As mentioned in our last blog, this week we are going to explore the various types of data storage and help our blog followers as well as our office for rent Toronto clients to find the right solutions that work for their data. In this blog, we will be talking about the advantages and disadvantages of storing your data using a cloud server service.
Even more than larger enterprises, small businesses need to concentrate on what they do best to survive and cannot afford the time to worry about losing their data or be without it for more than a few hours. This is why many small business owners choose to outsource their data storage and back-up to an online storage service so they do not have to worry about it. A few of our Toronto office space tenants use not only cloud solutions for their data storage and back-ups, but they also use the cloud to deliver the software they use as a service, rather than purchasing the software outright.
Some small businesses use cloud back-ups and data storage that are actually automatic online back-up services where you pay a monthly fee to receive data protection. These particular services are more reliable and more secure than an in-house approach. There are many such services available, including Carbonite, Crashplan and Mozy. But there are also free cloud services for small businesses with smaller amounts of data such as Google Drive, Drop Box and Microsoft’s Sky Drive.
Some of the disadvantages of cloud computing are possible downtime, security issues and cost. Cloud storage and back-ups make your small business dependent on the reliability and speed of your Internet connection (this is not a problem for our office space clients because of the speed and reliability of our Internet connection). But, when your internet connection is down or slow, your business is essentially offline. When storing your files on a cloud server, you have to be aware of security issues and the safety of your data, because it is vulnerable to Internet “hackers.” The more reliable cloud computing companies will have the latest, most sophisticated data security systems possible – but with that brings a higher price tag.
In order to decide upon the best data storage and back-up solutions for your small business, keep following this week’s blogs and we will show you more options that should work for you in your Toronto cloud office.