Item: OneDrive
Rating: 6
Author: Alicia Meyer

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Our entire organization uses OneDrive for email, document sharing, forms, etc. Staff, faculty, and students all use OneDrive for classes and collaboration. It enables us to share live documents and forms while staying within the university's Microsoft network. It enables instant connection and mobile application for constant information-sharing. Some departments and student groups use it more than others, but all employees are familiar with OneDrive and capable of using it.

Pros and Cons

OneDrive is available online and on mobile platforms. The connection between the two enables employees who work beyond the traditional office setting to access important documents at all times.
OneDrive syncs with the network users to automatically load contact information. Sharing is easy. Simply type in another employee or student name, and their email immediately pops up.

OneDrive works on the mobile app, but updates made online are often slow to update on the app. I would like to see an instantaneous connection.
Finding shared documents on OneDrive is a challenge, and I often find myself searching for documents and folders. A new organization system would increase its functionality.

Return on Investment

OneDrive offers collaboration that benefits my team that spends a great deal of time out of the office.
OneDrive's ability to view documents on mobile devices enables us to quickly access information when dealing with students or away from the office.

Alternatives Considered

Google Drive

OneDrive and Google Drive offer the same essential functions, and whichever product matches the larger network of your organization ought to be preferred first. Google Drive offers faster and easier switching between accounts and more reliable document syncing. OneDrive is more compatible with Microsoft Office than Google Drive. Both offer online and mobile versions.

Support Rating

I have not called Microsoft support for assistance with OneDrive, so I cannot evaluate this capability. Our institution's support remains incredibly limited. I'm not sure if the institution's lack of support derives from limited support from Microsoft or simply understaffing challenges in our IT department. Regardless, I have not received support for my issues with it nor seen Microsoft respond to changes in the industry.

Key Insights

Do you think OneDrive delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with OneDrive's feature set?

Did OneDrive live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of OneDrive go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy OneDrive again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Google Drive, QuestionPro Inc, Ellucian Colleague

Likelihood to Recommend

OneDrive works well because we are a Microsoft-based institution. It connects well with our network and other applications used by the university. The functionality pales in comparison to Google, though. If your organization already uses Microsoft Office, OneDrive offers an easy transition. If you do not use a cloud-based document management system yet and do not rely on Microsoft, look for another current, quick-to-update service. Forms on OneDrive can be helpful, however, live forms that update directly to Excel are difficult to edit, as any changes automatically go to the end of the spreadsheet. If you're dealing with a polished survey, OneDrive is helpful. If it's still developing, it is less helpful.

Compatible with Microsoft, Weak as a Stand-Alone Option

Overall Satisfaction with OneDrive