Why You Should Back Up Your Files Online

Back in college on of my friends almost didn’t graduate when his computer crashed two weeks before the thesis deadline. Without any other copy, except for the few unedited pages he had printed out, he was stunned and didn’t really feel like finishing his thesis anymore. If his cousin wasn’t able to retrieve most (not all) of his thesis files from the hard disk I’m pretty sure he would have stayed for one more semester in college.

Stories like this are more common than the victims of “files gone missing” and “crashed PCs” would like to remember. This is why whether your important files may be work related or personal files it is very important to have a back up to resort too when things go wrong. While you can always backup your files in your laptop, flash disk, an external hard drive or on CDs and DVDs, there are so many factors that can lead to these back up methods failing you. Portable objects can get stolen or lost anytime. They can also just not work (Thank God the era of the floppy is gone…) for some mysterious reason. In worst case scenarios, disasters like floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and fire can destroy them. By regularly backing up your files they will be safe from theft and your poor memory. And in case a disaster strikes the backup service provider’s servers they will be held liable so that you will at least be compensated.

How Online Backup Works

The whole concept of online backup revolves around an online backup service provider offering storage space to their clients which can be used to store data. Those who need to backup their files need only sign up for an account with the service provider and login to their website. Once there an online backup utility is set up before the files needed to be backed up are uploaded. Setting up the backup software is often very easy and takes little time. Uploading files can take more time depending on the size of the file to be uploaded. For online backup to be foolproof regular uploading of files is needed otherwise those that weren’t uploaded and lost cannot be retrieved. The good thing about online backup is that the files are retrievable anywhere at anytime as long as you can get on the internet.

Cost of Backing Up Your Files Online

There are online backup services that offer space for free but most charge an annual service fee. Those that offer free their services for free are reliable enough though the space offered is usually, like the price, minimal. While for some people it might be enough those that need bigger space, especially if the data is business related, really do need to subscribe to a backup service that charges a fee. The problem with that is that most online backup service providers charge a steep rate with rates as high as $30 for just 50Mb worth of space! With rates like that you might as well just settle for your GMail account to act as your backup system.

Because of this is it very important that you shop around for backup services that charge competitive rates yet offer quality service. A good online backup service, acknowledged by tech magazines such as PC World, ArsTechnica, and Smart Computing, is Mozy. Mozy offers a free solution for those who only need only 2GB of space, a pro home solution with unlimited space, and a pro solution for businesses. The good news is that the Mozy Pro for Home is priced at only $4.95 a month while the Mozy Pro for Businesses priced at only $3.95 per month for licences and additional $0.50 / GB per month for storage. This is a far cry from the more than a dollar per gig plans of other online backup services.