OneDrive vs. Google Drive — Where they both break down
There are a few areas to be wary of when it comes to cloud storage platforms like OneDrive and Google Drive:
- Your IT team inadvertently damages institutional memory and loses company IP: Because such cloud-storage platforms are mainly geared towards users, and not the asset library, it’s easy to lose content. For example, when an employee leaves the company, unless you have a good offboarding strategy (highly recommended), years of work can be deleted overnight with no way to recover the files once a certain amount of time has passed.
- You can’t share content as easily as you’d imagined: Anyone who has ever used a file storage platform at an organization will know what we’re talking about. You click “Anyone with the link at my organization” can access the file, yet you still receive emails from your colleagues saying they don’t have access. And this problem is only compounded when it comes to sharing content externally via Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
- You don’t have enough control over the content metadata: A cloud file storage platform like OneDrive or Google Drive gives you little control over asset metadata. Unlike digital asset management (DAM), cloud storage platforms don’t let you control business-specific metadata on your content. OneDrive, Google Drive, and similar platforms excel at enabling users to create content, but not store it in an organized way.
Storage and Pricing OneDrive vs. Google Drive for Businesses
Pricing for cloud storage can change, so it’s best to consult the company’s pricing page for the most recent updates rather than rely on a detailed cost breakdown you’ll find on blogs throughout the internet. What’s good to know is that price is usually broken down not only by storage amount needed but also by the number of users needed.
Additionally, you’ll want to check out each provider’s security features, as well as the uptime, backups, retention, and discovery capabilities.
OneDrive, Google Drive, and DAM: Better together
No matter if you’re using Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive, for successful enterprise-wide usage you’ll need to have adequate permissions, folder naming structures, and a clear understanding of the needs of your team members. Some businesses struggle to share content with external partners due to permissions on these platforms. Keep that in mind when setting up the administrative permissions when you launch either product at your company.
Where DAM (digital asset management) fits in best is managing your final produced pieces. DAM systems like Bynder’s have a preview of each asset when you log into the library, where it is also possible to filter on metadata, like department or business unit. Your company can further customize the Bynder library and include more detailed filters, like B-roll footage, or anything else your company desires and requires.
By consolidating all digital assets in a single portal and giving access only to the most recent version, a DAM platform ensures a unified brand experience both internally and externally, maintaining brand equity across all digital touchpoints.
TLDR: Use a cloud storage platform like OneDrive or Google Drive to create content, and a DAM platform like Bynder to retain an organized library of content for use and reuse across your company.
Check out what the Bynder community is saying about DAM versus cloud storage applications like OneDrive and Google Drive.
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