How Cloud Backup Solutions Could Work for You: Unlimited & Easy
There are a lot of options out there when it comes to cloud backup and cloud storage services, but how does cloud storage work, and what features should you look for? Do all solutions work for the kind of data you need to back up? Get the low down on cloud backup and cloud storage by navigating below.
The fee is calculated by the amount of data being stored. Usually, the quantity of data storage is measured in the unit of gigabytes. A gigabyte of storage is equal to roughly 200 songs that are 5 minutes each. Additionally, 1 gigabyte of storage is equal to roughly 7 minutes of HD-TV video. Different cloud providers will have differently priced plans. Some of the top cloud storage providers include Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM.
1. The Beginning of Cloud Storage
2. Advantages of Cloud Storage
3. Disadvantages of Cloud Storage
4. Should You or Your Business Use Cloud Storage?
How Cloud Storage Solutions Began
It is thought that the idea of cloud storage originated from a man by the name of Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider. He wanted to allow people to be connected with their information at any time, no matter where they went. He created ARPANET which was the first type of cloud computing system to ever be used, but it didn’t really utilize cloud storage. Later, in 1983 a company called Compuserve began allowing its customers to purchase a small amount of disk space that they could upload data to, and store it there. In 2006, Amazon Web Services rolled out their cloud storage service. Since the early 2000’s, many different companies began developing and using cloud storage.
Advantages of Cloud Solutions
One of the advantages of cloud storage solutions is that it allows companies to become much more environmentally friendly. Not only will it reduce the amount of paperwork that is being used within a company, but it can also significantly decrease the amount of energy being used by a company.
Enterprise Cloud Backup Solutions in Case of Disaster
Cloud storage solutions also provide the advantage of protecting a company against natural disaster, as well as a computer malfunction. If the data was being stored on the computers, or in paper form, it could be easily destroyed. When stored on the cloud, it is normally backed up by multiple servers within the cloud storage provider.
Cloud Photo Backup and Online Storage
One more advantage of cloud storage solutions is that it allows information to be accessed virtually anywhere that has an internet connection. This makes it easy to view photos, videos, or any other types of data, anywhere in the world. It is great for personal use, as well as for businesses that travel a considerable amount.
Cloud solutions in general have become the preference for many companies, with most investing in cloud storage and backup for company data and processes.
Disadvantages of Cloud Solutions
Enterprise cloud backup solutions can be very expensive to implement in the beginning, especially for small to mid-size companies that have never made the switch, but still require large amounts of data storage.
Cloud Security with Online Backup and Storage Solutions
A disadvantage of cloud storage solutions is that there are many hackers that are constantly trying to access sensitive data. There are many different cloud storage providers, and some offer much better cloud security than others. Certain cloud storage providers make cloud security their priority, and others make their priority to be user-friendly. A company or individual should always be careful when uploading sensitive information to the cloud.
One other potential disadvantage of cloud storage is that you are trusting a provider to ensure that your information is always available. If there is a power outage or a server malfunctions, the data may not be able to be accessed for a prolonged period of time.
Should Your Business Be Using Cloud Storage and Backup Programs or Services?
Before searching for cloud backup business or enterprise services, understand what the needs of your company is first, especially in regard to data retention and security. If you handle sensitive data regularly, cloud security is probably a high priority. If you’re mainly worried about online backup and storage without needing to worry about sensitive data, then your focus may be more on unlimited backup storage solutions.
