Google Drive or something else?

Google Drive doesn't mean you can use it in your car and expect to reach your destination. Yet it is a platform designed to allow users the ability to store and share documents with other users of their choice. One would say it is a form of cloud computing given the ability to access the documents anywhere there is Internet access. I would agree!

I began using the platform to test out its effectiveness and see if it could be used as an alternative for personal use compared to my external hard drive with cloud capabilities. I would like to have performed this comparison for my employer but given my line of work, security plays a major role and I can't say Google Drive is secure enough. So the comparison would be my own cloud on my network or Google Drive?

From my experience Google Drive shares some of same functionalities as other cloud platforms. The accessibility, storage, sharing, plus it's backed by Google. However a major flaw that I found to be counterproductive is the sharing of a document with editing capabilities that could occur simultaneously in real-time. Some would find that feature as being fantastic, I found it to be a headache. I couldn't tell if I were making a change or if the other user was. The program should remain simple where you upload and share or download. Plus for more storage space there is a fee.

With my own cloud, I purchased an external hard drive that allows me to access it via the Internet. So with any computer that has Internet I can access my storage, for free, any where I like. It does the same thing as any other cloud storage that is available except it's on my network. Therefore I own an control the documents and storage.

So which to choose, I would say it's a matter of preference. I prefer my external hard due to the fact of me owning the storage and knowing only my family can access it. It's password protected an provides an app to access the drive while on the go. Sharing documents is just as easy if not easier using my own personal storage versus Internet based.