Cloud collaboration (simply, working together in a software tool that is entirely online) is the invention that paved the way for the world of work to go remote. But here’s the thing:

There is no shortage of cloud collaboration software platforms out there.

You’ve got full-on suites like Microsoft Office 365 right down to best-in-class, specialized cloud tools for content production, like GatherContent. (You can learn more about GatherContent and how organizations with mature content operations tackle challenges at scale here).

Choosing the right cloud-based software platform for your needs can be a nightmare, which is why we’ve put this guide together.

Cloud collaboration paved the way for the world of work to go remote. But there’s no shortage of cloud collaboration software platforms out there.

Choosing the right one for your remote team can be a nightmare, which is why we’ve put this guide together.

In this article, we’ll start by exploring the basics of cloud collaboration, from what it is, to the benefits and challenges that come with it. Then, we’ll dive right into the best cloud platforms for specific use cases to help you choose the right solution for your organization.

What is cloud collaboration?

Cloud collaboration is the use of completely online tools (known as cloud-based platforms) to manage work, specifically work within the context of a team, hence the term “collaboration.”

To get a little more technical, the “cloud” refers to the fact that software is accessed via a web browser or app. The platform itself is hosted offsite, rather than on a local device like your computer.

Why is cloud collaboration important?

To properly understand cloud collaboration and its importance in the modern workplace, it's helpful to see what the world of work looked like before cloud-based software took over.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, just about all software was sold on a self-hosted perpetual license.

That means that any software purchased had to be installed on a local device. For most of us, that was our computer or laptop (though corporations would often host an enterprise version on their own servers).

A single person could access their documents from a single device. If you had a particularly rough morning and spilled your coffee all over your laptop, all of your working documents were gone forever (assuming you didn’t have a backup).

But cloud-based tools changed all of that.

Documents were now stored in the cloud, meaning you could access them from any device that had access to the internet.

More than that, cloud-based tools began releasing collaboration features, meaning several employees could work together in a single document in real-time, something that was never possible with traditional software.

This account demonstrates exactly how cloud collaboration tools differ from traditional, self-hosted platforms.

Benefits of cloud collaboration

Cloud collaboration software tools offer businesses a number of powerful benefits:

• Enhanced efficiency: Teams can work together effectively, comment and tag each other on tasks, assign work, and automate manual workflows.
  
  
• The ability to work remotely: Employees can log into a cloud-based tool from any location and any compatible device, opening up the ability to work remotely and for companies to access a larger applicant pool.
  
  
• Reduced IT costs: IT teams no longer need to shell out for expensive server rooms, as everything is hosted in the cloud.
  
  
• Mobile apps: Many cloud platforms offer mobile apps, giving workers the flexibility to work from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or even from their smartphone when on the go.
  
  
• Better security: The best cloud collaboration tools are heavily focused on data security, so you can rest assured that your (and your customers’) important data is kept safe from leaks and breaches.

Challenges with cloud collaboration

Of course, cloud collaboration isn’t without its challenges. Here are some of the difficulties you might come up against when implementing a new cloud-based solution:

• Poor internet connection: If any of your team members have trouble accessing the internet (or has an outage), they won't be able to access online collaboration platforms.
  
  
• Application bloat: Some organizations struggle with having too many cloud-based collaboration tools, which can force slow multi-tasking or create confusion as to where to communicate.
  
  
• Purchasing risk: Because cloud tools can be easily purchased by anyone with a credit card (they are typically sold on a subscription basis), they can be bought with IT or procurement team knowledge or sign-off.

Top 4 cloud collaboration tools

Today’s software market is packed with tools for cloud collaboration, and the number of available platforms is only going to increase as the world of work becomes more and more remote.

Below, we look at four powerful platforms for collaborating in the cloud.

But first, lets quickly explore the most important features to prioritize when choosing the right tool for your team.

Features to look out for

Before we turn our attention to the best cloud-based tools for remote work, let’s quickly explore the most important features to look for when sourcing new software:

• Integrations: A good team collaboration tool should connect directly with other software platforms you’re already using to manage work (at a minimum, look for a tool that offers an open API to create custom integrations).
  
  
• File sharing: Look for tools that make it easy to share files (for instance, uploading a PDF to your project management tool).
  
  
• User permissions: Not every one of your co-workers needs the same level of access to a given platform, so look for a platform that allows for granular control of end-user feature access to maximize security and prevent mistakes.
  
  
• Mobile apps: Allow remote teams to work in the way that suits them best, be that on a desktop computer or mobile device.
  
  
• Notification settings: Cloud collaboration tools can be pretty notification heavy, but finding a tool that allows users to turn off specific notification kinds can reduce distractions, improve focus, and enhance productivity.

1. GatherContent: cloud collaboration for content workflows

GatherContent is a cloud-based platform for collaborating on content workflows. With GatherContent, teams can get out of spreadsheets and documents that just don’t cut it, and create a unified content creation process.

Top features:

• Real-time collaboration: Assign projects, edit, and leave comments on projects, even as your teammates work on them. You can also set due dates and create content workflows, so everyone knows their role in the content creation process.
• Custom workflow creation: Create content workflows that make sense for your agency or brand, and adjust them with a drag-and-drop editor as internal procedures develop.
• Granular permissions: Keep content secure by controlling who can access what, using either role-based or individual permission sets

Pros:

• The three biggest benefits of using GatherContent are improved efficiency, quality, and compliance.
• Teams can streamline the content production process by creating clear processes and timelines without ambiguity about content requirements.
• Standardized, structured content workflows help contributors create more consistent content that meets your quality benchmarks, and enhance compliance with your internal processes.

Cons:

• GatherContent is one of the more expensive tools on this list, so it may not be appropriate for smaller teams. GatherContent customer’s don’t pay per user, however, so larger teams will get more value on a per-person basis.

Pricing:

GatherContent offers four pricing plans for teams of different sizes and stages.

1. Start ($99 per month) - For smaller teams getting started with content operations.
2. Scale ($299 per month) - For teams collaborating on large volumes of content.
3. Transform ($799 per month) - For organizations that are expanding content operations across multiple projects
4. Enterprise (custom pricing) - For organizations that are expanding content operations across multiple projects

2. Miro: cloud collaboration for whiteboarding sessions

Miro is a visual cloud collaboration tool based around the idea of physical whiteboards, post-it notes, and diagramming.

Top features:

• Support for multiple devices: Native apps for mobile, desktop, and interactive displays.
• Pre-built templates: Customizable templates to speed up team collaboration.
• Enterprise-grade data security: Compliance with GDPR and SOC 3 standards with stored exclusively in Europe.

Pros:

• Great for remote teams who want to collaborate in a familiar fashion.
• Helps get cloud collaboration out of tiring and uninspired spreadsheet formats.

Cons:

• Some customers describe usability issues with Miro, finding that some of the controls feel clunky and slow.

Pricing:

Miro offers a free option, with paid plans starting from $8 per user per month.

3. Asana: cloud collaboration for project management

Asana is one of the leading digital workspaces for managing teamwork, and excels specifically in the context of project management.

Top features:

• Workload management: Helps prevent overload and maximizes team effectiveness.
• Customizable visualization: Multiple work views, such as Kanban and Gantt charts.
• Workflow builder: Build custom workflows that fit your current operations, not the other way around.

Pros:

• Asana is a full-stack tool for project management, offering functionality that extends from project planning through to execution and even post-project reporting.
• Non-project teams such as marketing can also collaborate in Asana, minimizing departmental data siloes.
• Deep reporting helps project managers find and remove bottlenecks and improve project profitability.

Cons:

• Perhaps the biggest drawback of Asana is that it doesn’t have time tracking built in. While you can connect a third-party tool for this, many PMs would prefer the feature to be native to the platform.

Pricing:

Asana offers a free plan with limited functionality, and paid plans starting at $10.99 per user per month.

4. Google Workspace: cloud collaboration for document storage

Google Workspace is the perfect collaboration solution for those teams who are working with large files like videos, images, and larger PDFs.

Top features:

• Access from any device: iOS and Android apps are available alongside browser access
• Flexible cloud storage options: Easily scale up as your storage needs increase.
• External collaboration: Workspace makes it easy to collaborate with external parties such as customers without them having to create an account.

Pros:

• Google’s tools (Docs, for example) are widely used by consumers, so using them in the context of work is often second nature.
• Smaller teams can get pretty far by just using the free version of Google Workspace.

Cons:

• If your organization relies heavily on Apple software products (like Apple Mail or Calendar), you may run into challenges with integrating them with Google tools.

Pricing:

Google Workspace plans start from just $3.60 per user per month.

Create a collaborative content workflow with GatherContent

For modern teams working in distributed or remote environments, cloud collaboration is a must-have for creating more efficient and effective workflows.

And if you’re working on content, a truly collaborative content production tool like GatherContent will be your best friend.

Get started with a 14-day trial on us, and say goodbye to content chaos and hello to a streamlined and standardized production process.