Many of you have heard that the popular online backup software CrashPlan recently ceased their personal service offerings, leaving customers in a scramble to find a new service, or rethink their whole backup process. Online backups have become more popular in the last few years because of their low price point, ease of use, and reliability- and for that, it’s usually what we first recommend to customers. Sure, having a physical backup hard drive in your possession is great, but it does nothing if you fail to actually plug it in and make sure that it’s correctly backing up your data. Another nice perk of online backups is that they can often be set to keep daily or hourly backups of files changed since the last backup, so you always have something to roll back to if needed. So, having pointed out the need for a good, easy to use backup system, in the wake of CrashPlan’s demise…here’s a few of the more popular plans to consider:
- Carbonite. Perhaps one of the more trusted names in online backups for both personal and business accounts. Plans for personal accounts start at $60/computer/year for unlimited hard drive space, and their software is easy to install and easy to verify that it’s working correctly.
- IDrive. Similar to Carbonite, IDrive is another competing solution. Instead of offering unlimited space in their cheapest option, they limit it to 2TB, but their backup software has proven to be more efficient and quicker than other competitors.
- Backblaze– Backblaze is our favorite of the pack, and one of the simplest and easiest to use. At $5/computer/month it’s easy, affordable, to make sure everything it backing up to the cloud all of the time. In the event of a computer failure or theft, your IT company will thank you because restoring from a backup is easy and timely.
- Local Options– If you’re not one for using the big guys, consider utilizing a local provider for computer backups. Our favorite in the Metro Detroit area is Sector 7 LLC. They offer several different packages for both personal and small businesses needing backups, but can price out a comparable solution tailored to your needs by contacting their sales team.
Whether you’re looking to backup your whole computer, or just have a single folder of your music, pictures, and media backed up to the cloud, there is simply no excuse for not having a secure backup within reach. Need help deciding what’s right for you? Fear not, and call Canyonero Consulting with your questions….we’re here to help!
