Online storage services

Devising a Data Storage Plan for your Startup business

A startup business owner should be particular about optimizing resource usage under all circumstances. Devising an effective online or offline data storage plan for your startup business is very important. Improper planning can cost you in terms of time, effort, and money in the next few months. While many new entrepreneurs are trusting online storage services for their data storage needs, it is always a good idea to take a closer look at all possible storage needs.

Given below are the most common benefits and techniques of devising a data storage plan for a growing business like yours –

• You need to prioritize your data according to criticality, access frequency, etc. Not all data gathered and produced by your startup organization is important. Similarly, you don’t have to access all customer records all the time. You need to prioritize your data according to the number of times you need to access something on a particular day or month. Also, it is important to classify data according to its importance. This will help you choose a suitable plan for storing and monitoring data.
• You need varying levels of security for the different data your startup business accumulates on a daily basis. Some of your business data demands highest care, and you need to devise appropriate methods and techniques to protect it. You must assign the task of taking regular backups to someone in your company to ensure the safety of such data. Several online storage companies allow automated backup features. Your troubles of creating regular backups of business data are addressed a great deal through such features.
• Over the next few years, data accumulated by your startup business will grow a great deal. No matter what the current situation is, you must think about your future data storage needs. If you are planning a business expansion or modification in the near future, you should take that into account when formulating a data storage plan. For example, it makes no sense to purchase expensive external hard drives if they will run out of space in the next six months. You need to think of something more reliable in terms of cost and service.

Consider the total cost of service or purchase. As a startup company, you need to minimize your operational costs. Paying a small fee for a large server space is a good idea. Most startup business owners prefer to rent server space through online storage services for the same reason.

Photo via visual velocity pc

The 85 Best Online Storage Articles and Blogs

1.     TechMaish -  How can your business benefit by using online storage applications? Find out here!

2.      Mt-soft.com – Learn about the benefits of Diino’s free online tools with 2 GB of free data storage.

3.      Hacknmod – The top 10 online storage solutions are here at Hacknmod.com. Discover what fits your data needs best.

4.      Living Onlines – FileQube offers free online storage where you can secure and share files.

5.      Freewaria.com – If you don’t do your research when using your free online storage mediums, you may be subject to losing your data! Check out this story to find out more!

6.      Onsoftware –  Elena Santos describes the top free online storage tools here. Discover what there is to offer.

7.      Techlivez – Read the review of Microsoft’s SkyDive for 5 GB of free online storage space.

8.      Opengiga – Want to know about Opengiga’s favorite 60 free online storage services? Come check it out.

9.      Movie and Gadget Review – Another review of Microsoft’s new service SkyDrive.

10.  Linux and Friends – Here they have collected a few popular free online storage services which provide value to the home user. All these online storage services offer a free package with some storage space restrictions and charge a small amount for a premium package which does not have any restrictions.  Usually most home owners can do using the free package.

11.  Virturoff – 2 GB of online picture storage for free!

12.  I Love Free Software – This site evaluates 3 free unlimited online free photo storage and photo sharing websites. I Love Free Software outlines the differences between the sharing capabilities and highlights benefits of using all of them.

13.  Netbook Freeware – is a free application by which you can turn your online email accounts to online file storage. This online file storage is very helpful for sharing all your files and folders with multiple PC’s that too very easily.

14.  Tricks-Collections -  Get 50 GB of online storage with this new software. Read about the benefits of online storage here!

15.  Itstechsense – Looking for the Mecca of free software sites? This collaboration of information combines a plethora of different types of free software.

16.  What On My PC – This set of articles describe the benefits of Google storage, Linoit and Google Chrome. This site also features hundreds of articles for the technology lover!

17.  Carol’s Vault – Come to Carol’s Vault to find over 30 file share and drop bookmarks including a variety of other useful information regarding data storage.

18.  Aksgeek – read all about how to back up your data using your email address!

19.  Ghacks – Wuala takes a unique approach to secure online storage. Read about the free storage opportunities and more at Ghacks!

20.  Dottech – Dot Tech shares a link to a free online backup trial. Find out more freebie software information here!

21.  JTBworld – Protect your photos using online storage.

22.  Tech Bliss Online – Here they review some of the best free cloud storage solution providers that include Google Docs, Windows Live Sky drive, Box.net, Dropbox, and ADrive to store, access, manage, view and edit files of all types!

23.  Tech Hail – Read about Tech Hail’s 15 best online backup services with many opportunities for free cloud computing.

24.  Techknowl – Check out this review of the best free online backup services out there.

25.  Techmixer – Read all about free file synchronization software on TechMixer!

26.  Techiequest – Read all about free cloud hosting services for desktop applications here at Techiequest.

27.  Crashtestchix – Read all about how the early bird catches the cloud!

28.  Ask A Tech Teacher – Want to learn all about cloud computing? Come here to browse the articles and links compiled by a tech teacher in her virtual classroom.

29.  Ask Bill First – Bill asks “how valuable is your data”? Read this article to help you determine this for yourself.

30.  Bill Mullins – Come here to read all about free data recovery tools and much more. The plethora of innovative and technology savvy articles will astound you!

31.  The Crazy World of G – Read all about cloud computing services here at the Crazy World of G!

32.  Gizmodo – Read about 32 ways to secure your digital life here at Gizmodo!

33.  Arstechnica – Here is a review of online backup solutions at your disposal.

34.  Tech Teach Too – Not sure what “cloud computing” actually means? Come here and read this short and sweet article.

35.  TTCshelbyville – Learn all about cloud computing, online storage options and virtual appliances in this list of articles provided by TTCShelbyville.

36.  Big Geek Daddy – This site hosts links of free software for data recovery, online storage and much more. Come here and browse what the internet has to offer… for free!

37.  Billpstudios – Read about the advantages of backing your data up using the cloud and a home server.

38.  Tech Dirt – Do you know about your legal rights regarding privacy for information stored online? If not, come here to join and discuss the ongoing debate.

39.  Walt Mossberg – Wall Street Journal writer, Mossberg, discusses everything under the cloud.

40.  The PC Informant – The PC Informant offers a variety articles regarding technology. This link introduces a video regarding the new and improved Good Docs application.

41.  Technologizer – Microsoft has just recently brought OneNote to the iPhone. Read about the new applications and online storage capabilities here.

42.  Free Software Lists – Read about free data recovery and backup options including Smart Data Recovery.

43.  Tech Jaws – Discover how incremental forever backups work here at TechJaws!

44.  Scoroncocolo – Learn about online backup strategies, cloud desktops and alternatives for free!

45.  HD Doctor – Go to HD Doctor to find a list of free remote file sharing and storage along with backup capabilities.

46.  Renesys – Earl Zmijewski addresses some burning questions regarding cloud computing.

47.  How to Geek – Learn all about AOL’s Xdrive in the Online Storage Series on How to Geek.

48.  Evil Fantasy – Come here to learn about data loss, recovery and prevention and use the links to find free tools for doing so.

49.  404techsupport – Here, Jason Hamilton will teach you all about music distribution while using cloud computing!

50.  Technize – It’s always important to choose the safest method of backing up the important data. Read this article to discover the top 3 best online backup services… for free!

51.  Channel 9 – Want to backup your mobile phone for free? Learn how at Channel 9!

52.  40Tech – Why should you backup your online accounts? Why backup to another online service? How secure is it? Is it really free? Find the answers to your questions and more.

53.  Tech Goes Strong – Read about the best sites that allow you to share your photos online for free (with unlimited storage!) Avid digital photographers should take full advantage!

54.  4sysops – Read about the 4 golden backup rules, free storage services, recent cloud computing features and much more.

55.  Achugh’s Blog – Learn about free lifetime backup for Gmail, Facebook and Twitter in order to secure your online life.

56.  Addictive Tips – Do you know about Amazon S3? The idea behind is to let user create independent cloud and to address online cloud storage limitations by offering an intuitive mechanism in which files and folders can be safeguarded on different storage planes.

57.  Ask Bob Rankin Are you running out of storage space on your hard drive? Are you on a tight budget and considering using a free online storage tool to offload some files? Find out which sites Bob Rankin recommends.

58.  Barrys Best Blog – Barry recommends DocStoc for online storing. Discover why by reading his technology blog here.

59.  Beep The Geek – Figure out the best free online data storing websites recommended by Beep the Geek.

60.  Bloody Computer – Do you want to know more about Dropbox? Come to Bloody Computer to figure out if this may be the best option for you.

61.  BNET –When it comes to online file storage, the Internet is getting more robust and reliable all the time. Here are ways to take advantage of the cloud in your own business. Read about the top cloud storage picks of 2010.

62.  Life Hack – Life Hack provides a list to 90 online file storage services, many of which are free to the user. Come check out this extensive list and read about other relevant technology topics.

63.  Computelogy – Learn about what Dell has to offer when it comes to online storage.

64.  Techishare – Learn about Dreamhost’s reliable backup services that often offers free backup for a limited amount of GB.

65. Techno360 – Looking for a business edition for online storage? Come here for your free download that has a multitude of features.

66.  Cnet – With nearly 800 online storage services listed, there is no way you couldn’t find one to use! Check it out.

67.  Computer Hope – Where should you store your long term data? Here is a list of unique sites that allow online data storage.

68.  Crazzy Cool – Why worry about formatting your hard drive? Backup your digital life using these tips.

69.  The Freeware Junkie – Read about The Freeware Junkie’s favorite online storage device and other tips regarding cloud computing.

70.  Mister Reiner – Read Mister Reiner’s review of Microsoft Office Web Applications. You may be surprised!

71.  MrinTech – Learn about the best free portable applications for online storage along with a variety of other mediums for storing data.

72.  Right Celebrity – Learn how to use Dropbox online storage across different digital devices with this quick and easy video!

73.  Technize –  Want to know to set up a Network Attached Storage and protect your families data? Of course, if you have money to spend, you can go to any computer store and buy a pre-built NAS device. But if you’re short on cash, you can also build your own for free. Learn how!

74.  Tech Piper – Check out Tech Piper’s reviews of Dropbox and Gmail online storage.

75.  Teckline – Get 50 GB of free storage from ADrive. Read a review here!

76.  Crenk – Read this article for the best free online tools for converting files.

77.  Daily Cup of Tech – Come here to compare online storage services!

78.  Inside-the-system -  Learn about the differences between cloud-based storage and Network Attached Storage systems here at Inside the System.

79.  Tech Guru – Read about P2P cloud computing, encryption concerns and more, here at Tech Guru.

80.  TechLounge 4 U – Read about the pros and cons of local vs. cloud computing here at TechLounge!

81.  Tech-nikz – Backupify proved that Gmail CAN run out of space. Check out this article.

82.  Extreme Tech – Extreme Tech asks “should you bother with online storage?” Find out their answer.

83.  File Guru – File Guru has a plethora of online storage articles. Browse through the multitude of information to find the answer to any question you may have.

84.  Geeks to Go – Come here to find a review of different storage mediums. Figure out what the best medium is for you and your data!

85.  Help Desk Geek – Learn why you can use NAS at home and the benefits of doing so.

Why is Online Storage becoming so popular?

People who have suffered from data loss in the past understand the importance of online storage services very well. If you have suffered due to a crashed hard drive in the past, you know how painful it is to lose all your precious documents, songs, and pictures in a few seconds. Online storage media has been very popular with students, home PC users, and SMEs due to the kind of facilities it offers. Here are the top reasons as why online storage is becoming so popular –

a) Automated recovery of data to an online server – A number of online storage companies are now offering services that support automated recovery. With desktop utilities, people can easily schedule and plan their backup operations in various small and medium scale companies.

b) Cheaper solutions for businesses – Several companies are able to make huge cost cuts with the help of online data backup services. A traditional tape backup system enables several companies to save on licensing fees, hardware and software costs, tape purchase, and human resources. For a low fee, companies can now afford as much online storage as they require. There is no need to pay a single penny for extra GB of space, as most companies are now charging according to the total data space occupied and monthly bandwidth consumption.

c) Safe and secure option to store data –Most small and medium scale businesses worry about the security of their data. It is important to save important business critical data in the best possible manner. All business organizations are now handling digital records for all their operations, and it becomes extremely important to backup all this data at a suitable location. A company cannot afford to lose precious data due to a theft, fire, or some other calamity. It becomes an absolute necessity to safeguard organizational data at all costs.

d) Ease of working with online storage services – Several companies need to take regular backups of their databases. These databases change several times in a single day, and creating regular backups is a great task in itself. Online storage companies have simplified this task of creating backups for businesses.

Online data storage services are becoming popular because people love the benefits that come along with them. Everyone likes the idea of accessing crucial data at any time from any place in the world. Moreover, these services are constantly evolving because of ongoing competition between several internet giants.

Why online storage is a great idea for students and home PC users

Students and home PC users are often spotted complaining about data loss. Several students and home PC users are irritated by the occurrences of data corruption due to viruses, Trojans and worms. Online backup storage offers great advantages in this respect, and that is the reason why students and home PC users from all over the world have now started using these services.

Here are the top reasons as to why students and home PC users are now making a shift toward online backup storage services –

a)      Online storage services provide uninterrupted supply from all places – Students and home PC users can access their documents, songs, pictures, and videos from anywhere in the world this way. Their data is stored in the servers of the data backup service provider, and accessing it through browsers over an IP connection is easy.

b)      Online backup storage is safe from all sorts of virus attacks – Data on various online servers is protected round the clock. Since companies offer data storage services as their main offering, they employ the highest level of physical and logical protection to save a customer’s data from thefts, natural calamities, and viruses.

The customer’s data is always given special treatment via the servers of online backup storage service providers. A number of companies maintain parallel copies of the same data on different servers to increase an additional layer of security against natural calamities.

c)       Online storage companies are now offering large volumes of storage for a small price -
Renting disk space on an online server is now very cheap. There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars to get GBs of secure online storage for precious documents and lifelong collection of data. Students find it very useful to store their documents online. For a few dollars, they get to enjoy a large volume of secure storage space online.

d)      Automated backup services – A number of companies are now offering automated data backup services with the help of additional desktop software. Once installed, this software simplifies the task of creating regular backups of a database or a folder a fixed number of times on a particular day. The idea of having software doing all the necessary backups to a highly secure location is great.

Internet speeds are increasing in all parts of the globe, and that is the reason why people are relying more on online backup storage services now.

Photo via flyscan

Storing Your Important Personal Data

You may not realize this, but your important personal data is prone to loss or damage in a number of ways. In order to keep your data safe, it is important to store it in a good manner by using a good storage medium. Online storage, for example, is a good option to keep your personal files and information safe. Read through the following discussion to know why storing personal data online can be your best option.

Computers At Risk

Your computer may get infected by a virus, and this may call for the need to format the main hard disk drive. What you can do is transfer the data stored in that disk to other hard disk partitions. However, a serious virus attack may pose a threat to the data lying in other partitions as well. You must quickly store your data to some safe location to save it from getting infected. You may use a storage medium depending on the size of data you wish to store.

USB Flash Drives & External Drives

For a small data size, you may choose a physical storage device like a USB drive or an external hard disk. However, you may not quickly find these devices available or you may have huge data to store. A good alternative is to choose a safe and reliable online storage option. Some storage providers on the web offer free storage space of up to a few gigabytes, but you have to ensure that they offer safe and secure sites for data storage.

It may so happen that you don’t get the time to store your data and it gets instantly affected by the virus. In other cases, the data may be accidentally lost or stolen by someone. A good idea is to use precautionary measures and create backups for your personal data. Search in advance and choose an online storage provider with support for automatic data backup creation. This automatically creates data backups without your intervention.

Media Sharing Websites

You can save your personal and family photos using various photo sharing websites that are very popular on the web these days. In the same way, you can upload your family and party videos to various video sharing websites. Make sure that you choose reliable websites for storing your valuable photos and videos.

Physical storage devices are not that bad, and you may choose them for an additional backup as well. However, online storage offers convenience and fast data recovery and access in case you lose your data. Online storage mediums are safer than physical devices in cases like fire accidents and natural disasters. Make efforts to protect your personal data in advance to ensure that it remains intact forever.

Photo via marypcb

What Types Of Files Should You Back Up Online?

Your computer contains many different kinds of information, and a truly complete data protection plan should take this into account. Below, I’ve included some of the most common files that a home or small business user might need to back up, and some suggestions about how this can be done effectively using cloud storage.

Flat Files and Documents – Yes

What I’m talking about here are everyday business files: Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Spreadsheets, etc…

These are the most common files that you would be backing up using an online backup service. Since these files will be changing regularly, you’ll want to pick an online backup solution that tracks historical versions of your data.

Most of the time, these files will be located – almost exclusively – in the “My Documents” folder or the “Desktop”. This is why most online backup services have these folders set as default.

However – if you save your working files to another folder – you’ll want to make sure to indicate these in the settings of your online backup application.

These files should also be set to back up “continuously”. In other words, the backups should be uploaded each time a document is saved.

Program Files – No

Since backups are usually meant for critical or irreplaceable files, you would not want to back up your program files using an online backup service. (Since you can always buy new copies from the store, they aren’t considered “critical”)

Also, backing up a program is pointless since it won’t allow you to actually recover the application. Unlike other documents, programs need to be installed on your machine in order to work.

Simply copying the executables won’t work.

A better solution would be to make an “image” of your system and save it to a DVD or other storage device. A system image is like a snapshot of what your computer looks like today. If your hard drive ever crashes, you can simply reload the snapshot and recover everything – including the operating system, settings and applications.

When creating a system image, it’s recommended that you save 2 copies. One at home and a second copy at another location… just in case.

The problem with this approach is that your system image will only be as current as your last snapshot. If you created this snapshot 6 months ago, you will still need to download all of your work for the last 6 months from your online backup service.

Email – Yes

When backing up, everyone seems to keep forgetting the PST files generated by MS Outlook.

Sure, your work documents might be protected, but losing 6 months of historical business interactions can be incredibly frustrating.

If your online backup service protects your data continuously, this might cause problems with your Outlook’s PST files since they change every few minutes. In order to avoid frequent unnecessary updates that might slow down your machine, you’ll want to ensure that your online backup provider allows you to isolate certain types of files (such as Outlook) for daily backups… while still backing up the others continuously.

Most online backup providers already offer this capability, but it’s still good to double-check.

Photos and Video – It depends

There is a lot of debate around this one. But here’s my take on it.

Since most pictures and videos will never change over time, they only need a single historical backup version. Files of this type are called “archival” documents, and are usually better suited for other types of storage.

In order to save money and (more importantly) ensure faster emergency recovery, you want to make sure that your online backups are kept as small as possible.

For only a few photos and videos, online backup is fine. But if you want to protect large amounts of these files online, I’d suggest getting an additional “online storage” or “online archiving” solution to complement your online backup service.

For larger businesses looking to back up their data online, there are many other factors that must be taken into account. But for home users and small business users, the tips listed above should be enough to cover most of the files you’re likely to come across.

About The Author: Storagepipe offers a comprehensive suite of online backup and data protection services for just about any type of system setup.

Selecting a Reliable Offsite Storage Service

Do you know that, every year, companies lose billions for lack of storage space to keep important official documents at the office premises and improper storage conditions? Taking backup of all the important data and storing them at a secure location will help protect your organization from any kind of disaster.  For companies that cannot afford the huge infrastructure cost involved with onsite, online storage can find relief in the form of reliable offsite storage services.

By taking advantage of offsite storage, a company can gain benefit from reduced operation cost, increases productivity of employees and helps the company during the times of audits and litigations. It is no big surprise that as offsite storage services are used by organizations for records management and archiving, they have been able to bring about a cut of almost 50 percent in the prices associated with storage space and record management.

Analyze Your Needs Properly

It makes no sense to start comparing online storage service providers as soon as you hear about some popular benefits from a friend in IT industry. Take your time before you make a decision. You need to shop around in order to find the best online storage provider in the market. Always remember the golden rule- that there are no one-for-all providers in the market. That is why you need to assess your data storage needs and priorities before making crucial decisions regarding a data storage service provider:

• Proper analysis of your organization’s specific online data storage needs can help you make cautious decisions. It is possible that your organization needs online accounts for all employees to access selected portions of organizational data. In such cases, you need to choose a provider that allows an administrator to create multiple accounts with varying privileges according to organizational hierarchy.
• Consult your human resources, operations, and IT services department before making any decision. It is always a good idea to introduce some operational changes or data management policy changes within an organization if possible. You can successfully introduce some new methods of procuring documents, customer data, or billing information when you sign up for an online storage service. Apply some innovative thinking, and you can introduce a number of cost effective changes in database management and overall data management policies.

However, care should be taken while selecting offsite storage services when looking for proper data backup to prevent any data theft or loss. Here are some tips that can help you select a reliable offsite storage service:

• Opt for a storage facility that provides a high level of security not only during data transfer, but also while storage. Select an online storage facility that makes use of 256 bits AES encryption during data transfer for fast, efficient, and secure data transfer. This encryption technique is being used for data storage by banks and all international organizations. Also, ensure that all the records and data being stored have a controlled access so that important information does not end up in wrong hands.
• A good offsite storage service provider stores records in a climate-controlled environment and have formulated a foolproof strategy to protect your documents from natural disasters. Your documents are protected in case of any natural or manmade calamity and even an effective recovery plan is in place so that no file of data is lost.
• Offsite data storage should be convenient to use and cost effective. One should be able to perform the backup of the data with the click of a house. Also, the data backup should be taken at the end of every day so that no information is lost. Many offsite storage services charge their client on monthly basis, which proves to be more economical to business owners.

Can your Data Storage Service Meet Demand?

Now that your organization is spending a reasonably big portion of its total Information Technology budget on data storage services, you need to assess such services for scalability as well. Not all data storage mediums are scalable, like online storage options. In fact, several small and medium scale organizations have outsourced their data storage needs to online storage companies. Here are the most important considerations that you need to keep in mind:

Is your data accessible at faster rates? Productivity will be much higher if access to data is not prevented in any manner. A number of data storage mediums will make employees wait for a few minutes or even hours before they are granted access to some much needed information and files. This delay leads to the loss of productivity. While a bandwidth problem within your organization can be solved by utilizing fiber optic channels, you will have to rely on online storage services if you want to avoid data organization delays as well. A small or medium scale organization cannot afford to spend heavily on maintenance and purchase of a server that manages all data in a certain order to allow faster access.

Is your data storage reliable and secure? A scalable data storage system must be able to keep all business data safe from various data loss risks. Also, the system should have a certain level of fault tolerance. A backup solution must have a multi-layered security structure to minimize chances of data loss, corruption, or theft.

In order to measure the scalability of any data storage medium, you need to gauge the scalability of performance, security, reliability, and expandability. It will help you have the right perspective when making crucial decisions regarding data storage selection or budgeting. Over the last one or two decades, storage technology has changed a lot. However, the basics of scalability have remained constant.

What you can expect with online data storage

This can be done easily, and if your server fails or you have a power outage, the information will still be retrievable. To get started, you only need to follow three simple steps:

● Open an account with a reputable company that provides storage service,
● Obtain the necessary security credentials, and
● Upload the files that you want to store for backup.

After that, you will be able to access the storage site at any time, verify when you last performed a backup, and proceed to do another one, if necessary. In addition, you will be able to call up these files from any computer without being concerned about security, as long as you have a viable Internet connection, no matter where you are. As an individual, you can obtain this service free of charge for personal use, but in this case, the storage space available to you will be limited.

Variations in storing information

You will find that, in general, online data storage space can be expanded without much difficulty. When you reach the “maximum capacity” level, you can buy additional space to meet your specifications without the need for any additional hardware. Also, if you use this service for businesses purposes, access to your important files can be password-protected, and this flexible resource is also a good way to share your photos, videos, and music with family members and friends at home.

One size does not fit all when it comes to storing your information, and if your data is in the non-sensitive category, basic online storage will be ideal in your situation. However, sensitive data usually requires two-factor authentication—such as user name and password—or data encryption, and if this is your concern, look for s vendor that will used advanced technology to keep your information secure and safe when it is being transmitted online. As a rule, the fee you are charged will be based on the amount of space you need, and the service will provide you with 24/7 monitoring and technical support in return.

Businesses and online data storage

On the job, various online interactions with customers and potential customers are accomplished with the use of databases on your company’s servers at your company’s location, and they supply essential business and client data. If any major or ongoing glitch enters the picture, this results in loss of revenue, a damaged business reputation, poor customer relations, and downtime needed to detect and correct the problem.

While you may already use a tape backup system on the premises, adding a remote one is also essential today to ensure that billing data, customer contacts and other critical files will not be lost. You can still use your tape system monthly to do a complete backup of your data, which means that it will require less maintenance and the tapes will not wear out as quickly. At the same time, your remote backup service will provide you with fast and easy retrieval of essential information whenever you need it.

Photo via Editor B

How to Start an Online Storage Business

In an age of information exchange, the world has to face the challenge of dealing with more and more data, sometimes even more than what it can handle. In a common situation, a personal computer is considered an excellent hub of data storage but only as long as it has memory capacity. This is where the importance of external storage is felt.

From external hard drives to CDs and DVDs, numerous ways of saving data and keeping it secure for later use have come up. But the newest on the block is online storage where one stores critical information with the help of an already hosted website. Considering the demand for online storage is extremely high, an increasing number of people are realizing the kind of chremetistic such a business could possibly have. If you too are keen to have your own online storage business, then here are a few things you need to keep in mind before taking the big plunge.

The first set of factors that you must be alert about consists of hardware and software. Since you will need to make certain monetary investments toward the growth of your business, you have to evaluate your budget carefully. Along with budget, the scale of the business is what should matter to you the most. Do you know who you want to target through your business? Depending on your budget, you should have a clear understanding of your target audience as well.

Now that you have decided to set up an online storage business, you can cater to households as well as small businesses. Depending on the kind of investment you can make for the business, you can target either of the two or even both. Once you are done with hardware installations, you can look into the software needs of your business. This is a department in any business that should not be neglected. When an online storage business is concerned, you need to have the right kind of software to facilitate data transfer to ensure that there is maximum client satisfaction.

An online storage business typically aims to serve people who use the Internet for most of their work. This means that you need to communicate to your audience the specialty of your business and why they would benefit from it. A good website is among the most important aspects to be taken care of if you are planning to start an online storage business. This will ensure your target audience learns about your business and starts exploring the services on offer.

Photo via iotae

52 Articles on the Benefits of Online Storage

Having your computer crash is an awful thing to experience. Often, you end up losing documents and personal files that you cannot retrieve. Even if you regularly backup your system to an external hard drive, you still run the risk of a failure of the hard drive. This is where online storage can come in handy. With online storage, copies of all of your files will be stored online. Even if your computer crashes, you will still have access to your data.

These articles provide insight into the benefits of using an online storage service. These kinds of services are an easy way to protect your personal files, pictures, music, and other documents from being lost or destroyed.

1. The Benefits of Online Collaboration – A look at how online storage services can allow you to collaborate with anyone, anywhere for business purposes.
2. Advantages of Online Backup – Discussion about the benefits of online backup services.
3. What Are the Benefits of Online Backup? – Information about how online backup services can help you.
4. Cloud Backup/Cloud Archiving – Discussion of online backup services and the importance of using one.
5. Online Storage vs. Document Management – Differences between the two and advantages of online storage.
6. Humyo Protects – Brief overview of how an online storage service protects against accidental deletion and loss of files.
7. Hidden Benefits of Cloud Storage – Discussion of five benefits that online storage can give to small businesses.
8. Importance of Online File Storage – Informative article on the advantages offered by using online storage.
9. Google Storage – A look at Google cloud storage and overview of the benefits of using such a service.
10. Online File Storage – Discussion of how groups perform better using an online file storage that allows for collaboration and file sharing.
11. Online Backup Services are Superior – Five reasons why online backup services are supposed to be better than home storage systems.
12. What is Online Data Storage? – An explanation of online storage and the advantages to using it.
13. Future of Online Storage – In-depth look at the amazing direction online storage might be headed.
14. Online Storage vs. Online Backup – An overview of the differences between the two and how they are successfully growing.
15. File Sharing and Large File Storage – Discussion of how file storage and sharing is available for personal use and the benefits of using a storage service.
16. How Traveler’s Benefit from Online Storage – A detailed discussion of how traveler’s can use online storage for storing photos.
17. Cloud Storage: Fast, Secure and Reliable – Article detailing the best features of online storage.
18. How Secure Is It? – A detailed look at the security of online storage services.
19. Your Business Needs Online Management Software – Seven reasons why a business should use an online storage service for storing and sharing.
20. Internet Storage: Friend or Foe? – Informative article with the advantages and disadvantages of internet storage.
21. The Economics of Online Backup – Information on various online storage services, including the pros and cons.
22. Online Storage – A look at how one storage service deceives its customers into having to subscribe, while highlighting the advantages of others.
23. Amazon S3 Online Storage – information about the online storage service offered by Amazon and some key features.
24. Can You Depend on Free Online Storage Services? – Interesting article about the reliability of online storage services with no fee.
25. Safe Deposit Box or Online Storage? – Brief look at which is considered more secure, along with reader opinions.
26. Google Storage vs. Others – Information on the benefits of Google online storage in comparison to other services.
27. Implications of Online Storage for Educators and Students – Insightful look at the benefits of online storage and changing technology.
28. Too Many Locations – Discussion about the problem of having too many places to spread your files online and ways storage services can address this to be more useful to people.
29. Shortcomings of Existing Online Storage – Discussion of the disadvantages of online storage, with a spin on how things can be improved.
30. How Online Storage is Useful for Business – The advantages of using online storage services for business purposes.
31. Online Storage DIY – Informative article on the synchronization feature of two online storage services and its ease of use.
32. Three Good Reasons for Online Storage – Three benefits that one particular online storage service offers.
33. Free Online File Storage – Descriptions of the benefits of several online storage services.
34. Online Storage Options – Brief look at available options for online storage and reasons for using it.
35. Difference Between Online Backup and Storage – Discussion of the differences, including pros and cons of each.
36. How to Choose Your Online Storage Vendor – Tips and advice on choosing the right online storage service and what you should look for in a storage service.
37. Storage: In House and In the Cloud – Information about the advantages to using online storage compared to offline storage.
38. Should I Use Free Online Storage? – Advice about the pros and cons of free online storage services.
39. Storage Mojo – Everything you could ever need to know about cloud storage, including its benefits and future.
40. How to Stand Out in a Sea of Storage Startups – Informative article on the changing face of online storage as each service tries to top the others.
41. Do I Need Online Backup Storage? – Information on how you can determine if you need online storage and how to choose the right one for your needs.
42. Six Questions to Ask about Online Backup – Six important things to consider when choosing an online storage service.
43. Five Factors to Consider When Choosing Online Storage – Information on five things to look for in an online storage service.
44. Affordable Online File Storage for Multiple Computers – Helpful information about online storage for more than one computer system.
45. Online Storage Options Compared – An informative look at the various features of different online storage services.
46. How to Use Online Storage – Helpful information on using an online storage service and a few key benefits.
47. Advantages of Online Storage Over Conventional Storage – Information on the advantages of using an online storage service instead of a regular method.
48. Offsite Backup Advantages – Information on the benefits of online storage over storage on site.
49. How to Live the Cloud Life – The benefits and highlights of using cloud storage for your file storage needs, including how you can better benefit from cloud storage.
50. Would You Trust Your Memories to a Web App? – Discussion on the good and the bad of online storage services.
51. Steps to Protect Yourself from Computer Data Loss – Information on ways to keep your date safe, including the use of online storage.
52. Advantages of Offsite Backup – A look at the importance of online storage in keeping data safe.

Image credits: cjc4454

Definition of Online Storage

Online storage refers to the service offered by numerous online businesses wherein users can upload, keep, and share every type of file such as video and audio, documents, and photographs. This service is alternatively known as Internet storage, hosted storage, or “cloud” storage.

Once uploaded and stored in the host’s servers, the user files can be secured with a password or a combination of passwords, or they can be shared to other specified users and even freely to the public depending on the user’s choice and the nature of the contents.

Online data storage caters to both individuals and businesses that need to store, manipulate, or simply back up important files conveniently. This method is an alternative to the more familiar means of storing electronic data through devices such as external drives, tapes, and flash drives.

Several online storage providers offer free services for smaller storage capacities, as well as paid storage for larger space requirements and more functionality. The prices for storage services vary as well depending on the space, duration of the service, and other features provided by the host.

Many people opt for this method of backing up or storing data for several reasons. Data stored online in the safety of a remote server is free from the risk of loss from natural disasters, fire, theft, or accidental deletion. Moreover, data stored locally in the user’s computer is vulnerable to loss or damage caused by computer crashes, virus attacks, or other forms of malfunction.

It is also easily accessible from any location with an internet connection. This is especially useful for travelers or people who work on several computers. Users who store large amounts of electronic data can also benefit from online storage since suitable alternatives such as higher-capacity hard drives might prove more expensive and relatively cumbersome to use.

When it comes to the exact amount of space that an online data storage host provides to its subscribers, again there are numerous options. Most of these companies offer a minimum of one gigabyte and a maximum of around one thousand gigabytes or one terabyte. Generally, such options work well for the personal data storage needs of individual users. For businesses, online storage companies typically offer unlimited space to accommodate greater amounts of data.

The price for storing or backing up data online usually corresponds to the amount of space provided and the particular arrangements entered into by the host and the user. Thus, free storage services mostly provide limited space and other features such as sharing or downloading options. Conversely, paid services provide greater storage space and other important functionality such as extended customer support, automatic data backup options, and the like.

In online storage, the data is uploaded to the host’s servers, which are securely located and constantly connected to the Internet for easy access and data retrieval. Incidentally, the user benefits more if he or she has a high-speed internet connection.

The security provided by online data storage is relative and dependent on the user preferences and options provided by the host. Companies that engage in this type of service provide ample protection for their clients’ data in the form of servers that are physically safe from exposure. These servers are likewise kept secure through the application of the latest encryption and password technology, and proactive electronic theft prevention software.

Nonetheless, the user is still responsible for breaches caused by careless password sharing or other inadvisable practices that lead to his or her online data being accessed by unauthorized individuals.

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