Egnyte is an exciting company and product, and it’s one we use here at Zincubate/Atilus. We have plans to provide full reviews for Egnyte in the future. Egnyte is simply “business cloud storage” or “enterprise cloud storage.” But, this preliminary article will start with a few basics namely – what is “the Cloud” and what is “Cloud Storage?”
What is “The Cloud?”
As a small business you’ve probably heard this phrase a lot lately. It’s actually a very old concept, in some ways as old as computers/networks themselves. For the purposes of this review, and for your own understanding “the Cloud” refers to where the actual stuff you’re storing (in this case your business’ files) and how it’s being stored.
The Cloud is a combination of any number of servers and networks, all connected, on the web. You are not storing your files locally – on your computer, or on a sever in your office – you’re storing it on a services (Egnyte) servers. As your needs for file storage increase – scaling is a simple matter – the service simply opens up more space to you.
What is Cloud Storage?
Cloud storage means storing your files on a server that is not in your office – a server that can be accessed from anywhere in the world (depending on how you set things up).
Why Cloud Storage?
This is my favorite part – in part Zincubate was set up because of this change in particular in computing. Cloud computing/SAAS (software as a service) is revolutionizing our ability as business owners to maximize every dollar, allowing us to do more – with less. Previously to setup a server in your office, it would cost thousands (if not tens of thousands) to setup (and make sure it was backed up!).
You’d need a computer (ideally an actual server meant to handle multiple requests/constant uptime), a server operating system, a network, and then of course storage and an IT person to set it all up (and maintain it!).
A lot…
With cloud storage services like egnyte, you can now be set up with a HUGE amount of storage, accessible to everyone at your company (no matter where in the world they are) within a matter of minutes. All for about $1/day (in some cases less – in some cases more – depending on features and storage space).
Here’s a bulleted list of why cloud storage is so great:
Less Expensive
Accessible Everywhere (anywhere with a computer)
No Constant Management
Synched Between Computers
Constantly Backed-Up
No IT Costs, No Recurring Maintenance Costs
Security
Sophisticated (Yet Simple) User Controls