Backing up your information is important, necessary, and something most people just don’t do often enough. If you take a moment a think about it, you have a lot of information stored on your computer that has value you can’t even put a dollar amount to, such as all those photos or documents. Then there is information on your computer that does have a lot of value. Think about all that music or all those movies you have sitting on your hard drive. If you’re like most people, you may have thousands of dollars in music and movies sitting on your hard drive.
Online data storage can be the ideal solution for someone who is looking to back up all of this important information. No matter how you decide to back up your information, it is important to consider doing so immediately. Don’t wait till a virus, hacker, or a crashed computer erases everything on your hard drive before you start thinking online data storage.
What Is Online Data Storage?
If you are familiar with an external hard drive, then you can think of online data storage as along the same lines serving the same purpose. Online data storage allows you to back up all of your information with an online data storage company. The reason this option appeals to a lot of people is because in the event fire or theft, or other catastrophe, you may lose not only your computer but also the external hard drive you put everything on. Having your information safely backed up with on online data storage provider can give you the peace of mind of knowing that you information is somewhere securely tucked away with a 3rd party server.
How Does it Work?
Online data storage can also be a very easy way of backing up your data without trying to figure out how to use an external hard drive. An online data storage company will usually have you download a program that walks you through selecting what it is you wish to back up. The program will then automatically upload all of this selected information onto an external server at the company location.
Once the online data storage site has uploaded all over your information, they will then be able to enroll you in a systematic upload that can take place once a week, month, or whenever you choose. This will allow the program to use your secure internet connect to upload any new files or data that needs to be added to the back-up files.
Is It Expensive?
Surprisingly, online data storage can be relatively cheap to purchase. Many companies will offer a few different packages that provide different perks. Some packages will work better for people with multiple computers or people who are looking for online data storage for their companies.
Most individual users of online data storage spend around $6.00 a month for the service. The argument is sometimes made that you should just spend the money on an external hard drive. External hard drives can cost around $100 and do have their benefits. However, if you don’t have $100 up front, then spending just a few bucks a month might be the better option for your tight budget.