Work Folders and OneDrive: Which to opt in your Cloud Business? - MachSol Blog (2024)

With the huge acceptance of OneDrive in cloud business domain and more and more companies opting for it, it is important to know how is it different form Work Folders and if, perhaps, they are similar, why did Microsoft introduce Work folders in the first place? Let’s dig deep into it and find out various aspects of these two Microsoft Products.

Before we compare the features let’s get this straight: Work Folders was introduced as a sync client for file server whereas OneDrive is the sync client for SharePoint. So, Work Folders accesses data on multiple devices from file server whereas OneDrive for business will provide access to data from multiple devices from SharePoint.

Work Folders

Work Folders module was introduced for storing and accessing work files on PCs, laptops and other devices. The concept emerged with the growing trend of bring your-own-device (BYOD) in cloud business space. Work Folders module help organizations manage and control their data on centrally managed file servers. There is also the option of setting up user device policies and lock screen passwords for multiple employees who bring their own devices.

Deployment of Work Folders

The deployment of Work Folders can be done on any number of file servers within your environment. Hence, Work Folders implementation can be scaled according to need and growth within the environment. There are three options for enterprises: single-site deployment; in which file server is hosted inside a site within customer infrastructure, multiple-site deployment; in which file servers are hosted in multiple locations and hosted deployment; in which sync servers are to be deployed over an IaaS solution.

Business Applications

It provides a decent way of accessing user’s work by providing a single point of access. It also allows for accessing files and work documents while the user is offline and performs sync whenever the system is next connected to Internet. File classification and folder quotas are the existing file server management techniques in order to manage user data. For the provision of a high availability solution, Failover Clustering with Work Folders is used.

OneDrive benefits for Business

As mentioned earlier, One Drive for business is the sync client for SharePoint. It makes sharing and collaboration easier for SharePoint users.

Deployment of OneDrive for Business

There are many OneDrive benefits for business. OneDrive apps can be deployed using System Center Configuration Manager for OneDrive sync client. The latest sync client can be used with SharePoint 2019 but not the earlier versions. Deployment can also be done using Intune. There is a separate option of Network Utilization planning which can be set in order to use the sync client efficiently.

Business Applications

OneDrive is used for file sharing and handling. It connects files, lets you store the important work, and makes collaboration and sharing of files on multiple devices easier within the office space. All of the files are private by default. Sharing is even allowed to client outside of the company, depending on cloud business’s policy off course, through Office 365 while using OneDrive for Business.

To sum it all up, both the products are getting better with new releases. When making a choice between the two, it is important to know the back-end infrastructure of the two. It is necessary to understand both Work Folders and OneDrive for Business and go for the one which adds more value to your business.

MachPanel and Work Folders Module

The good news is: MachPanel now offers support for Work Folders and is it just exactly what your cloud business needs for better productivity and collaboration. MachPanel’s Work Folders module offers single server and clustered Work Folders deployments, Segregation among multiple customers’ work folders, showcasing, selling, packaging, and billing capabilities, all offerings for resellers, best-in-line automated provisioning, detailed management platform and easier Quota management. It also offers all the technical support like Config Sync from backend, detailed reports on usage and a unified portal for easier management.

Here’s your chance to avail the opportunity that comes with MachPanel Work Folders and discover what your cloud business can deliver with increasing revenue.

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