It seems you can't have a conversation about the future of the web without discussing
cloud computing applications. Among the many trends involving cloud-based software, cloud backup applications are leading the discussion. Whether you simply want to back up simple documents, or large libraries of multimedia files, cloud back up applications may provide the support you're looking for. Unfortunately, not all cloud back up applications are created equal. Navigating the cloud-based backup applications can be tricky if you don't know what you're looking for.
1. DropBox Probably the most widely used cloud storage application, DropBox has it all. It allows you to store multiple files within single or multiple folders. Upon signing up for their service, you can download the desktop (Mac, Linux, Windows) and/or smart phone application (iOS, Android) for easy synchronization and backup from your personal computer and mobile phone. While there are affordable backup plans available through DropBox, they have a referral program that awards you 250 MBs for every friend that signs up.
2. Backupify Though Backupify is more of a social backup system, it is often used to backup blogs, websites and social media accounts to their cloud-based system. The service allows you to backup everything from multiple Gmail accounts to your Facebook profile to entire WordPress blogs. Backupify offers three monthly pricing plans from free (2GBs) to $4.99 (20 GBs) to $19.99 (unlimited storage).
3. LiveDrive Founded in London in early 2009, LiveDrive offers unlimited cloud storage for its users. The pricing structure varies depending on your organization, and your specific needs. Once you sign up for the service, and select your pricing plan, you can download a briefcase application to your desktop. The briefcase or "L" drive functions like a virtual hard drive that allows you to easily transfer files to and from your LiveDrive account. Additionally, LiveDrive stores up to 30 copies of each file for added security.
4. SkyDrive SkyDrive is based on the Windows Live platform. In a nutshell, SkyDrive offers 25 GBs of storage that can be accessed using your Windows Live ID. Upon registering for SkyDrive you can download a Silverlight tool that lets you drag and drop files to and from Windows Explorer. SkyDrive also features Windows Live Office, Bing integration and the ability to download entire directories as a single .zip file.
5. GoGrid GoGrid is more of a large-scale enterprise backup system. The service essentially lets you rent cloud-based servers from prices ranging from $199 to $9999, but there are also pay-as-you-go and prepaid options. In basic terms, the service rents cloud-based servers per RAM hour. If you have large amounts of data on an external drive, you can actually mail the drive to GoGrid, and they will store the data on your server for you.
This article was written by Jonathan Walker who writes for Car Insurance Comparison.org. His most recent article was about nj car insurance.