Did you know, as many as 1.8 billion people in 2017 used personal cloud storage to synchronize their files and manage their docs? Once more, this statistic is predicted to grow to as much as 2.309 billion in 2020.
That’s a lot of people!
With this stat in mind, it makes us beg the question, why are file syncing solutions so popular? What are its benefits? How could this software help you and your business?
Luckily for you, we’re going to explore exactly that here in this article. Let’s dive in!
Keep a Backup Copy of Your Docs
Most file syncing software backs up your files to the cloud. This ensures that they’re kept safe in the unfortunate event that anything happens to your device.
Let’s take Dropbox for instance, as soon as you upload any docs into your Dropbox file; they’ll automatically send them to their company's servers which then produces you with a backup.
It really is as simple as that.
As you can see, file syncing software provides a much quicker and safer solution than backing up your files and folders to flash drives (which let's face it, are pretty easy to lose!)
Keep Files Up to Date
One of the best things about file syncing software is that they immediately sync any edits you (or your team) make to your docs- no matter what device you’re using.
This is a fantastic feature if you have more than one person working on the same doc namely because it eliminates the need to go through screeds of email attachments to locate the most up to date copy.
In fact, Dropbox utilizes an inventive technique to conduct file synchronization. This is better known as block-level file copying. In layman's terms, this enables Dropbox only to copy specific bits of the doc that you (or your coworkers) have modified.
Unsurprisingly, the first time you have to wait to upload a file to be synced will take the longest. However, after that, each time you make edits, the updated version is made available near-on immediately.
Image credits: Shutterstock
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Privacy
Most popular file syncing programs enable you (the owner of the document) to give specific people access to your files and folders. More importantly, you can also revoke that same access. This works wonders for helping you keep sensitive documents private.
On the whole, you can usually share docs and files with your team either via an email or with a direct link.
If you opt to use a link to share your docs, anyone with the link can access and modify the file or folder. However, if you want to revoke that access, you have the option to disable the connection manually- that way, the recipient can no longer see or edit those documents.
Some file syncing programs even allow you to password protect your docs (to ensure an additional level of security). As such, only those aware of the password can access the files.
Plus, depending on the specific software you use, you may also be able to set an expiration date on the link you sent to share your docs. Therefore, after a certain period of time the link that permits access to your files stops working, so the recipient can no longer view the material.
However, as you go about finding the right file syncing solution for you, you'll need to note that not all solutions offer these additional security features. Not to mention, industry leaders who provide these extras, often charge additional monthly fees to access these supplementary layers of security. Although this might seem cheeky, the costs are usually incredibly reasonable and it’s a small price to pay to keep your client's data safe.
Also, if you're dealing with incredibly sensitive data, say, for example, personal healthcare records, financial details, home addresses, etc. Most of the popular file-syncing software on the market isn't secure enough- namely because these companies keep control of your encryption keys. As such, if you're working in a niche where you're handling this kind of data, you're better off with a zero-knowledge cloud storage list or encrypting the files yourself.
Image credits: Shutterstock
Top Tip
Before spending your hard earned cash on funding a paid file syncing software, make the most of any free storage on offer. This is a great opportunity to evaluate whether the program is a good fit for you.
Final Thoughts
We hope that having read this article you now have a better idea of why file syncing software is so popular. In short, these kinds of solutions enable the user to do the following:
- Keep safe backups of their data
- Access to the most up to date copy of their docs
- Help them keep sensitive files confidential
Have you got any experience with this kind of file syncing software? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the subject in the comments box below. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
This is a sponsored post for Dropbox. All opinions are my own. Dropbox is not affiliated with nor endorses any other products or services mentioned.
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