Nextiva Drive Review: Cloud Backup and Sync for Your Business

Nextiva Drive is a cloud storage and sharing company for businesses. In addition to being available for both Windows and Mac, users can also get it on Windows phone, iPhone, and Android devices. Like most backup programs, users have to download the software. However, with Nextiva Driver, there are two pieces of programming that must be installed: Nextiva Sync and the Nextiva Drive.

Nextiva Sync works like Dropbox. Simply put files in the desktop folder to synchronize them across several devices. It is simple to use and very straight forward. These documents can be opened on any system that has this client installed.

In addition to having the sync program, users must also download the Nextiva Drive client. This works as the backup tool for the system. Once the software is installed, select the folders or files that need to be automatically stored into the cloud. This tool maintains copies of the information automatically.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Installation

There may be a little confusion when first installing the software because there are two pieces to download. Users can actually start the backup process even before the software is completely located on the consumer’s hard drive.

However, it is not possible to select the advanced tab and navigate to files that may be buried several folders down until all the programming is fully in place. Only the most commonly saved folders are selectable from the standard screen. In order to avoid this frustration, it is best to wait until both applications are completely activated.

There are a few settings which can be adjusted to meet with user preference on the General tab. Customers can choose to have the system automatically check for backup. Users can also adjust how much of their bandwidth they want to use for transfers. When we tested this software, we allowed it to use the maximum amount and found that it used around 393KB/s, which was quite a bit, but did give us the ability to transfer files quickly.

Features

According to Nextiva’s site, scheduled backups are listed as a feature. However, during our test, we were unable to find the exact area where this schedule could be set. We did find where the automatic backup could be turned on or off, but not where we could set a specific day and time.

Users who want to access their files but are on a device that does not have a sync folder installed can still view data. The Nextiva Drive portal gives consumers the ability to manage and share all files located in the backup location. After logging in, simply click on the cloud icon to find the desired information. There are options to select specific documents to download or share while viewing. When sharing information, entire folders cannot be shared, only individual files, unless a group is set up and the folder is placed within that grouping.

As mentioned, we found uploading and downloading to be quick and simple. Restoring files can be completed from the Nextiva Drive client and does not have to be completed from the portal. To restore a document, find it on the sync list and select restore.

Nextiva Drive is very affordable. Plans start at $14.95 per month, which can be discounted to $9.95 if an annual agreement is chosen. This gives companies 100GB of shared space to work with. For those who want unlimited space, the plan is $19.95 for month-to-month coverage, and is discounted to $14.95 per month for an annual plan.

Despite being fast and simple, we did find a limitation which may be a deal-breaker for some businesses, especially companies that handle large documents. File sizes are restricted to 4GB with this backup company. Enterprise level clients may find this to be too restrictive as many type of files may exceed this ceiling.

Nextiva Drive is geared towards businesses, which means there are a few more controls that will appeal to these clients. Administrators can easily add users and allocate how much space and what groups these operators belong. However, there was a limitation on how many restrictions could be set. According to the site, roles can be restricted to read only, read and write, or full control. We found no further restrictions, which might be a problem for some companies.

Security

Security is a concern for most companies. While the servers use SSL security, there is no encryption while it is stored. This means anyone who comes in and legally demands information will receive a readable copy of the files. The data is encrypted during transfer, but is unencrypted when it is on the server.

Conclusion

While we did like Nextiva Drive for smaller operations, the few problems that were found could keep it from being a great product. The 4GB file size limit is a big one. Many companies need to upload larger documents than this so it could be a problem. Having unencrypted files is a big warning flag for most corporations, so that additional security would be a nice feature.

While it’s not a big problem, having to download multiple software packages to make it work is a hassle as well. These could easily be combined into one title.

Overall, Nextiva isn’t a bad option for companies, especially small businesses. It is easy to use and has enough features to satisfy little operations. There are more advanced options, such as Box, available for those who want a little more with their backup plan. Be sure to check out our online storage pricing comparison, for more options.