M365: Teams File Sharing
Company, User, and Email Storage!
Teams File Sharing
1 TB+ Company File Server
Teams channels sit on top of SharePoint, giving every organization a shared 1 TB of storage, plus an extra 10 GB for each licensed user. This acts as your company’s cloud-based file server, with built-in permissions, version history, and real-time collaboration. Files can be synced locally on desktops for offline access, but the master copy always lives in the cloud — secure, backed up, and accessible anywhere.
OneDrive User Storage
1 TB/user Personal Cloud Workspace
Every licensed user gets 1 TB of OneDrive for Business storage, integrated with their desktop, laptop, and mobile devices. Think of it as each employee’s personal “My Documents in the cloud.” Microsoft’s Known Folder Move automatically redirects Desktop, Documents, and Pictures into OneDrive, keeping data safe and synced across devices. Employees can share files with colleagues, but ownership follows the user, not the team.
Outlook Storage
50 GB Email Storage/email address
Each Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, or Premium user gets 50 GB of mailbox storage, expandable with archiving if needed. Outlook integrates email, calendar, and contacts seamlessly across devices. Combined with Teams and OneDrive, it forms the backbone of Microsoft’s modern collaboration suite — with enterprise-grade spam filtering, security, and compliance features included by default.
Traditional Azure File Server
Starting at $.25/GB
For businesses with specialized line-of-business apps, complex NTFS permissions, or hybrid environments, Microsoft still offers file servers in Azure. Using Azure File Shares or Azure File Sync, you can lift-and-shift traditional file server structures into the cloud. This approach is more expensive than Teams/SharePoint and is primarily meant to support legacy workloads that cannot yet migrate to modern collaboration tools.
Traditional On-Prem File Servers
From NAS Devices to Full Windows Servers
Before the cloud, companies relied on on-premise file servers or network-attached storage (NAS) devices to centralize files. While still in use, this model ties storage to physical hardware, requires backups, and limits access to VPN or local networks. Microsoft’s current guidance is to move away from on-prem file servers for collaboration and instead leverage Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint — with on-prem servers reserved only for compliance, industry mandates, or legacy system requirements.
File-Based Backup (N-Able)
Extra Protection Beyond Microsoft 365
While Microsoft 365 provides built-in version history and recycle bins for files, N-Able adds a dedicated file-based backup layer. This ensures critical company data is protected against accidental deletion, corruption, or ransomware. Backups can be configured per device or per folder, capturing both cloud and local data. In the event of data loss, files can be restored quickly and selectively — providing peace of mind that your business can recover even in worst-case scenarios.
Software Development Collaboration
Code in GitHub, Assets in Microsoft 365
For multi-developer projects, GitHub serves as the central source of truth for code, handling versioning, branching, and collaboration without the need for a local NAS. Each developer works from their own workstation, syncing code with GitHub. Supporting resources like images, documentation, and project assets are stored in Microsoft 365: personal drafts in OneDrive, and shared resources in the company file server through Teams/SharePoint. This hybrid approach keeps source code repositories lean while ensuring all project files remain backed up, shareable, and accessible across the team.