What is Online Backup?

Online backup, as the name implies, is the process of backing up data and files remotely online. This is an alternative to backing them up physically near the same place where the files exist. Online backup services offer the user the ability to keep their data backups up to date on a regular basis.

Computer users have many options when it comes to making copies of their data and files. Offline options include additional computer hard drives, external hard drives, CDs, DVDs, jump drives and more. These all work fine most of the time for backing up files in case of computer failure. The main problem with these types of backups is that they share the same physical location as the original files. In a disaster such as a fire or theft, for example, the backups and originals have the same chances of being destroyed or stolen.

If the data is stored remotely in a different location, however, it will survive. This is where the online backup comes in handy. Another major advantage is that online backup is virtual. The user doesn’t have to worry about dealing with cords, labeling systems and cataloging physical media such as CDs. A person using an offsite backup system can also have their data backed up constantly, and take advantage of modern encryption technologies.

Online backup of data has several disadvantages as well. One of the first that comes to mind is the cost. The average home computer user simply does not have the option to pay the hundreds or thousands of dollars per year it sometimes costs to back up several gigabytes of data. It makes more sense for companies or larger corporations to take advantage of the use of online backup services. Another problem that could arise is if the online backup company goes out of business or changes hands. No one can say for sure what would happen to the remotely backed up data.

Online backup companies are known as managed backup providers, and there are many available. They offer many different features at a wide range of prices for offsite data storage. These features mainly involve how often and how the data is backed up, how the data is encrypted, how the data is compressed, bandwidth and how and when the files can be accessed. Offsite data storage is another option, where the physical backups themselves are stored somewhere else from the location of the original files.