Cloud Storage, Backup, and Other Services
For
Personal, Small Business and
Enterprise Use
Businesses are moving to Cloud solutions for backup, disaster recovery, and for normal business operations. For very simple requirements; e.g., for small amounts of Cloud Storage or Backup Storage, there are free options that can work for individuals and some small businesses. Some of the better free and low cost options; e.g., Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox, are discussed on the Comparison of some free Cloud Storage and Backup Options for Personal and Small Business Use page. All of these options have paid versions for those who need more space or functionality.
If you have any files that are important to you, whether they be photos, documents, spreadsheets, or whatever, you need a backup system. Storage devices fail from time to time. Even if you are unusually lucky and yours doesn't fail, files can be corrupted by a faulty program or by a virus or by ransomware. It's not unusual for people to destroy files accidentally and there is the possibility of a fire that destroys your PC, tablet or phone. Or, your storage device may be stolen or otherwise made unavailable. If you do not have a backup system in place, you should put at least one backup arrangement in place if you wish to assure you can continue to have access to your files. For many organizations, history tells us their business will fail if their data storage is lost.
Organizations are finding many advantages to operating their business applications in the cloud. often there is a cost savings. There is a savings in not having to train employees to be expert in many applications - it's usually less costly to use the expertise of the cloud provider's staff. Also, some organizations have to quickly increase or decrease capacity - instead of having to purchase and install overcapacity, many cloud providers allow quick build up and drop back in the capacity used.
More details about Cloud Services are available at the following links:
