Tuesday, March 31, 2009

5-Step Easy Guide to Buy Online Backup

Online backup services are popping up on the web like mushrooms after a heavy rain, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to make the right choice and buy an online backup solution that suits you best. Let’s pretend that you have already decided to subscribe to a remote backup service. Where do you start to choose the best? Here’re the tips you don’t want to miss if you want to make the right choice.
Safety. It is hard to imagine something more important than this. Make sure the service you’re considering supports all security industry standards. The top-notch solution as a rule would provide a secure underground shelter with a data center to keep all your backed up information safe. It must have a restricted access for professional personnel only and provide some advanced security like biometric identification or closed-circuit video surveillance. Apart from this you may need to find out if they secure your data on the way to the storage, encrypt it on the fly that is. After you get positive answers to these questions, you may proceed with further estimation.
Web access. This feature of controlling backup performance via any browser through Internet all around the globe comes very useful when you can’t get direct access to your computer. The backup services that support this option give you the most control over backing up your information.
OS support. When you decide to switch to a different operating system and take all you precious data with you, a remote backup provider must allow for this feature. This functionality is closely connected with web access. In case it is supported, you may be sure that you will be able to transfer your data to a new OS easily and seamlessly.
Trial period. Serious online backup providers would always offer you a free trial. In fact, this is the only criteria to know if it will work for you: you need to backup and restore your data yourself. In case the backup service performs flawlessly during both trial steps, you may well go ahead and buy online backup.
Price. Online backup prices have been dropping recently due to the increased competition and the cheaper storage capacities becoming available. A typical remote backup pricing scheme includes monthly and yearly subscription options and rarely exceeds $10 per month. Some services also lower their backup prices in case you backup not too much data (in most cases up to 1-2 gigabytes), or if you subscribe to a family backup plan. It is a wise decision to pick the yearly subscription when available from provided online backup plans. It will save you a pretty penny.

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