Shopping for Cloud Storage

Cloud storage: it's one of the more recent innovations in computer data backup and storage. Rather than store your data on hardware that you own, you put it "out there" somewhere on the Internet. Quite a few companies offer this service so shopping for cloud storage can be rather overwhelming. The first step is to identify exactly what you want to use your cloud storage for. Perhaps you want to back up your entire hard drive system in two or three places just to make sure that the next time your computer hard drive crashes, you can access and restore your data as soon as (or even before) your computer gets out of the shop. Perhaps you just want to put a few folders that you frequently look at and modify from more than one computer onto your cloud storage. Perhaps you want to do both. Those are each different purposes for cloud storage and it really helps to know which one best describes your goals. If you simply want to synchronize a few folders of files across several computers, then the best approach to getting cloud storage is to get an account with a service that provides a genuine free account. Normally, free accounts allow between two and five gigabytes of cloud storage. That is plenty of space for most types of working files, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. The way it works is simple. You register for an account, then download the application onto all computers and devices you own that you will use in accessing the files. Then add the files you wish to synchronize. From that moment on, as long as all your computers and devices have Internet access, the files will be synchronized. Want to access a file from a work or public computer? No problem. Simply go the web, log into your account, and you can download the file, work on it, then upload it when done, and by the time you get home, the latest version of the file will be waiting for you on your own computers. There are two caveats with this approach. First, make sure that the free account you are registering for is a genuine free account and not a limited time trial account. Marketing departments for these cloud storage companies tend to use words implying the service is free, so you need to actually visit the website and find out exactly what they mean by "free." It can mean either a limited amount of time or a limited amount of storage space, or both. You want to find a company that gives you a limited amount of free storage for an unlimited amount of time. Second, if you plan to use your cloud storage to save pictures and videos, you will very quickly run out of space, in which case you need to make the decision about whether to upgrade your account with that company or see if you can find one with better pricing. At that point, I would say you have decided to venture into the second cloud storage purpose which is more comprehensive data backup and storage. When you need to back up a lot of data, then you need to expect to pay monthly for the service. In shopping for cloud storage providers you want to look for a company that is reliable, has good prices, and which makes the whole process of backing up and restoring your hard drive simple, even automatic. You also want to consider how many places your data is backed up to. Some offer the included or additional service of backing up your data in several places. Then in the unlikely event of their servers crashing, your data is still safely stored somewhere else. Finally, look for companies that offer the option of unlimited storage space, as it seems that our files, photos and videos are always getting bigger and bigger. The good news is that there are companies out there which provide comprehensive system backups and also have a sync folder option allowing you to manually upload files you are actively working on, so you get the best of both worlds. Before you go shopping for cloud storage, first identify how you expect to use the cloud storage. Will it be for synchronizing a few folders across several computers? Or do you want to back up all of your computers? Once you know this, you will know what to look for when choosing the best provider to meet your needs.