Cloud use case · Modernise
Cloud file server
Retire the ageing server in the back room without retraining everyone or losing the folder permissions you built over the years.
Why companies ask us to move their file server
Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work
and Google Cloud Premier Partner, so we can recommend SharePoint or Google Drive on merit.
Since 2007
with 1,500+ active cloud customers across the Middle East.
Offices in Dubai, Muscat (head office) and Doha
serving all six GCC countries.
350,000+ users migrated
In short
A cloud file server replaces the Windows file server in your office with shared storage in the cloud, either as collaboration storage (SharePoint, Google shared drives or Zoho WorkDrive) or as a managed Windows share (Azure Files or Amazon FSx). Gulf Infotech, in the Middle East since 2007, is vendor-neutral: we pick the right target for each share and move your files with permissions intact.
What problem does a cloud file server solve?
What buyers tell us:
What buyers tell us
"The server is out of warranty and the disks are almost full."
"Staff outside the office use VPN for every file, and it is slow."
"Someone deleted a folder and the backup was two weeks old."
"We pay for a server, a backup licence, a UPS and air-conditioning just to share Excel files."
The fix is not always the same. Office documents that people edit together belong in a collaboration platform. Application data, scanned archives, CAD files and anything that a program opens by drive letter often need a real Windows share, hosted in the cloud.
Who is a cloud file server for?
10 to 300 staff, mostly Office documents, already on Microsoft 365
- Best target
- SharePoint and OneDrive. See SharePoint
Same, on Google Workspace
- Best target
- Google shared drives. See Google Workspace as a file server
Same, on Zoho Workplace
- Best target
- Zoho WorkDrive team folders
Custom document workflows (approvals, indexing, retention)
- Best target
- A document management system we set up for your requirements
Apps that need a mapped drive (accounting databases, ERP attachments, CAD)
- Best target
- Azure Files or Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
Branch offices with slow links that need local speed
- Best target
- Azure Files with Azure File Sync, keeping a cache on a small local server
Engineering or media firms with very large files
- Best target
- Managed Windows share, sized for throughput
Saudi entities that must keep files in the Kingdom
- Best target
- Huawei Cloud SFS Turbo in Riyadh or Google Cloud in Dammam, checked per project
Which cloud file server options are there in the GCC?
| Option | Type | GCC regions | How it works with your permissions | Billing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SharePoint and OneDrive | Collaboration (SaaS) | Microsoft 365 data location for your tenant | Folder rights are rebuilt as site and library permissions; we map them during the move | Included in Microsoft 365 plans |
| Google shared drives | Collaboration (SaaS) | Google Workspace data regions are the US or Europe only | Rebuilt as shared drive membership | Included in Google Workspace: 30 GB pooled per user on Business Starter, 2 TB on Standard, 5 TB on Plus |
| Zoho WorkDrive | Collaboration (SaaS) | Zoho's UAE data centre, with data residency in the UAE | Rebuilt as team folder membership | Included in Zoho Workplace plans |
| Azure Files | Managed SMB share | UAE North (Dubai), Qatar Central (Doha) | Supports the full set of Windows ACLs with on-premise AD DS, Entra Domain Services or Entra Kerberos. Robocopy, AzCopy or Azure File Sync keep ACLs during the move | Provisioned v2: storage, IOPS and throughput each provisioned and billed hourly, used or not. Identity-based sign-in has no extra charge |
| Huawei Cloud SFS Turbo | Managed NFS and SMB file system | Riyadh; Abu Dhabi (UAE) upcoming. | SMB 2.0 to 3.0 | Ask us |
| Google Cloud NetApp Volumes | Managed SMB and NFS volumes | Doha or Dammam. | SMB 2.1 to 3.1.1 | Ask us |
| Amazon FSx for Windows File Server | Managed Windows file server | AWS UAE (me-central-1) or Bahrain (me-south-1). | Joined to your Active Directory; file and folder Windows ACLs | Storage, SSD IOPS and throughput provisioned separately; no minimum commitment |
SharePoint and OneDrive
- Type
- Collaboration (SaaS)
- GCC regions
- Microsoft 365 data location for your tenant
- How it works with your permissions
- Folder rights are rebuilt as site and library permissions; we map them during the move
- Billing model
- Included in Microsoft 365 plans
Google shared drives
- Type
- Collaboration (SaaS)
- GCC regions
- Google Workspace data regions are the US or Europe only
- How it works with your permissions
- Rebuilt as shared drive membership
- Billing model
- Included in Google Workspace: 30 GB pooled per user on Business Starter, 2 TB on Standard, 5 TB on Plus
Zoho WorkDrive
- Type
- Collaboration (SaaS)
- GCC regions
- Zoho's UAE data centre, with data residency in the UAE
- How it works with your permissions
- Rebuilt as team folder membership
- Billing model
- Included in Zoho Workplace plans
Azure Files
- Type
- Managed SMB share
- GCC regions
- UAE North (Dubai), Qatar Central (Doha)
- How it works with your permissions
- Supports the full set of Windows ACLs with on-premise AD DS, Entra Domain Services or Entra Kerberos. Robocopy, AzCopy or Azure File Sync keep ACLs during the move
- Billing model
- Provisioned v2: storage, IOPS and throughput each provisioned and billed hourly, used or not. Identity-based sign-in has no extra charge
Huawei Cloud SFS Turbo
- Type
- Managed NFS and SMB file system
- GCC regions
- Riyadh; Abu Dhabi (UAE) upcoming.
- How it works with your permissions
- SMB 2.0 to 3.0
- Billing model
- Ask us
Google Cloud NetApp Volumes
- Type
- Managed SMB and NFS volumes
- GCC regions
- Doha or Dammam.
- How it works with your permissions
- SMB 2.1 to 3.1.1
- Billing model
- Ask us
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
- Type
- Managed Windows file server
- GCC regions
- AWS UAE (me-central-1) or Bahrain (me-south-1).
- How it works with your permissions
- Joined to your Active Directory; file and folder Windows ACLs
- Billing model
- Storage, SSD IOPS and throughput provisioned separately; no minimum commitment
Takeaway: if people edit the files, choose collaboration storage; if software opens the files, choose a managed Windows share.
What does Gulf Infotech do?
Assess
we scan the shares for size, file types, long paths, broken permissions and files nobody has opened in years, then agree what moves, what archives and what is deleted.
Design
we choose a target per share, map old folders to new sites, drives or shares, and plan permissions by group rather than by person.
Migrate
we pick the migration tool per case, from the platforms' native tools, BitTitan MigrationWiz or SysTools, and copy in passes, so the final cut-over only moves recent changes, typically over a weekend.
Run
we support users after the move, manage access requests and monitor storage and backup in English or Arabic.
Which option should you pick?
SharePoint and OneDrive
- Best when
- You use Microsoft 365 and want co-editing, mobile access and version history
- Trade-off
- Deep folder trees and very long paths need restructuring
Zoho WorkDrive
- Best when
- You use Zoho Workplace and want files in Zoho's UAE data centre
- Trade-off
- Older apps that need a drive letter need a managed share instead
Google shared drives
- Best when
- You use Google Workspace and most files are documents
- Trade-off
- No mapped drive letters for older apps; data regions are only US or Europe
Azure Files
- Best when
- Apps need a drive letter and you want to keep NTFS permissions as they are
- Trade-off
- Still a file share, so no co-editing beyond what Office already offers
Azure Files with File Sync
- Best when
- Branches need LAN speed and the cloud as the master copy
- Trade-off
- You keep a small server per branch
Amazon FSx for Windows
- Best when
- Your servers already run on AWS
- Trade-off
- Needs Active Directory reachable from AWS
Huawei SFS Turbo
- Best when
- UAE or Saudi data must stay in-country on Huawei Cloud
- Trade-off
- Confirm SMB features for your apps first
What does a cloud file server cost?
There is no single price, because each option charges differently.
SharePoint and Google shared drives
come inside your per-user Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace plan. For many offices that means no extra storage bill at all. Google Workspace pricing is on our Google Workspace pricing page; Microsoft 365 on our Microsoft 365 pricing page.
Azure Files and Amazon FSx
charge for the capacity and performance you provision. On Azure Files provisioned v2, storage, IOPS and throughput are each billed whether you use them or not, so sizing matters. FSx lets you set storage, SSD IOPS and throughput separately.
Backup
of the cloud share is a separate line on the infrastructure options.
Against that, list what you stop paying: server hardware refresh, Windows Server licences, backup software for that server, power and cooling. We quote the migration per project.
What are the typical steps?
- Step 01
Scan
size, file count, permissions and stale data report.
- Step 02
Clean up
archive or delete what nobody needs, fix broken permission inheritance.
- Step 03
Map
decide the target for each share and the groups that get access.
- Step 04
Pilot
move one department and let them work for a week.
- Step 05
Bulk copy
copy everything else in passes while people keep working.
- Step 06
Cut over
final delta copy, old shares set to read-only, drive mappings or shortcuts changed.
- Step 07
Retire
keep the old server read-only for an agreed period, then decommission it.
Cloud services in your country
Frequently asked questions
Can we replace our office file server with the cloud?
Yes, nearly every office file server can be replaced. Documents people edit together move to SharePoint or Google shared drives. Data that software opens through a drive letter moves to a managed Windows share such as Azure Files or Amazon FSx. A few cases, such as very large CAD files over a slow line, may keep a small local cache server synced to the cloud.
Which cloud is best for a file server?
The best cloud is the one you already use for email and identity. Microsoft 365 companies usually move to SharePoint, or Azure Files when apps need a drive letter. Google Workspace companies usually move to shared drives, and Zoho Workplace companies to Zoho WorkDrive. AWS fits when your other servers are already there, and Huawei Cloud can hold UAE or Saudi data that must stay in-country, case by case, per compliance.
How do permissions move?
To Azure Files or Amazon FSx, permissions move as they are: both support Windows access control lists, and copy tools such as Robocopy keep them. To SharePoint or Google shared drives, folder permissions are rebuilt as site, library or shared drive membership. We map old groups to new ones before copying, which is also a chance to remove access that should not exist.
What does a cloud file server cost per month?
If you move to SharePoint or Google shared drives, storage is usually covered by the Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace plan you already pay for. Google Workspace Business Standard, for example, includes 2 TB of pooled storage per user. Azure Files and Amazon FSx charge for the storage and performance you provision. We price your actual data volume after the scan.
Is our data stored in-country?
It depends on the target. Azure Files can sit in UAE North or Qatar Central, AWS options in the UAE or Bahrain, and Zoho WorkDrive in Zoho's UAE data centre. Google Workspace lets you pin covered data only to the US or Europe. Saudi files can stay in the Kingdom on Huawei Cloud Riyadh or Google Cloud Dammam. No provider of the four has a region in Oman or Kuwait.
Will staff have to learn a new way of working?
A little, if you move to SharePoint or Google shared drives, because files open in the browser or sync through OneDrive or Drive for desktop instead of a drive letter. Most staff adapt within days. If you move to Azure Files or FSx, the mapped drive looks the same as before. We run short training sessions in English or Arabic for each department.
Retire your file server, keep your permissions
Send us the size of your shares and the apps that use them. We will reply with a target per share and a migration plan.