What Is SharePoint? Business File Storage for Canadian SMBs
SharePoint Online is Microsoft's web-based document management and collaboration platform, included in all Microsoft 365 business plans. SharePoint replaces traditional on-premise file servers and mapped network drives with cloud-based document libraries that are accessible from any device, anywhere — while maintaining enterprise-grade security, version control, and PIPEDA-compliant access management. For Canadian businesses transitioning to remote or hybrid work, SharePoint is the recommended replacement for on-premise file servers.
SharePoint vs. OneDrive vs. Teams Files: what's the difference?
- SharePoint Online: shared team and organizational document libraries; content that belongs to the business, not an individual; appropriate for shared documents, SOPs, client files, project repositories
- OneDrive for Business: individual user cloud storage (1 TB per user); personal work files and documents not yet ready to share; syncs to desktop; when a user leaves the organization, their OneDrive is preserved for 30 days and accessible to their manager
- Teams Files: each Teams channel has a Files tab backed by a SharePoint document library; Teams Files is SharePoint, presented in the Teams interface; sharing a file in a Teams channel stores it in SharePoint
SharePoint Online vs. on-premise SharePoint
- SharePoint Online: SaaS; hosted by Microsoft in Canadian data centres; no servers to maintain; automatic updates; included in Microsoft 365; scales without hardware investment; PIPEDA-compliant with Canadian data residency
- SharePoint Server (on-premise): installed on your servers; you manage infrastructure, patching, and updates; requires IT expertise; expensive for SMBs; Microsoft ending mainstream support for SharePoint Server 2019 in October 2026
- For Canadian SMBs: SharePoint Online is the clear choice — lower cost, no infrastructure maintenance, Canadian data residency, and better integration with Teams and Copilot
Why SharePoint replaces mapped network drives
Traditional mapped network drives (\servershare) have critical limitations for modern Canadian businesses:
- Remote access requires VPN — slow, unreliable, and a security risk; SharePoint is accessible from any internet connection with MFA
- No version history — mapped drives don't track who changed what; SharePoint keeps a full version history for every file
- Single point of failure — if the file server goes down, no one can access files; SharePoint has 99.9% SLA with geo-redundancy
- Security — granular permission management in SharePoint; access limited to specific users, groups, or external guests; audit logging of all file access
- Ransomware protection — SharePoint's version history and recycle bin allow file restoration after ransomware attacks without restoring from backup
Migrating from a file server to SharePoint
A typical SharePoint migration for a Canadian SMB involves:
- Information architecture design — mapping existing folder structure to SharePoint sites and libraries (don't replicate the old folder structure; redesign for modern collaboration)
- Permission restructuring — mapping existing security groups to Azure AD groups and SharePoint permission levels
- Migration using Microsoft's SharePoint Migration Tool (SPMT) or third-party tools (Sharegate)
- User training — SharePoint and Teams Files work differently from mapped drives; training is essential
- Decommission file server — once validated, remove mapped drives and redirect users to SharePoint
Most migrations for Canadian SMBs under 100 users take 2-4 weeks including user training. Outsource IT Canada includes SharePoint migration planning in our Microsoft 365 deployment service.
Related glossary terms
How Outsource IT Canada can help
- Managed IT Services — 24/7 monitoring and flat-rate IT support for Canadian businesses
- Cybersecurity Services — EDR, MDR, dark web monitoring, and incident response
- PIPEDA Compliance — privacy impact assessments and breach notification procedures
- Get a free assessment — call (416) 623-9677
Ready to transform your IT? Call (416) 623-9677 for a free assessment.