Reasons to move File Server to SharePoint

Read time 7 minutes

Are you planning to traditional file servers and move to SharePoint Online? If it is so, make sure you know what you can expect from this move. A bit of planning and understanding of the new platform will benefit your organization.

A simple File Server, as used earlier, may be the right choice for any small business, but when you talk about big enterprises, it’s not what can fulfil their demands. They need a platform that provides extensive storage, more structured document management, and better collaboration with the team. This is what makes SharePoint a suitable choice for enterprises because of its efficiency, scalability, and ease of use.

Compelling reasons to move to SharePoint from File Servers

File servers were traditionally used by organizations to store a variety of data, including files, documents, and media. These servers’ user-friendly interface and straightforward operation made them appealing, even to large-scale enterprises. Despite the advent of advanced file-sharing and collaboration tools, file servers remain popular among both regular users and organizations. However, evolving business needs and emerging demands are prompting a search for platforms offering enhanced features and capabilities.

SharePoint (on-premises and online) stands out as one of the most suitable and efficient alternatives to File Servers. However, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the available options and their features before fully transitioning to a new setting is advisable. In assisting users with this, we’ll delve into SharePoint, a relatively recent platform offered in both on-premises and online versions.

While SharePoint is increasingly becoming the favored choice for transitioning from traditional file servers, it’s essential to recognize that SharePoint and file servers are fundamentally distinct platforms. It wouldn’t be accurate to view SharePoint merely as a substitute for file servers; rather, it represents an entirely fresh platform designed to fulfill sharing and collaboration needs across various enterprise landscapes.

We’ll explore distinctions between file servers and SharePoint to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of both platforms. This knowledge will empower you to make an informed decision when considering a switch from file servers to SharePoint.

• Availability from anywhere
  SharePoint offers hybrid and cloud deployment choices, enabling organizations to provide users with data access regardless of location. Additionally, SharePoint and its related applications are mobile-friendly, further enhancing accessibility. Consequently, SharePoint facilitates on-the-go work for its users, a crucial necessity for fostering efficient collaborations, especially for multinational corporations with a global presence.

  In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, wherein remote work became a ubiquitous practice with employees relocating their workstations to their homes, the importance for accessibility from any location has emerged as a fundamental need for nearly every organization. Consequently, SharePoint has unquestionably risen as a contemporary solution that aptly caters to the demands of today’s workplace settings.

• Centralized access
  SharePoint effectively addresses a common issue encountered in traditional file server environments – the proliferation of duplicate copies of a document scattered across various locations. It accomplishes this by centralizing document storage, enabling universal access for all users. Within SharePoint, users can seamlessly engage in activities such as document creation, sharing, and editing without the complications of managing multiple redundant copies of the same document. In essence, multiple users can access and collaborate on the same document from various locations.
• Versioning
  SharePoint retains previous document versions even after modifications, ensuring that the latest version remains accessible to all users. Consequently, it becomes feasible to restore previous iterations as required, allowing for effortless reversal of any document changes. This version control feature not only minimizes confusion but also simplifies the process of reverting a document to its prior, unedited state.
• Check in/Check out
  SharePoint’s Check In/Check Out functionality effectively manages document editing by ensuring orderly access, even when multiple users collaborate on the same file. It guarantees that only one user can edit the document at any given moment. As users take their turns to edit, it preserves the work contributed by others, ensuring that all users have access to the latest version of the document, inclusive of all collaborative changes.
• OneDrive
  OneDrive stands out as the sole entity that emulates the functionality of a traditional file server. OneDrive a file server, but it also provides advanced collaboration and sharing capabilities. Its files and folders, mirroring the behavior of a conventional file server. While it’s not the recommended practice, users can create folders and subfolders within OneDrive, much like they would on a file server. Furthermore, it allows for the direct uploading and downloading of files and folders between the file server and SharePoint. For a seamless and uninterrupted file transfer experience between file servers and OneDrive, synchronize OneDrive with a local system.
• Metadata
  File servers provide a restricted set of metadata options, such as Date Modified, Type, Size, and so on. In contrast, SharePoint offers the flexibility to tailor metadata to specific requirements, even accommodating custom metadata. This SharePoint ability simplifies the task of organizing and sorting data.
• Powerful search
  The search features in SharePoint are more powerful than those in Windows. In Windows, it may take hours to search and find a specific file from its location. But in SharePoint, you can do it in seconds.
• Compliance features
  SharePoint offers a superior data security environment compared to traditional file servers. While file servers typically grant users significant control over their data, SharePoint allows for centralized control, enabling administrators to manage access and permissions at higher levels, such as Document Libraries, in alignment with specific job roles and requirements. As a result, achieving compliance with both regulatory and organizational standards becomes a straightforward process within the SharePoint framework.
• Better integration with Microsoft products
  SharePoint provides enhanced compatibility with various Microsoft products and services, encompassing Office 365, OneDrive, MS Office, Teams, Yammer, and more. Additionally, SharePoint offers a cloud-based iteration known as SharePoint Online, which can be utilized independently or as an integral component of Office 365. The deployment choices for SharePoint encompass on-premises, cloud-based subscriptions, or hybrid configurations, offering flexibility based on your specific needs. In contrast, file servers offer comparatively fewer deployment alternatives.

Certainly. numerous enterprises are currently embracing SharePoint, following a prevailing trend. However, it’s important to recognize that this adoption may not be universally applicable. SharePoint represents a modern solution for facilitating collaboration and managing content. Therefore, you should only consider implementing SharePoint if your organization stands to gain from its collaborative and content management capabilities.

But with the prevalence of remote working and work-from-home culture, the chances are high that your organization can also tap its potential by adopting SharePoint.

One significant challenge in embracing SharePoint is the limited awareness of effective tools for migrating from file servers to SharePoint while meeting nearly all the necessary criteria. The Kernel Migration for SharePoint stands out as an exceptional solution for SharePoint migration. It simplifies the process of transferring data from file servers to SharePoint, surmounting the obstacles associated with this transition. This tool offers seamless migration from both file servers and remote servers to all versions of SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online. Its array of features, including pre-migration analysis, advanced filtering, metadata migration, comprehensive reporting, and more, ensures that smooth migration of essential data at your convenience. File server to SharePoint migration using is moreover easy.

Conclusion

Before you migrate File Server to SharePoint, it’s essential to comprehend the intricacies of SharePoint to determine what does your organization gain from this transition. It is advisable to craft a quick checklist for SharePoint migration to ensure that all crucial aspects are considered. Once you’re sure whether to move file server to SharePoint, you can streamline the process with a professional solution such as “Kernel Migration for SharePoint”. This tool extends support to migrate to all versions of SharePoint, including both on-premises iterations and SharePoint Online.