Working Remotely with Horribly Slow Internet? Use Cloud File Sharing to Improve Performance

In the United States, an estimated 42 million workers can work from home. That’s about 29% of the entire workforce.

While the network infrastructure that makes up the internet's backbone probably won’t break, the residential and home networks will suffer. More devices connecting to the same Wi-Fi network and more families using the same residential cable or copper wire connections will lead to remote workers experiencing slower speeds.

When compared to a Virtual Private Network (VPN), cloud file sharing can reduce the lag and help employees remain productive from home.

Why VPN File Sharing Solutions Add Overheads to Organizations

VPNs enable remote access to company file servers by assigning a private, encrypted tunnel between the nodes via the internet. While these connections are secure, they have a variety of issues. When bandwidth is a problem, VPN will exacerbate the issue. Configuring a VPN is also a complex process and even with the best IT engineers, it takes up valuable time to troubleshoot user issues.

VPNs Reduce Network Speeds

Using a VPN will reduce network speeds. Legitimate VPN providers can reduce 5% to 6% of the regular internet speed or more depending on factors like high-level encryption and server location. If a user already faces problems with their bandwidth, they’ll struggle to remain productive from home. And if they have to increase their home connection speed to use the VPN, it’ll increase their internet costs.

Limited Number of Concurrent Connections

The number of users capable of connecting to the company network via a VPN is limited. Increasing the number of simultaneous connections could increase licensing costs for the firm. If more users connect, they’ll be routed through the same server, and this will further negatively affect the bandwidth available.

How Cloud File Sharing for Business Helps Staff Remain Productive

Cloud file sharing is a VPN alternative that provides the same capabilities without the headaches. It simplifies the process without compromising on data security.

Cloud sharing solutions like CentreStack doesn’t reduce bandwidth when accessing files from a remote location. Using a cloud storage and sharing solution, companies can scale their remote working capabilities without increasing their attack surface or compromising information security.

Considering that 15.7% of Americans experience internet connectivity issues every day, having a robust and reliable remote access system is vital for employee productivity. For companies who need to implement a cloud file sharing solution quickly, CentreStack can help them establish a scalable and reliable platform for all their remote working needs.

How CentreStack Cloud File Server Improves Performance and Reduces Bandwidth

Cloud deployments are attractive for companies as physical infrastructure remains expensive. When using a cloud storage provider, the solution usually comes with elastic provisioning capabilities. This way, the company only pays for the resources they consume on the platform. Compared to bare metal, on-premises servers that often have untapped capacity available, public cloud services can sometimes be more cost-effective.

But most companies already have an on-premises deployment that’s capable of handling the demand from its workforce. Moving all operations to the cloud isn’t always feasible under these circumstances. Opting for a hybrid deployment gives organizations the flexibility to utilize their built-up digital technology stacks while migrating some resources as required.

CentreStack can help organizations improve their remote work and cloud file-sharing capabilities in any of these scenarios. Here are the primary benefits of using CentreStack as a cloud-deployment and sharing solution.

1. Leverages Existing Security and Network Infrastructure

As more companies need employees to remain productive from home, now is not the time to implement brand new processes and unfamiliar IT systems. The employees will require training, and it will overburden the IT staff.

CentreStack leverages the existing network and security infrastructure to make deployment quick and easy. It integrates with the Active Directory (AD) and NTFS permissions to map the drives on company servers to the users who need access.

2. Increases Remote Access Capabilities

CentreStack cloud file servers extend the company’s remote access capabilities by replicating on-premises servers or migrating file servers for cloud-only deployment. The company can decide whether to deploy servers, drives, folders, or files to the cloud. All information is accessible from any connected device, using the employee’s credentials and access rights.

3. Reduces Bandwidth Consumption

In Direct Access mode, CentreStack saves bandwidth by synchronizing all information on-demand, caching information locally, and compressing data during transmission. If employees experience internet speeds that make VPN connections untenable, CentreStack won’t suffer similar lags. Companies have the freedom to synch only the files every employee needs.

4. Improves and Centralizes Data Management and Collaboration

With CentreStack, firms can consolidate their cloud datasets into a manageable folder structure and make it readily available to their resources as required. They can replace their shared cloud folders from Dropbox and others with CentreStack shared folders while granting access using their normal, corporate information security policies. If the company needs to give clients access to a specific folder, CentreStack can generate publicly accessible links with expiration dates included.

Improve Remote Working Capabilities with CentreStack Cloud File Server

For companies that need a cloud file sharing solution to enable its remote workforce, CentreStack is a cost-effective and versatile platform that can accommodate any strategy. As work from home is now an essential capability that every business should have, using CentreStack gives them the flexibility they need without compromising data security.