Online backups are a way of securely storing essential data on a remote computer. Of course, other media such as CDs, DVDs or tape could be used but they could be caught up in the same disaster scenario if stored on-site, or take a long time to retrieve if stored off-site.
What makes online storage so convenient is that, in the event of a catastrophic failure, which could be caused by myriad reasons, the information that is stored on the remote computer can be downloaded very quickly. The speed at which the data can be reacquired is limited only by one’s bandwidth. Therefore the online backup can be relied upon as a fail-safe way to ensure one’s corporate or private information is never lost. For any company that relies on data held on computer, which this days is every company and for those who travel often and need documents at their finger tips at short notice, online backups provide the perfect solution.
There is always a risk that info held on an individual PC could be lost. Unforeseen misfortunes connected with flood, fire, vandalism or even war could mean losing vital documents that may have cost millions to acquire. Entire sales and marketing campaign statistics or perhaps a whole years accounts could be lost at one fell swoop if no adequate off-site back up regime is in place. Backing up to cloud computers can take some of the stress and worry out of data loss scenarios. Once the routine is in place it is often carried out automatically with little input needed from the client I.T. staff.
There are two types of online backup. One is the Internet-based which is accessed via a browser. This is option is very simple to use and facilitates file-sharing in a convenient manner. Its downside is that the amount of data that can be transferred and stored is more limited than with option 2 below.
The second option is where the backup company provides software that allows sits on the client computer and allows the user to connect directly to the backup server
Of course, apart from convenience, the other great benefit of remote cloud storage of data is that it is very cost effective. Gone are the days where corporations all had to maintain vast computer departments full of servers. For a reasonable monthly fee these server rooms have been transferred and centralised. Hardware, software and repair costs are now the responsibility of the info storage company. Plus a portion of the biggest overhead for any business, staff wages, have been outsourced and greatly reduced.
Other fantastic features of online storage not afforded by other backup methods are that one can access data whenever and wherever required, and also the level of security is very high especially if encryption is incorporated in the plan. All in all, the benefits of online backups are many and the drawbacks very few.