Cloud Storage

Cloud Storage

Online data storage refers to the practice of storing electronic data with a third party service accessed via the Internet. It's an alternative to traditional local storage (such as disk or tape drives) and portable storage (such as optical media or flash drives). It can also be called "hosted storage," "Internet storage" or "cloud storage."

In recent years, the number of vendors offering online data storage for both consumers and businesses has increased dramatically. Some services store only a particular kind of data, such as photos, music or backup data, while others will allow users to store any type of file. Most of these vendors offer a small amount of storage for free with additional storage capacity available for a fee, usually paid on a monthly or annual basis.

 

 

Benefits of Online Storage

One of the biggest benefits of online storage is the ability to access data from anywhere. As the number of devices the average person uses continues to grow, syncing or transferring data among devices has become more important. Not only does it help transfer data between devices, online data storage also provides the ability to share files among different users. This is particularly helpful for business users, although it's also popular with consumers who want to share photos, videos and similar materials with their friends and family.

Cloud Storage Enhances Data Protection and Availability

Before the development of the Internet, computer systems were limited to local storage or portable storage, first in the form of tapes and floppy disks, then CDs, DVDs and USB thumb drives. Generally, using on-site storage is faster than using Internet storage, because you don't have to wait for files to upload or download. However, on-site storage is more susceptible to loss due to theft, natural disasters or device failure. By contrast, most online data storage facilities offer enhanced physical security and automated backup capabilities to ensure that data is not lost. Online data storage also enables easier data transfer and sharing.

 

Like local storage, portable storage devices offer fast data transfer along with some data transfer and sharing capabilities. However, portable storage isn't quite as convenient as online data storage, particularly if you want to share files with a large number of users. Portable storage devices are also easy to lose or damage, and they offer limited storage capacity.

Online Storage Implementation

In most cases, setting up online data storage is incredibly easy, but the exact process will

depend on the vendor. For most consumer online storage services, the process entails nothing more than setting up an account with a user name and password, although in some cases users will also need to download and install some software. Using these online data storage services is also very simple, and many offer intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces. Again, the exact details vary by vendor.

Online Storage Vendors

Because so many companies offer online data storage, a complete list of vendors would be incredibly long. Here are a few of the hundreds of companies that currently offer these services:

• ADrive
• Amazon Cloud Drive
• Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)
• BackBlaze
• Box
• Carbonite
• Comodo Backup
• Dell DataSafe
• Dropbox
• Egnyte
• Elephant Drive
• Google Cloud Storage
• Google Drive
• Apple iCloud
• JustCloud
• LiveDrive
• Microsoft SkyDrive
• Mozy
• OpenDrive
• Rackspace
• SugarSync
• TrendMicro SafeSync
• Ubuntu One
• Wuala
• YouSendIt

Open source projects related to online data storage include the following:

• Cyn.in
• FTPbox
• iFolder
• OpenDocMan
• OwnCloud
• SparkleShare
• Syncany
• Xinco DMS