What to Consider in Cloud Storage Providers

| Tuesday, November 8, 2011
By Lewis Gregory


The number of cloud storage providers vying for a piece of the highly-lucrative online storage market is soaring. While there were just a small number of significant competitors in this market several years ago, there are now dozens. Fortunately, there are several basic details you can look for that will help you determine which of these companies can best meet your individual or company needs.

Things to Look for in Cloud Storage Providers

Cost is among the first variables that the majority of of us consider when attempting to determine which service to choose, but where online storage is involved, this should never be the very first thing you consider. In fact, many experts on the topic can tell you that the price of the storage plan should rank no greater than fourth, since there are a trio of other factors that must always take precedence.

Availability

It ought to go without saying that the problem of availability to your data is one that cannot be ignored. Knowing how often a service provider backs up your data files and how much redundancy that exists in their storage will indicate just how reliable you should anticipate its accessibility to be. It goes without saying that providers that supply higher levels of guaranteed availability (i.e. frequent backups and high redundancy) also charge more for the service.

Flexibility

One more critical characteristic to look for in online storage services is the amount of flexibility they afford in working with your stored data. Most services are customized for a certain kind of customer, so it's imperative that you decide whether or not a provider is equipped for your business' specific workflow before buying its service.

How Protected is Your Data?

Perhaps the biggest concern that businesses have about moving their data to a cloud-based service is security - and for valid reason. How online storage providers address this delicate problem is by providing encryption of your data while it is resting on the network servers, being moved to remote cloud storage, and even as it is being bounced to and from local cache storage. Be certain that the level of encryption supplied by a service satisfies your company's security standards.

One Last Thought on Online Storage Providers

Getting a storage provider that will meet all your personal or business needs is a must. As our world becomes increasingly integrated with technology, being able to quickly, safely, and effectively share vital data with friends, family, and colleagues is critical.

For these reasons, we must take the extra time to consider what a service consists of outside of its price tag. When it comes to cloud storage providers, there are simply too many other vital issues that should be weighed into your selection.




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