Online Backup - How Does It Work - Is It Really Better Than Tape?

"body">because the person worrying about it simply doesn't
Web-based storage service providers offer small andfully understand either the technology or the process.
medium-sized businesses with an alternative toIn fact, all stored data is encrypted before it's moved
backing up their data on tape, disk or hard drivesto the internet, and the data stays encrypted until
alone. For a monthly service fee - usually quitethe customer him- or herself needs to access it. Even
reasonable - business owners can schedule datathen, only the business has the encryption key
backups to be delivered via the internet and storedneeded to release the data to view. The level of
on disks at a storage service provider's data center.encryption is extremely high, as well. Online data
Once they understand how it works, many small tostorage companies most frequently use the same
medium-sized business owners eagerly accept theirtypes and levels of encryption utilized by large
IT manager's suggestion to move their data storagefinancial institutions and the federal government.
system to the services of a web-based storageAnother plus of online data storage is the time
provider. The reason why is simple: compared to thenecessary to recall whatever data is required.
costs of traditional backup systems (includingTypically, recovery time for data stored online is
hardware, various media and costly, constant humanmuch less than the time needed to recover from
interaction) the savings and benefits of an onlinetapes, CDs or zip drives. And with online data
backup system are impressive, in terms of dollars,storage, there's no IT personnel involved in either
man-hours and reliability.accessing or restoring ... no time spent picking up
Large companies usually have the IT budgetmedia from an off-site storage facility and bringing it
necessary to pay for on-site backup systems and aback to the office ... no time spent searching for the
full-time, 24-hour staff to handle backups andright tape and then downloading it to a server ... no
restores. However - even though their data is just ashuman error and no salaried time wasted on the
critical to success - most small businesses usuallymundane (but necessary) machinations of manual
don't have the money to pour into that kind of datadata retrieval.
storage system. There's hardly money for even aConsidering the time, personnel and budgetary
dedicated backup server - forget about a dedicatedsavings of using an online data storage system
IT staff. The sad reality is that, most often, a smallinstead of media-oriented in-house backups, it's no
business' IT staff is so overloaded with andsurprise that so many small to medium-sized business
overwhelmed by the many, vital tasks of managingowners are opting for this process in lieu of their old
the company's data on a daily basis that theyreliance upon media-based storage. The speed,
frequently shove running backups to a back burner,reliability and cost-savings of online data storage so
just hoping they'll get to it before disaster strikes.far outpace the budgetary, personnel and space
There's no worry about security of data in the handsrequirements of media-based systems that online
of a reliable online data storage company, either.backup is poised to replace media backups as the
When that concern is voiced, it's almost alwayssystem of choice in today's business world.