Picking Out an Online Backup Service

The loss of valuable data is every computer user'sfrom the slew of offerings out there? A valuable
nightmare. Whether it's Grandma Sally's 95th birthdaysuggestion for evaluating an online backup service
pictures, the email from your biggest client detailingcan be summed up in these criteria: speed of data
their acceptance of your bid, or your patient historytransfer (you to them, and them to you), location of
at the dentist's office, every industry at every levelthe storage facility (is it important that the company
has a need for secure, redundant and mostis driving distance to you? In-state?), and software
importantly, offsite backup systems for their data.capabilities/features to restrict or control the
Electronic vaulting, online vaulting and data protectionfrequency and access level for online backup for the
are some of the terms synonymous with onlineother people in your company.
backup of data. Why go online? Well, physicalSome users also find it's important to know what
backups of data are usually restricted to the locationsecurity measures the online backup company
of the main server. This means copies of yourprovides for the archived data. To borrow from an
PowerPoint presentation might be stored on the USBearlier example, you may be more concerned with
drive in your desk, but if a flood hits your officethe stability of the system than its security, if your
(knock on wood), both original and backup are gonegoal is to preserve family photographs. However if
in a flash. This is why online backup services are nowyou are storing patient information for your dental
being offered to companies as an add-on to theiroffice, then online security will also play a large part in
existing data protection plans.your selection of a backup provider.
So, how do you pick out an online backup service