Is Remote, Online Data Storage Really Necessary?

>conducted with the help of databases on your own
The need for reliable, authentic data backup is real --servers, on your own premises, supplying relevant
but the "why" of choices made is often hopelesslycustomer and business information. Any significant or
obscured for business owners by endless truckloadsrecurring glitch in this service instantaneously
of technical jargon understood only by the geeks.translates to poor customer relations, loss of
Most business owners today would wind up inbusiness and a sullied business reputation.  Any way
"rubber rooms" in a hurry were it not for theiryou look at it, loss or corruption of customer data is
Information Technology (IT) people.  How manygoing to cost your business time and money -
CEOs out there actually speak or understandwhether it's in lost or inaccurate sales or in server
"Techie" or the reasons why they need what ITdowntime to find and fix the errors.
says they need?Remote, offsite backup essentially functions in the
No one's challenging the importance or value of asame way regular tape backups do - but with one
good IT Department in today's business world - butmajor - and important - difference. Instead of
top management really should understand at least thesending backups to a tape or to another drive
basic reasons IT makes the choices and decisions itattached to your on-site server, data is sent to
makes.  So, in plain English, here's why online, offsiteanother computer safely off-site. No one has to
data storage should be given serious thought.remember to do it, either; it's automatically done,
Consider how crippling (and painful) would it be if youreach and every day.
business suddenly lost all its files.  Customer data ...Even if you already utilize a tape backup system,
customer orders ... your own business data....  Justincorporating a remote backup system as well makes
imagining what it would be like is enough to sendsound business sense. Critical files (such as customer
most business owners into a panic - and rightfullycontacts, billing data, client databases, etc.) can be
so.  Yet many (if not most) businesses put theirkept on the remote backup system. Your tape
commercial lives at risk online every single day -- andsystem then can be used to create a full backup of
aren't even aware of doing so.the system just once a month or so. Doing this, your
In a business sense, if in no other, ignorance moston-site tapes will last longer - and the drive will require
definitely is not bliss.  With the explosion ofless maintenance - while the remote backup gives
commerce on the internet, competition is fiercer thanyou quick and easy retrieval of critical files and
it has been ever before in history.  In today'sdatabases as needed.
business climate, it's absolutely essential that yourWith online backup, smooth functioning of online
online business operate without fail day and night,transactions supplying crucial customer and business
every day of the year -- because if error messagesinformation is assured. A good remote online backup
or downed servers or other glitches greet potentialservice keeps your data safe and secure in remote
customers when they access your site, your manylocations and allows you to access, update, and
competitors are just a simple mouse-click away,recover important files and documents without your
ready and eager to snatch them out of your hands.business suffering downtime or lost customers.
Your every day, online dealings with customers are