| A sudden, emergency situation can disrupt normal | | | | to an online date storage and retrieval service. |
| business transactions like nothing else - and that's | | | | In practical terms, what this meant for my associate |
| especially true if much of ones business is conducted | | | | was that a huge chunk of his small business was now |
| online and the emergency requires leaving computers | | | | fully protected from fires ... floods ... earthquakes ... |
| and stored data behind. With an online data storage | | | | from any kind of natural disaster that might threaten |
| system that's one less thing to worry about as the | | | | his extensive and valuable database and online sales. |
| situation unfolds, because the data is stored online | | | | No matter what might happen to his physical plant, |
| and is always available to the business owner. | | | | the business of accurately and reliably receiving, |
| A month or so ago, on one day there were over | | | | acknowledging and fulfilling customer orders would |
| 200 wildfires raging simultaneously in the state of | | | | continue without a glitch. |
| Florida. Many of them were in uninhabited, remote | | | | Similarly, his extensive records of client history and |
| areas - but at least a few were creeping close | | | | information, along with all his other company data, are |
| enough to a business associate's offices over on the | | | | likewise protected by the same online data storage |
| western side of the peninsula that government | | | | system. |
| officials issued an area evacuation advisory. | | | | That's because instead of sending backups to a tape |
| My first concern, of course, was for the physical | | | | attached to an on-site server, data is sent to |
| safety of my friend and others in the area. But once | | | | another computer safely off-site and are always |
| that was ascertained, knowing that a good 85 to | | | | accessible via a key code known only to the business |
| 90% of his sales are conducted online, I voiced | | | | owner. No one has to remember to do the backup, |
| concern about his business, should the proximity of | | | | either; it's automatically done, each and every day. |
| the fires prevent him from entering his offices for | | | | No human errors. No dropped or corrupted data. |
| any length of time. | | | | Nothing physical to lose or have damaged. No "all |
| To my surprise, he almost chuckled at my concern! | | | | eggs in one basket" panic should something |
| "I've got a million serious 'what ifs' to worry about | | | | unexpected and uncontrollable occur. |
| right now," he said, "but thankfully, daily sales | | | | It's hard to imagine anything safer and more secure |
| transactions and customer service aren't on the list." | | | | than that -- come what may in the arena of natural |
| The reason why, he explained, is that several months | | | | disasters with the potential to dismantle or destroy a |
| ago he had stopped using on-site, tape backups of | | | | business. |
| customer and other business data and had switched | | | | |