the revelation that the NSA is capable of monitoring just about anything you do online.

If you’re uncertain about trusting cloud storage providers an alternative to consider is using your superfast broadband to host your own server.

This doesn’t need to be complex. All the major manufacturers – including Western Digital, Buffalo and Iomega – offer network-connected hard drives with cloud functionality built in. They’re designed to be extremely simple to configure and use, and once setup in your home you can hide the drive in a cupboard or under the desk and remotely connect to upload and download your files or stream music and video.

Another option is ownCloud, which is installed on a computer (or web server) to transform it into a cloud storage service. This is a little more involved, but far more powerful and the end result resembles a customised Dropbox that you fully control. It doesn’t need an ultra powerful PC either, so you can cobble together a suitable system with a free Linux OS for very little.

Take your media online

Convenience is a big part of why cloud computing is so popular, and one of the best demonstrations of this is Google Music.

While Google Music does act as a competitor to both iTunes and Spotify, it also provides free storage for up to 20,000 of your own music files. These are uploaded from your computer with a simple application, and once completed you have instant access to your entire library over a web browser or smartphone, eliminating the need to store music locally. It also provides an easy backup of your music files!

A similar service is also now offered by Apple with iTunes, and Amazon’s Cloud music player. And startup Qvivo provides unlimited storage and streaming of both music and video.

But to take full advantage of that superfast connection, look no further than Plex. Once installed on your own computer (either a dedicated media server or any laptop or desktop) this application provides access to your music, TV shows and movies with a slick interface that’s designed for big screen viewing. Content can be streamed to smartphones, tablets and other computers both locally and remotely, and it’s supported by a wide range of streaming media players such as the Roku.

Using cloud storage is one of the easiest ways to create a dynamic and cooperative work environment. Unlike traditional storage devices, such as flash drives, external hard drives or the hard drives within computers, secure cloud storage can be accessed by employees without having to be connected to a network or having to sit at the computer on which the files are saved. Information on the cloud is both stored and accessed remotely.

Cloud computing is a form of information management system that relies on sharing resources, which facilitate communication within and outside the company as well as the protection of the organization data. Data management has become an essential part of a business and many universities have dedicated classes within their business programs for this. Colleges have even created online programs to help current managers and employees educate themselves further on the importance of this phenomenon. A master’s degree in Business Intelligence focuses on data mining, data warehousing and data-driven communication to help students select the perfect data solution, including cloud computing, for a company. Having this knowledge also helps companies face the threats that link to data management and be able to better manage the cloud computing aspect of it.

There are numerous cloud storage providers that have become remarkably successful for a comprehensive list. This is because a myriad of smaller companies are beginning to store much of their information on the cloud. Cloud storage is not just a trend, but is an ideal service for small businesses since it does not require email servers, a storage system or a costly network infrastructure for retrieving files. Most importantly of all, cloud storage increases employees’ ability to collaborate on projects. Here are five reasons why.

1. Better organization

Cloud storage keeps projects in one location. Employees can work together on them without having to attach an evolving document to a series of links in a massive email chain that can very quickly become difficult to manage. This not only leads to a more organized team, but one that is encouraged to work together due to the ease of accessing the project from the cloud.

2. More participation

By keeping all of your projects in one location to which all of your employees have access, even individuals who may not be working on a specific project can easily take a peek at it. If someone is having a bit of a mental block with something, another employee can take a look at the project and offer input without having to wait for an email – they can just access the document from the cloud.

3. Easier access to large files

Most email servers cannot send an attachment that is more than around 8 MB. Consequently, if your company deals with extremely large video or audio files, it can be very difficult to send them out to people who are not in the office without resorting to shipping a disc with the information saved on to it. Such delays can be more than just infuriating — they can lead to very dissatisfied clients. With cloud storage, there is no delay. Anyone working on the project can access the file or folder containing the information so long as they have an Internet connection. You can even use cloud storage to send these large documents to clients, which we cover in a previous post here.

4. Notifications in real time

When using cloud storage, a team can work a single project without having to be in the same room, let alone the same country. However, it is not just the cloud’s accessibility that makes it so important, but the fact the edits and updates to a project appear in real time. Instead of having five people emailing an evolving document back and forth to each other, the five are always looking at the same document on the cloud. No one will have to ask which version the team is supposed to be looking over ever again.

5. Brainstorming

Using cloud storage doesn’t have to be entirely about work. You can use the cloud to set up a place where employees can share videos, photos and documents. It could also be used as a kind of virtual water cooler. While such a forum may lend itself to some zaniness, it’s also possible the next big idea for your company may come from a few of your employees bouncing seemingly irrelevant ideas off one another within the cloud.

Has cloud storage increased collaboration in your business? Tell us how in the comments.