There’s more to GroupDocs than online document storage. Saying that, we realize that one of the reasons that you’re interested in GroupDocs is the storage feature. So what’s document storage all about and what should you look for when choosing a online storage service?

1. Storage Space

The first thing to consider is what you want to store and how much space you’ll need. Documents differ in size and it can be difficult to estimate document sizes. For example, video and audio files are huge compared to text files. Look at War and Peace: as a simple TXT file is is 3.3MB in size. As an MP3 audio book, it is over 875MB. That’s 265 times the size. You probably already have documents of the type you want to store. Look at them and estimate:

• how many files you already have,
• their average size, and
• how many similar files you accumulate in a given time.

Many online document management contracts are for a year, so try to estimate the number of new files your create every month and multiply by 12. This gives you an idea of how your storage needs will grow and helps you decide how much space you need.

Think about archiving documents

Companies need to store a lot of files that would once have been saved on paper: contracts, invoices, letters and that kind of thing. Some of them have to be stored for a specific time. In the UK, companies have to save receipts, invoices and all other financial paper work for five years for tax reasons. In the US, it’s up to seven years, depending on a variety of factors. That doesn’t mean that you have to keep the documents on your document store for that time. Documents that you don’t need very often can be archived, that is removed from the online storage and saved to, for example, DVDs . It’s sensible to think about archiving when you’re calculating how much storage you need since a good archive strategy will periodically free up space.

2. Document Storage Cost

What are you willing to pay for online document storage? Does the file storage service you’re considering have a free account? Are there ways in which you can earn more free storage? Remember that archiving documents once you no longer need them is a good way of limiting the amount of file storage that you need to pay for.

3. Document Security

You need to know that your documents will be secure. That means that no one else should be able to access your documents unless you explicitly share them. It’s a good idea to do a web search for complaints about the storage platform you’re considering to see if there has been any security breaches recently.

4. Online File Storage Features

Is online file storage really all you want? Does the online storage you’re looking at offer any other features – integration with other services, conversion, easy sharing, signatures or assembly? Before picking a service, make sure that it offers all the features that you need. Changing platforms is not difficult but choosing an online storage solution is a little like buying a bookshelf. It’s not something you do every day so it is worth taking time to make the right decision. You want the service you chose to fit with the way you work now and in the future.

GroupDocs

GroupDocs offers a lot more than just file storage. The true value of GroupDocs is in the applications we offer:

• Document Conversion: convert between file formats so that you and your colleagues can work in the format that suits you best.
• GroupDocs Viewer: view any document, regardless of the format, print and embed an image of a page on your website.
• GroupDocs Signature: collate documents and arrange for them to be digitally signed.
• GroupDocs Comparison: see the differences between two documents.
• GroupDocs Annotation: comment and collaborate on a document whether you have the software it was created in.
• GroupDocs Assembly: add fields to templates and ask questions to create customized documents.

So that you can try it out, GroupDocs has a free starter account and different options for increasing your storage space and number of documents. GroupDocs is also a secure document storage platform. It has to be: we offer digital document signatures and they have to be secure. We make sure that all of your documents are secure and that only you and the people you share them with have access to them