[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Changes to OneDrive
One Drive has announced it will be changing the amount of free storage it offers, as well as the discontinuation of the 15 GB camera roll bonus. Below is a message from the OneDrive team on more details about the upcoming changes, what they mean for you, and how you can learn more:
"We want to let you know about some upcoming changes to OneDrive. On August 10, 2016, the amount of storage that comes with OneDrive will change from 15 GB to 5 GB. We are also discontinuing the 15 GB camera roll bonus. You can learn more at our FAQ.
If you'd like to check your account, you can visit the Storage page.
We realize these are big changes to a service you rely on. We want to apologize for any inconvenience they may cause you. We made a difficult decision, but it's one that will let us sustainably operate OneDrive into the future.
Thank you for using OneDrive.
– The OneDrive Team"
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
AWS offers guidance for trusted cloud connections
As written by Stephanie Kanowitz on gcn.com
A new resource is available to help agencies develop Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) architectures in the cloud.
So far, the capabilities of TIC, an Office of Management and Budget mandate to reduce the number of network gateways on federal networks and route external connections through approved government agencies -- TIC Access Providers or Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Services -- are not available in the cloud.
But Amazon Web Services’ “Guidance for TIC Readiness on AWS,” released Feb. 3, details ways that agencies could develop TIC-ready architectures on the AWS cloud, rather than routing traffic through a TICAP or MTIPS, which can slow connections and cause constraints on a the network. The guidance, based on results of a pilot program, addresses how agencies can directly access applications running in a TIC-ready cloud on a Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program moderate baseline.
The guidance highlights two areas: common connection scenarios with a TIC overlay and AWS capabilities and features that help with TIC compliance. The scenarios include a use case involving authenticated web and mobile applications in an “all in cloud” deployment, such as the General Services Administration’s GSA Advantage, which is a public website with authentication requirements.
“In this architecture, an [Internet gateway] provides Internet connectivity to two or more customer-defined public subnets across multiple Availability Zones in the [virtual private cloud],” the guidance states. “An [Elastic Load Balancing] load balancer is placed in these public subnets. A web-tier is configured within an Auto Scaling group, leveraging the ELB load balancer to provide a continuously available web front end. This web tier securely communicates with other backend resources, most notably the backend identity store used for role-based authentication.”
Another scenario involves public web and mobile applications requiring authentication and operating in hybrid environments. This means a portion of the environment is situated onsite in a data center. Users can access these applications from home or via public Wi-Fi or agency networks using either personal or government-issued devices.
In this case, part of the application architecture resides in the cloud while the other -- often sensitive-data sources -- reside in a data center. “Connectivity between the in-cloud portions of the application and the controlled, on-premises components is achieved using AWS Direct Connect or virtual-private network service in conjunction with a TICAP or Managed Trusted IP Service provider,” the guidance states. “In this way, data flow between the customer’s in-cloud and on-premises services are seen by the TIC.”
The second aspect of the guide discusses the capabilities and features available to achieve TIC compliance in the cloud. It includes AWS Identity and Access Management, which is a web service that enables IT departments to manage multiple users, groups, roles and permissions for AWS offerings such as the Amazon Relational Database Service.
Amazon CloudWatch is another on the guide’s list. It’s a monitoring service for AWS cloud resources and the applications that run on them. It can collect and track metrics, monitor log files and set alarms, providing systemwide visibility into resource use, application performance and operational health, the guidance states.
Other capabilities and features include:
-
Amazon Simple Storage Service, a scalable distributed object store that stores objects redundantly on multiple devices and at multiple facilities.
-
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, a web service that enables resizable compute capacity in the cloud.
-
Amazon Config, a managed service that provides an AWS inventory and configuration history and sends configuration change notices.
Amazon issued the guidance after completing the testing phase of the FedRAMP-TIC Overlay pilot. The program started in May 2015 as a way to research an approach that would address agencies’ need for fast and secure connections. Currently, mobile users connect to an agency, which connects to a FedRAMP-approved cloud provider via TICAPS or MTIPS. In the future, mobile users would connect with a FedRAMP-approved cloud that is also TIC-compliant, and that cloud would then connect with an agency via the trusted providers.
Amazon worked with Homeland Security Department and FedRAMP officials on the testing.
Rendering the final verdict on which cloud storage provider is superior is no less than a Herculean task. Although the storage industry has witnessed just a few winters, the competition among the leading cloud storage providers appears to be quite intense. Over the last few years, users have seen commendable improvements and innovations in the storage industry, and who can forget about the famous price war?
Much has been said and discussed about the features and functionalities of two leading cloud storage programs, namely, Box and OneDrive. So we have come up with an unbiased comparison of these two leading products that can render an insight to users to cast their vote in favor of the one that best suits their requirements.
Box
Unveiling its cloud storage and sharing platform back in 2005, Box has become highly popular among businesses. Embellished with robust security provisions and lavish and business-oriented features, it is one of the top choices among businesses to store and share files and folders.
OneDrive
With several constant improvisations such as the January 2015 update of iOS for business integration, OneDrive has become an attractive service for both individuals and business-purpose users.
Let’s look at how they stand against each other on the following parameters.
Security
With the ever-escalating cases of phishing scams, data security is one of the prime concerns of Internet users. Whether it’s personal or business data, it is vitally important to maintain privacy and security.
Box
Box has 256-bit AES encryption for all the files uploaded to it. With Box, you have the ability to decide who can access or view your specific files or folders, and simultaneously, it also allows you the freedom to edit and upload the files. If you like to safeguard your files even further, you can protect them by creating passwords. Box is HIPAA compliant and certified for EU and Swiss Safe Harbor frameworks for the use of personal data from European member countries.
OneDrive
The transferring data is SSL encrypted. It scans all the files for “objectionable content” that sometimes may lead to deletion of your account or data. OneDrive offers two-step verification that further protects the log-in via text message or One Time Code app.
Additionally, it features e-discovery and data preservation, audit reporting capabilities, and compliance with high-level industry standards such as HIPAA, FISMA, BAA, and EU model clauses. With OneDrive for business, you can set the custom permission level for users in your company and add it to existing lists available while OneDrive personal allows you only to edit or read.
Usability
The user-friendliness of a product or service matters a lot, and the lack of it can repulse customers. So, which is more user-friendly – Box or OneDrive?
Box
In Box, anyone can create an account free of cost. The interface is pretty simple, and the “Make available” option is a great feature to store your data offline.
However, if you have multiple accounts, you cannot switch from one platform to another unless you log out and log in again. Also, the sharing and privacy features are built very much along business and IT lines and are a bit confusing.
Last year, it introduced a new mobile web interface that helps users take advantage of the same interface and navigation that Box mobile apps offer without the need to install the app on your mobile. It also added an HTML5 document-previewing feature that makes sharing your content effortless, even on the go.
OneDrive
The interface is quite simple, and the learning curve is almost zero. Something that may annoy customers is that once you sign in, you find yourself forced to use other Microsoft features such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote Online, Office Online, and Outlook, among others. But when it comes to sharing, OneDrive renders an easy and enriched user experience. You can conveniently share the files and folders either via email or the links generated for that purpose. Administering OneDrive for business is easy, especially if you are an Office 365 user, as it can be done from the admin portal itself. You can access it from anywhere, manage users and settings, control your storage, and most importantly, you can easily mix OneDrive for business with your on-premise solutions in the cloud. This clearly reflects Microsoft’s competitive positioning over other storage competitors, that is, serving the needs of companies that want to move to cloud storage for file storage and sharing but still would like to keep their on-premise infrastructure untouched.
Pricing
Although customers look for elegant and lavish features, price remains one of the chief concerns. Here, which service is more competitive in terms of pricing, Box or OneDrive?
Box
Box offers 10 GB of free space with a limit of 250 MB file size. The limited file size appears to be forcibly pushing the customer to the “Personal Pro” service at $10 per month, which provides 100 GB space with file size going up to 5 GB. However, the file size of 5 GB appears to be quite meager compared to the other providers. Box for business comes at a price of $17 per user per month, which allows content collaboration and user management for up to three users with a file size limit of 5GB. However, for large-scale user deployments, it offers customized pricing that comes under the Enterprise storage plan.
OneDrive
You get 15 GB free space with OneDrive. Office 365 users get 1TB of storage space that comes at a price of $6.99/month. There is a referral policy in place as well, which can help you get an extra 5GB free space if you refer upto 10 friends. Earlier, it had a 2 GB file size limit for sharing, which has been increased to 10GB size file support limit. OneDrive for business comes at a price of $5 per user per month with 1TB of storage space. It includes Office Online, which comes with a free trial, so you can always test it out first to see if it fits your bill. Last year, Microsoft announced it would offer unlimited storage space for Office 365 users starting sometime in 2015, which will keep them well ahead of Box.
Box for office 365
Several months ago BOX has released the new BOX for Office. Box goal was to make it as simple as possible for everyone to open, edit, save and share any file from BOX. That release enabled to save attachments from incoming mail to a folder in BOX, to insert links to files already stored on BOX, and to automatically turn attachments into BOX shared links. Two days ago, Box have announced it is joining the Microsoft Cloud Storage Partner Program. Box now will support native integrations with with Office for iPad, iPhone and online. This extends Box reach of existing integration with office. Box is taking an important step toward a more open future. This will be updated soon with also making office 365 on the web available later this year.
