To Sync or Not to Sync: Pros and Cons of Device Syncing

In today’s world we each have a myriad of different devices we use on a daily basis: phones, tablets, PCs and even gaming consoles. Each of these can hold a plethora of our documents, settings and applications that are actually used on each device frequently. But as a result of the power of device syncing it is possible to use them across devices. You can write a sentence in a word document on one device, save it and then continue writing it on another.

 Of course, there are both good points and bad to this increasingly prevalent solution to storage needs.

Pros

There are several pros to syncing your devices across the board:

• New devices can simply sync to your pre-established settings, avoiding long and tedious set-up times. This is especially useful in an office with multiple machines.
• Access your files from anywhere.
• Collaborate in real-time on Office documents. This makes group project work an even more cohesive process, without having to relocate employees from their desks.
• Interaction with people across platforms – from your PC you can interact with console users and you are even able to sync your address book with Skype.
• If the unthinkable happens and a failure does occur on one device, then files are able to be recovered from one of your other devices and all of your vital work is not lost.
• The ability to select what you want to sync also makes it a greatly useful and personal option for each individual user. Documents, apps and settings specifically required for work can be selected as the only things to sync.  This means an employee’s privacy can be maintained.

Cons

Privacy is obviously the key issue when considering the cons of syncing all of your devices, especially when you extend it past personal use and apply it your company technology policy. Where there are options to be able to keep your employees’ privacy safe it can be a tricky water to navigate. Perhaps this is a symptom of modern paranoia at its best, but the idea that it is even possible for someone to access all of your data at a whim is an uncomfortable thought even despite the unlikelihood of it ever actually occurring.

Privacy is in turn closely linked with security. The ability to sync so many devices often relies upon the use of external memory storage, either external or something akin to Apple’s iCloud or Microsoft’s OneDrive, which has the potential to be accessed by people outside of your company. The verification of identity of these services should be enough to deter most amateurs, but the worry that someone more determined could force access is an issue with the process of device syncing. In this case there is not much to be done other than trust in the companies that provide these services and that their security measures are competent enough for your needs.

Weighing up on whether or not to sync your data? Don’t hesitate to give us a call and discuss your options with our friendly team! We are a growing IT Support company based in Lancaster, contact us on 01524 581690 or email us at info@q2q-it.com.