Ah, the age-old question: is SharePoint the same as OneDrive? As a ABQ managed IT service provider, we can confidently say that no, they are not the same thing.
Now, we know what you're thinking: "They're both Microsoft products, they both have something to do with storing and sharing files, so they must be the same, right?" Well, not exactly.
Sharepoint and Onedrive Basics
SharePoint is a collaboration platform that allows teams to work together and share information from a central location. It's often used by organizations to create websites, document libraries, and other tools for team collaboration.
OneDrive, on the other hand, is a cloud storage service that allows individuals to store and access their files from anywhere. It's like your personal hard drive in the cloud.
So, while SharePoint is geared towards teamwork and collaboration, OneDrive is geared towards personal file storage.
But wait, it gets even more confusing! OneDrive is actually integrated into SharePoint, which means that you can access your OneDrive files from within SharePoint. Confused yet?
Here's an example to help clear things up: let's say you work at a marketing agency and you have a SharePoint site for your team. Within that SharePoint site, you have a document library where you store all of your team's marketing materials, like brochures, presentations, and proposals. You also have a OneDrive account, where you store your personal documents, like your resume, budget spreadsheet, and vacation photos.
Now, let's say you're working on a proposal for a new client and you need to access some of your personal documents, like your resume, to include in the proposal. You can easily access your OneDrive files from within your team's SharePoint site and add them to the proposal.
So, to sum it up: SharePoint is a collaboration platform, OneDrive is a cloud storage service, and OneDrive is integrated into SharePoint. Got it?
What is SharePoint used for?
SharePoint is a versatile collaboration platform that offers a wide range of capabilities. Here are just a few examples of what SharePoint can do:
Create and manage websites: SharePoint allows organizations to create and customize their own websites, including the layout, navigation, and branding.
Store and share documents: SharePoint includes document libraries where users can store, share, and collaborate on files. It also includes version control, which means that users can see a history of changes made to a document and restore previous versions if needed.
Collaborate on projects: SharePoint includes a variety of tools for project management, including task lists, calendars, and project sites.
Build custom applications: SharePoint includes a development platform that allows organizations to build custom applications and integrations.
Improve communication and information sharing: SharePoint includes tools for communication and information sharing, such as news articles, blogs, and team sites.
As you can see, SharePoint is much more than just a place to store and share documents. It's a platform that can support a wide range of collaboration and communication needs within an organization.
What is Onedrive used for?
OneDrive is a cloud storage service that allows users to store, access, and share their files from anywhere. Here are just a few examples of what OneDrive can do:
Store and access files: OneDrive provides users with a personal online storage space where they can store their files, including documents, photos, and videos. These files are then accessible from any device with an internet connection.
Share files: OneDrive allows users to share their files with others by sending a link or inviting people to collaborate on a file.
Work on files together: OneDrive includes real-time co-authoring, which means that multiple people can work on the same document at the same time. It also includes tools for commenting and reviewing, which make it easy for teams to provide feedback on documents.
Sync files: OneDrive includes a sync feature that allows users to keep their files in sync across all of their devices. This means that any changes made to a file on one device will be automatically reflected on all other devices.
Protect files: OneDrive includes built-in security features to help protect users' files, including data encryption and virus scanning.
How does Microsoft Teams work with SharePoint and OneDrive?
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that brings together chat, video meetings, file storage, and applications in a single workspace. And guess what? Both SharePoint and OneDrive are integrated into Microsoft Teams.
Let's say your team is using Microsoft Teams to collaborate on a project. Within Microsoft Teams, you can create a team site powered by SharePoint and use it to store and share all of your project-related files. This means that you can access your SharePoint document libraries, lists, and web pages directly from within Microsoft Teams.
OneDrive is also integrated into Microsoft Teams, which means that you can access and share your personal OneDrive files from within the platform. This is especially useful if you need to share a file with your team that you don't want to store in the team's SharePoint site.
What Microsoft Licenses Give Access to Sharepoint and Onedrive?
According to Microsoft's website, Onedrive is included in all four license types. This is 1 terabyte of storage per license.
Sharepoint and Team are included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, and Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Sharepoint and Teams are not included in Microsoft 365 Apps for business.
SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams can all be integrated into your stack of tools – all three applications compliment and support each other. We hope this helps to give you a better understanding of the different uses of SharePoint and Onedrive.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this communication is intended for limited use for informational purposes only. It is not considered professional advice, and instead, is general information that may or may not apply to specific situations. Each case is unique and should be evaluated on its own by a professional qualified to provide advice specifically intended to protect your individual situation. Kosh is not liable for improper use of this information.