Cloud Data Backup

“Backup Personal Data Using a Cloud Backup Solution” “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that will not work.” (Thomas Edison). His words take on a new life as we explore the technology of backing up personal data. Choosing the method of backing up computer and mobile device data can be a difficult challenge. There are dozens of data backup solutions available in the market today ranging from external drive backups, to cloud backup services. The best solution of backing up personal data is a cloud backup service as they are inexpensive and trouble free. A cloud backup service backs up data to multiple remote, cloud-based servers. The server shares Internet infrastructures with other computers within the cloud. The backup can be uploaded or downloaded to any server that is connected to the cloud. Cloud services are one of the most technologically advanced solutions available in this target market. Iron Mountain claims that cloud data backup services are as uncomplicated as “Set-it-and-go”. The cloud backup service companies are successfully deploying services to businesses and private individuals by keeping the task simple, easy to use and based on the latest technologies. On the contrary, other backup products are clumsy and produce inconsistent results. The cloud backup products are attractive and convenient; they deliver a complete product that is flexible and easy to use. Completing a full cloud backup service is easier than buying installing backup hardware. A provider should be selected based on the number of devices that require back up and the capacity required. Most plans range from $80 per year for sixty Gigabytes up to $249 per year for a total of 250 Gigabytes of storage. The Cloud backup service is easy to start, and there are many providers to choose from such as SugarSynch, and Amazon Cloud Drive. The next step is to select a service, open an account, and then download the cloud application to the devices needing backups. The backup begins by dragging the files to the backup folder, and the backup is complete. The files automatically refresh if updated. The updated copy of the file is now available on all devices on this account. The service also provides methods of sharing files privately to selected individuals. The backups are encrypted when uploading to keep all data transfers safe and secure. In sharp contrast, the process of installing equipment for manual backups are based on factors of technological expertise, knowledge, concentration and a little luck. Statistically, “6% of all PCs will suffer an episode of data loss in any given year. The number of PCs used in US businesses "in 1998" translates to approximately 4.6 million data loss episodes. At a conservative estimate, data loss cost US businesses $11.8 billion in 1998.” (Data Loss) Many years ago, a friend of mine was working at a hard drive company as a technical support technician. The service call scenario followed something like this. The customer requested help in upgrading a computer by adding another hard drive. The customer told the technician that there was data on the first drive that was the only copy of data that he had. The technician asked the customer if he had completed good backup because the next step will delete all files. Before the customer could respond, the technician began rushing the customer through the installation steps, as he had required a potty break. He then asked if he could excuse himself for a moment. When the technician returned, the customer asked, was I supposed to format the C or D drive? The technician responded with silence. Both knew immediately that he directed the customer to format the wrong drive. Consequently, the data is permanently irretrievable. The attempt to backup the hard drive failed due to the carelessness of an inexperienced technician and a lack of expertise on the user’s side. Backing up files by using a cloud backup service is safe, secure, and simple; backing up with other products may be a mistake because of inexperience, and the low success rate of manual backups. Proponents of manual backups argue that backing up data to the cloud is too expensive and backing up data to a personal backup drive is perfectly safe. The cost of an external drive and software would equal $350 dollars. The cost of the equipment for the personal backup is equal to one-year service of a cloud data backup service and give 16 times the capacity for growth. Although this may be true, Iron Mountain white paper points out data backups relocate off site away from the source backup to protect it from disasters that would destroy the external drive or backups. Secondly, backups take time to complete. Thirdly, external drives can fail as stated by “Back Up and Restore” that hard drives fail at an average of 1.7 % within a year of purchase, and more than 8.6 % of drives fail after three years. Computer viruses claim 7 percent of data loss. The investment of $350 is an acceptable cost if a successful backup completes. However, the cloud data backup services are operational twenty-four by seven updating every file to every device. The Cloud backup services update all changed files to multiple cloud servers making it virtually impossible to experience loss of data. In Conclusion, choosing the cloud data backup solution is the correct choice. The solutions provide safe backups for the subscribers. It removes the unneeded burden from the user and places it directly on a capable service organization. The cloud backup data duplicates to multiple locations and encrypts data for the protection and integrity of the information. All data can be modified, and the cloud automatically backs up the file updates of all of the devices seamlessly. In closing, Joseph Campbell said it best “Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” Do not get caught up in the notion that everyone must feel the pain associated with doing your own backups. It is a daunting task with little to no forgiveness.

Works Cited

Edison, Thomas “A Collection of Some of the Finer Technology- Computer Quotes”. PCs N Dreams. Dell, “n.d.” Web. 29 March 2013. http://www.pcsndreams.com /Pages/TechQuotes2.htm
“Data Loss Statistics” Boston Computing Network
“n.d.”. Web. 29 March 2013 <http://www.bostoncomputing.net
/consultation/databackup/statistics/>
Campbell, Joseph. “Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” “Brainy quote BookRags Media Network”<http://www.brainyquote.com
/quotes/topics/topic_computers.html>

Cited: Edison, Thomas “A Collection of Some of the Finer Technology- Computer Quotes”. PCs N Dreams. Dell, “n.d.” Web. 29 March 2013. http://www.pcsndreams.com /Pages/TechQuotes2.htm “Data Loss Statistics” Boston Computing Network “n.d.”. Web. 29 March 2013 &lt;http://www.bostoncomputing.net /consultation/databackup/statistics/&gt; Campbell, Joseph. “Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” “Brainy quote BookRags Media Network”&lt;http://www.brainyquote.com /quotes/topics/topic_computers.html&gt;