Clash of the Titans: Mobile Cloud Storage Services in Printing and Beyond

Back in 1981, a fantasy adventure movie about Titans was the eleventh highest-grossing film of the year. Fast forward to today, we watch the battles and clashes between the IT giants who provide us with cloud storage to keep our data, videos, and photos that we don’t need to print immediately. Perhaps, our real-life IT evolution is worthy of first place in the list of the most exciting action movies. Shall we see what happens next?

Google Drive and iCloud are two major cloud storage services that offer convenient access to files from various iOS and Android devices, as well as important backup measures in case of hardware failures. However, these platforms have notable differences in terms of accessibility, free storage, and overall convenience.

Benefits of Cloud Documents:

You can access files anywhere.	Files are automatically saved to the cloud.	You can view the version history.
You can create content anywhere! Save your work as cloud documents and access it on any device with installed software solutions.	You’ll never lose unsaved edits again—they’re saved automatically. Cloud documents are saved faster than documents on the device.	View different versions of a cloud document or manage them right in the app. Thanks to automatic saving, previous versions are always available to you!

When we discuss the disparities between the Apple and Android operating systems, numerous similarities can be identified in terms of their feature sets, and functionalities. Nevertheless, significant distinctions arise in the realm of cloud storage, particularly concerning customer service and pricing.

Accessibility from Your Devices

Google Drive is a versatile and cost-effective cloud storage solution that caters to a wide range of users. It offers user-friendly applications for desktops, iOS, and Android, ensuring seamless accessibility across various devices. With its clean interface and smooth integration with other storage and email providers, Google Drive stands out as a hassle-free option.

One of the standout features of Google Drive is its extensive range of storage and productivity capabilities. While primarily serving as a repository for files and documents, a Google Drive account unlocks access to additional resources such as Gmail storage, and photo storage.

Collaboration and teamwork thrive on Google Drive. Its flexible sharing options empower users to easily collaborate with others by granting them access to specific files, documents, or sheets. This allows for seamless viewing and editing by multiple parties, enhancing productivity and fostering collaboration. 

Additionally, Google Drive’s support for third-party programs and settings sets it apart from other providers. If you use Chrome as your primary web browser, the service becomes even more convenient since you remain logged into your account at all times. Google Drive supports all platforms and offers synchronization with third-party programs, providing an enhanced experience for desktop users.

The delight of iCloud is built into all Apple gadgets by default, and one of its big bonuses is the automatic synchronization of any content from any device from the Apple product line. And if you are not a great fan of Apple, feel free to ask your “Apple addict” friend to show you how backup and synchronization are performed on these devices. 

Another indisputable advantage of iCloud is its intuitive interface, convenient and easy to use, transfer or share files. iCloud is readily available on Apple devices, while Windows users can download the sync program to access their files on a PC.

Ease of Use

Apple integrates its app into devices running iOS or macOS by default. Google Drive, on the other hand, is optimized for cloud backup and is available on all operating systems, offering seamless access and file upload to the cloud. Due to its wide availability and smooth performance across platforms, Google Drive offers more convenience.

Available Features

Apple’s web app allows you to manage files, upload and download content, share documents, and view photos. Additionally, the app provides access to iWork, enabling easy document creation and editing through the browser

Google Drive also offers a web app with intuitive controls for folder management from any browser. It includes tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides. What other functionalities does Google Drive offer? One example is the ability to scan printed documents. To do this, simply align your device’s camera with a sheet of paper, and the system will scan it, converting the document into a digital format accessible on your device. However, there are occasional issues with file synchronization. Although this doesn’t happen frequently, it can still cause some trouble. Therefore, we recommend periodically monitoring the synchronization process if you use Google Drive.

“We have the capability to create a solution by seamlessly integrating multiple external tools together. With the help of a built-in plugin, the system can effortlessly compile the generated data and transform it into professionally formatted PDFs suitable for printing. Additionally, by integrating with mail services, we can efficiently manage the logistics and delivery of printed documents to different destinations as required”, – said Mike Ershov, Delivery Director of First Line Software.

Free Storage

Apple Cloud offers 5 GB of free storage per user. However, this amount can quickly fill up with just one iOS system backup and a few hundred high-resolution photos. Apple has maintained this baseline since 2011. The good news is that to conserve storage space on your iCloud device, original photos are automatically stored on iCloud while only lightweight copies remain on your smartphone or tablet. If you urgently require the original photos, you can always download them to your device. Shared albums provide a convenient way to share your photos with friends and colleagues. Simply select specific people who will have access to these albums. 

On the other hand, Google Drive provides 15 GB of cloud storage for free storage, significantly more than Apple’s offering. Online documents created using Google Drive consume minimal space, allowing you to save and print thousands of documents without using up much storage. With efficient management, Google Drive will last much longer without having to upgrade for more storage.

Security

Google Drive has three modes of access: available only by invitation, available to anyone with a link, and visible to the entire Internet. In 2018, the mode of accessing a file by link played a cruel joke on Google. Many thousands of user files, including lists of logins with passwords, turned out to be freely available. Google quickly resolved the issue.

All the equipment necessary for the operation of services, Google keeps under control. For the safety of information, Google uses several processing centers between which data is distributed. To protect the transfer of information, the company has developed a multi-level security system, including the HTTPS and TLS protocols.

Google also offers two-factor authentication, enabling you to choose from SMS, notification to the phone, or a key on a physical medium. The Physical Key Authentication is used as part of the Advanced Security Program. Google offers it to journalists, businessmen, writers, politicians – anyone whose information is of particular interest. You do not need to pay to become a member of the program, but you will have to buy keys.

Google also guarantees that the state will not gain access to information without legal grounds. If the purpose is not clear from the request or it is made with violations, then the company denies access.

iCloud, like Google, also has a high-profile security history. In August 2014, hackers “indexed” and made more than 200 private photos of celebrities publicly available. Apple has pleaded not guilty to the incident and said that these people did not pay enough attention to security. In particular, the service recommended that everyone use two-factor authentication.

For some types of sensitive information, iCloud uses end-to-end encryption. This data includes Wi-Fi passwords, billing information, Siri, and more. The data is encrypted with a key generated from information unique to each device. No one other than the user owns this key and cannot read or access the data. Although this does not apply to all files that you upload to the vault, it does increase the overall level of security. In 2020, Apple announced that it was phasing out plans to introduce end-to-end data encryption in iCloud storage. 

What Should You Choose?

So which service should you choose for cloud storage? The answer to this question depends on your specific use case preferences and the financial capabilities of the user. If you want to expand your options and want to know if other cloud storage software might be right for you, contact us here.