Features and usage of Microsoft 365 file sharing function [OneDrive/SharePoint]

With the penetration of telework and hybrid work, there are many situations where you feel the need for a comfortable online collaborative work environment.

One of the strengths of Microsoft 365 is the enhancement of file sharing functions using cloud storage and collaboration tools.

In this article, we will explain the features and usage of the file sharing function in Microsoft 365.

We also introduce how to strengthen collaboration by linking tools, so please take advantage of it.

There are three file sharing functions in Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 file sharing tools include:

• OneDrive
• Teams
• SharePoint Online

There are three.

These three seem similar, but are actually very different tools.

If you understand the original use and purpose of the tool and use it properly, the range of utilization will be greatly expanded.

[OneDrive] Cloud storage for personal data

OneDrive (the name of the corporate service is OneDrive for Business) is a cloud storage mainly made on the premise of storing personal data.

As such, files stored on OneDrive cannot be accessed by others unless you manually share them.

OneDrive is useful when working remotely from the office or when using multiple devices to access work data from various devices.

Data saved locally on your computer cannot be accessed from other devices, but if you sync your desktop and documents to OneDrive, the data will be saved on the cloud and can be viewed from other computers and smartphones. .

Even if your computer fails and you can’t start it, you can rescue your important data by signing in to OneDrive on a new computer.

[Teams] File sharing for team projects

Microsoft Teams has a strong impression of being a business chat and web conferencing tool, but it is actually called a “team collaboration tool” and is a tool that serves as a place for team collaboration.

The feature of file sharing on Teams is that the sharing range = team members. As a result, you can instantly share files with members who meet your purpose without having to set the troublesome public range.

If you want to share only with a specific person, post to individual chat.

Materials for projects with members from different departments can be uploaded to the project team channel for all team members to access.

Even if the number of members increases later, there is no need to resend, just add members to the team.

[SharePoint Online] Portal site for organizations

SharePoint Online is a service suitable for sharing files with a wide range of people, such as the entire company or departments.

SharePoint and OneDrive are often confused, but the main difference between the two is

• OneDrive saves files, then sets individual permissions for files when sharing
• SharePoint has an area for which access rights have been set, and uploads the file you want to share with that member

That’s the point.

In SharePoint, the administrator creates boxes such as “company-wide shared area” and “shared area for each department”.

In-house forms and application forms can be stored in a company-wide shared area and any employee can freely access them.

If you store business partners’ materials in the common area of ​​the department, they will not be seen by unrelated people.

Support telework with OneDrive

As mentioned above, OneDrive is the main cloud storage for storing personal data, but you can also share files with other users.

File sharing from OneDrive requires setting sharing destinations and access rights individually, so it is not suitable for sharing over a wide range, but it is useful in scenes that require collaborative editing with a small number of people.

for example,

• Get your boss to sign a document
• Ask for a review of your material

For this purpose, there is no need to save files in the company-wide or departmental shared area.

It would be nice to be able to share files only between the parties involved, so it can be said that the method of individual sharing on OneDrive is suitable.

How to share your files/folders

This section describes the procedure for sharing files on OneDrive with other users.

Here we introduce how to operate from a web browser, but if you want to share from the OneDrive desktop app, right-click the file you want to share in Explorer and select “Share”.

Email a link

How to send an email with a shared link from OneDrive.

1. Access OneDrive in your web browser.
2. Select the file you want to share and click “Share”, or click “…” (three dots) to the right of the file name and select “Share”.
3. Enter the recipient’s email address and message in the “Send Link” field.
4. If necessary, configure settings such as whether or not you have edit privileges and a password.
5. Click “Send” and they will receive an email with a shared link.

copy link

You can copy the shared link and send it to others in any way you like.

1. Display the shared window by performing steps 1 and 2 in the previous section.
2. In the “Copy link” field, set whether or not you have editing privileges and set a password.
3. After completing the necessary settings, click “Copy” to create a link that reflects the specified access rights and copy it to the clipboard.
4. Paste the link in chat and send it.

Make Teams a hub for collaboration

To share files in Teams, just drag and drop the files into the chat.

Files exchanged over chat can be viewed together by clicking the “Files” tab in Teams, making it easy to find files later.

Did you know that Teams also serves as a hub that connects other Microsoft 365 tools?

You can even add another file sharing tool on Teams and access your files without switching apps.

Open and share OneDrive in Teams

This is a method to open OneDrive directly from Teams, such as when you want to share OneDrive files with Teams.

1. Click File on the left menu.
2. Select “OneDrive”.
3. Click the “…” of the file you want to share and click “Copy Link”.
4. Paste the copied link into a chat to share.

Add SharePoint folders to channels

You can register the cloud storage area you want to share within the team on the “File” tab at the top of the Teams channel.

I will show you how to add a SharePoint folder and set it so that you can always open it from the “File” tab.

1. Select the channel’s Files tab.
2. Click + Add Cloud Storage.
3. Select SharePoint.
4. Select the site you want to add or enter the URL to set it.
5. Select the folder you want to add from the document library and click “Add Folder”.

Utilize SharePoint as a portal site

A portal site is a term that refers to a site that serves as an entrance when accessing content on the Internet, such as “Yahoo!” and “Bing.”

SharePoint is truly a service that functions as an internal portal site.

Since it is browser-based and has excellent search performance, if you build an internal portal on SharePoint, you will be able to search the entire site using keywords such as file names even if you do not know the location of the required data.

Use it as an alternative to a file server

Many companies are probably considering migrating from on-premises file servers to the cloud in time for server replacement.

On-premises servers had restrictions such as not allowing access from outside the company, but using the cloud makes it easy to telework and access folders while moving.

With SharePoint, you can reproduce the same folder structure and access privilege settings for each department as the file server, so migration is possible without sacrificing the conventional usability.

Use team and group sites in SharePoint

When you create a Teams team or Microsoft 365 group, a team site is automatically created on SharePoint and files are saved.

In fact, the body of the file shared in the Teams team channel is on SharePoint, and the SharePoint link is shared on Teams.

On the team site, you can not only share files but also create lists and databases, so you can aggregate the information necessary for the team in SharePoint.

Recommended Microsoft 365 plans for file sharing

Here are Microsoft 365 plans that allow you to use the three file sharing tools introduced in this article: OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint Online.

If you want to get the most out of your file-sharing tools in Microsoft 365, these plans are a good choice.

For corporations (300 people or less)

This plan is for organizations with 300 people or less.

For corporations (unlimited number of people)

Unlimited users get 5TB of storage per person on OneDrive for 5 or more users.

New plan

old plan

For field personnel

For on-site personnel plans that assume use on a shared computer, all plans offer only the web version of the Office application.

Article Summary

I explained the features and proper use of the Microsoft 365 file sharing tools “OneDrive”, “Teams” and “SharePoint”.

• OneDrive shares personal data with a small number of people
• Teams is shared by team and project members
• SharePoint is shared by organizational units such as the whole company and departments

You can also use the tools to work together, such as sharing OneDrive files via Teams and opening files uploaded to Teams in SharePoint.

Please take advantage of Microsoft 365 cloud tools as a base for new ways of working.