Tip for Storing your Data in the Cloud
Cloud storage providers are rapidly maturing in both security and reliability. With more of our data being stored into the cloud, it becomes important to review the latest tips for storing your data in the cloud. Even if you look back 2 years ago, many of the names in the cloud storage game have now changed.
Many startups from several years ago are either now fully funded and seeking IPOs like Box while others have simply fallen flat on the ground. Some cloud storage services were started by reputable vendors such as AVG; the maker one of most downloaded antivirus clients in history. For whatever reason, the cloud storage services had its fair share of problems and eventually folded. So that begs the question: What are the traits of successful cloud data storage companies? What can you learn from cloud storage companies that have flopped?
In any business, money is the lifeblood of the operation. If a cloud data storage company is lacking money, how can they pay the bills? If they can’t pay their server bills, what happens to your data when the operation goes bust? This might seem rudimentary but you would be surprised at how many startups have boot strapped and are seeking funding just to stay afloat. You should always store your data with a solution that encrypts the data and it should be a solution that is backed by a reputable vendor. Think about a service like Mozy by EMC. Since EMC is a distributor of SAN systems for large global enterprises, the infrastructure that EMC provides is rock solid.
Even if your data isn’t encrypted inside of the cloud, you should always encrypt your data before you upload it into the cloud. Proven infrastructure is the key to selecting a reliable cloud storage provider. You should research where your prospective storage provider is located. For example, if you are living in the UK but your prospective storage provider has no datacenters in your region, you should expect a poor ping time because you are not geographically located close to your provider. Regardless of the solution you select, you should select a solution that has a rock solid SLA and accreditation by reputable online services such as CNET or CloudWedge.
