Online Backup Service

You've often heard the advice to backup regularly. But what if your external hard disk is full?

Welcome to the world of online backup service, where you are able to store your data on another server. This way, even if your hard disk, external hard drive, or CDs and DVDs are full, you can still easily make a copy of your files. And since it's an online service, you can simply connect to the internet to backup and restore your files.

Some companies offering this service are:

eSureIt
Box.net
iDrive.com

Typically, such companies offer a free account where you are given smaller storage space (compared with paying customers). An example of a paid account is iDrive Pro, which gives you 150 GB of space for only $49.50 a year. (If you're planning to use GMail, $50 a year gives you a 25 GB mailbox.)

Other online backup companies charge monthly or annual fees. Examples of such firms include Mozy and Carbonite, and they offer an "unlimited" amount of space for your backups. I say "unlimited" because... do you have the bandwidth to upload hundreds of gigabytes per day? Probably not.

But if you're just trying to save your email and text files, you won't need too much space. I haven't tested those services, though, but if you have a lot of photos, you can stress test their unlimited offerings.

So, for your added protection, don't just backup your files near your location. It helps to have remote backup copies of your data, to protect you in case of fire or natural calamities. And what better place to store your information than online, on a server that's probably outside your country. If you're handling your Disaster Recovery Plan, this is something you might wish to look into.

[ First posted on 10/24/2008 by Manuel Viloria ]