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Study: More Orgs Favor OneDrive over Other Cloud Storage

Businesses in all size categories are more likely to use Microsoft OneDrive as their cloud storage service than rivals like Google Drive, Amazon Drive and Apple iCloud.

That's one of the findings of a recent 2018 Spiceworks survey of more than 500 IT decision makers in organizations across North America and Europe.

The researchers found OneDrive to be the most popular cloud storage service overall, with 51 percent of businesses using it and another 10 percent planning to deploy within the next two years.

Coming in second and third, respectively, were Google Drive (34 percent using it and 2 percent planning to deploy within two years) and Dropbox (34 percent using, 3 percent planning).

According to the study, OneDrive's usage rate was consistently No. 1 regardless of company size. Here's the breakdown:

  • Enterprises (1,000+ employees): OneDrive (59 percent adoption), Google Drive (29 percent), Dropbox (25 percent)
  • Midsize Businesses (100-999 employees): OneDrive (54 percent), Dropbox (35 percent), Google Drive (33 percent)
  • Small Businesses (1-99 employees): OneDrive (47 percent), Google Drive (39 percent), Dropbox (34 percent)

Other findings include:

  • Most Popular "Unsanctioned" Cloud Storage Service: Dropbox (54 percent), Google Drive (43 percent), Apple iCloud Drive (27 percent)
  • Top 5 Factors To Consider When Selecting a Cloud Storage Service: Security (97 percent), Reliability (96 percent), Ease of Use (93 percent), Cost (93 percent), Trusted Vendor/Reputation (89 percent)

Although cloud storage services have gained in popularity recently, according to the Spiceworks data, IT pros still have concerns about security. According to the survey, 12 percent discourage the use of cloud file sharing services, while 10 percent block them completely.

Almost two-thirds (64 percent) feel data is secure to extremely secure on a cloud storage service, while 25 percent believe the complete opposite.

About the Author

Wendy Hernandez is group managing editor for the 1105 Enterprise Computing Group.

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