Why you need cloud based storage solutions for your business
SHAKING THE TREE #40
If you've ever had a computer drive die on you, you will be familiar with a certain kind of feeling—a certain cross between regret, panic, fear, and anger.
If your files are backed up, great; you'll experience a minor inconvenience and lose a few hours getting things back in order.
But if your files were stored on the desktop (never a good idea, although I do this all the time), or, worse still, not backed up at all, Houston, we have a problem.
If your computer files are not backed up to a stand alone drive, or burned to a DVD, or else stored somewhere else as copies it is only a matter of time before things go wrong.
It's rarely a case of if a drive fails that matters, it's more a case of when. I've had a brand new disc drive die right out of the box and I have another drive that hasn’t had so much as a wobble in almost 12 years. The time line on disc drive mortality is referred to as the mean time between failure.
With an increasing reliance on computer use in business comes the fact that data is a precious resource that needs to be protected.
Data means operations systems, email lists, inventory files, customer account and vendor details, payment and salary records, personnel files, and archives of images, videos, audio files, PDFs and other downloadable material, and so on.
All of this stuff has to be stored and backed up somewhere (so that there's at least one copy), and if that somewhere is only on one computer, that's a bad, bad thing and a potential disaster waiting to happen.
However, safeguarding and managing your backup data efficiently can be a daunting task. Where do the copies live? Who has access? How are files updated and transfered? And so on.
Many small companies have no one on staff who is responsible for IT (information technology) services.
Either that have someone on retainer for a few hours per month, or, worst case scenario, they pay little attention to their technology needs because it's expensive, time consuming, and technically challenging to keep up to date.
This is where cloud computing services for backup and online storage step in as a game-changer, offering cost-effective and reliable solutions to small businesses.
Yes, there is usually a monthly subscription for this kind of service, but on the whole it is a false economy to think about doing without the convenience and reassurance that comes from knowing your data is backed up.
Here’s a list of 20 affordable cloud storage services with their approximate rates and links to their websites.
Please note that prices and features are subject to change, so I recommend visiting the websites listed for the most up-to-date information. NOTE: None of these links are affiliate links.
1. **Google Drive**
- Pricing: 15 GB free, paid plans start at $1.99/month for 100 GB.
- Website: [Google Drive] (https://drive.google.com)
2. **Dropbox**
- Pricing: 2 GB free, paid plans start at $9.99/month for 2 TB.
- Website: [Dropbox] (https://www.dropbox.com)
3. **Microsoft OneDrive**
- Pricing: 5 GB free, paid plans start at $1.99/month for 100 GB (Microsoft 365 subscription).
- Website: [OneDrive] (https://www.onedrive.com)
4. **Apple iCloud**
- Pricing: 5 GB free, paid plans start at $0.99/month for 50 GB.
- Website: [iCloud] (https://www.icloud.com)
5. **Amazon Drive**
- Pricing: 5 GB free, paid plans start at $1.99/month for 100 GB.
- Website: [Amazon Drive] (https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive)
6. **Box**
- Pricing: 10 GB free, paid plans start at $10/month for 100 GB.
- Website: [Box] (https://www.box.com)
7. **pCloud**
- Pricing: 10 GB free, paid plans start at $3.99/month for 500 GB.
- Website: [pCloud] (https://www.pcloud.com)
8. **Sync.com**
- Pricing: 5 GB free, paid plans start at $8/month for 2 TB.
- Website: [Sync.com] (https://www.sync.com)
9. **Mega**
- Pricing: 20 GB free, paid plans start at €4.99/month for 400 GB.
- Website: [Mega] (https://mega.nz)
10. **Degoo**
- Pricing: 100 GB free, paid plans start at $3.99/month for 500 GB.
- Website: [Degoo] (https://degoo.com)
11. **SpiderOak**
- Pricing: 21-day free trial, paid plans start at $6/month for 150 GB.
- Website: [SpiderOak] (https://spideroak.com)
12. **Zoho Docs**
- Pricing: 5 GB free, paid plans start at $5/month for 100 GB.
- Website: [Zoho Docs] (https://www.zoho.com/docs)
13. **Tresorit**
- Pricing: 3 GB free, paid plans start at $10.42/month for 500 GB.
- Website: [Tresorit] (https://tresorit.com)
14. **IDrive**
- Pricing: 5 GB free, paid plans start at $79.50/year for 5 TB.
- Website: [IDrive] (https://www.idrive.com)
15. **Jottacloud**
- Pricing: 5 GB free, paid plans start at $9.90/month for unlimited storage.
- Website: [Jottacloud] (https://www.jottacloud.com)
16. **Nextcloud**
- Pricing: Self-hosted (costs may vary based on hosting).
- Website: [Nextcloud] (https://nextcloud.com)
17. **Canto**
- Pricing: Plans start at $2,400/year for teams.
- Website: [Canto] (https://www.canto.com)
18. **Oracle Cloud Storage**
- Pricing: Pay-as-you-go pricing, starting at $0.0025/GB/month.
- Website: [Oracle Cloud Storage] (https://www.oracle.com/cloud/storage)
19. **Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage**
- Pricing: Starts at $0.005/GB/month for storage.
- Website: [Backblaze B2] (https://www.backblaze.com/b2/cloud-storage.html)
20. **Scaleway**
- Pricing: Plans vary based on usage and services.
- Website: [Scaleway] (https://www.scaleway.com)
Please visit the respective websites to explore the latest pricing details and features to find the cloud storage service that best suits your needs and budget.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Leadership lessons from New Amsterdam