3 Reasons Not to Use Remote Backup

A Backup Article Contributed by Ashley Lister

3 Reasons Not to Use Remote Backup

While there are plenty of good reasons why a user should take advantage of a remote backup, there are also plenty of good reasons not to use a remote backup.

Remote Backups are Expensive.

In truth, remote backups are actually cheaper than traditional backups. Weighed against each other, traditional backups come with the cost of buying hardware, software and backup media, while remote backup suppliers usually just ask for an initial payment to secure their services. Traditional backups incur the daily cost of utilizing someone's time and skill, which always comes at a price, while remote backups are invariably automated.

However, if you have already invested in the hardware for your existing backup, as well as the consumables of storage media, software and staff training to operate the backup, you might want to take complete advantage of the commitment you have already made. Only if there is a fault developing with your existing system, or if advisors have suggested it is time for a change, should you really consider the benefits of remote backup. Unless those above conditions have been met, it is more cost effective to stay with any system that works.

Remote Backups Mean Leaving Your Valuable Information in Someone Else's Hands.

It is impossible to argue with the fact that remote backups do mean that a company's valuable information is stored in someone else's hands. And yet, while this might appear to be a potential security hazard at first, it has to be remembered that backups are made through encrypted connections. The information stored with the remote backup host is usually protected by a great level of security protocols.

Many of the remote backup suppliers clearly state that their security protocols are so secure that even their own remote backup server is unable to access the information on these files without proper passwords or authorization.

But if you are worried that remote backup suppliers - particularly those who have earned a reputation for trust through years of competent and honest service - might be plotting to steal your company's information, then it is probably unwise to invest in remote backup technology.

Remote Backups Mean Making a long Term Commitment to a Company.

Investing in a remote backup supplier does mean making a long term commitment to a company. However, it is no greater commitment than people make with traditional backup methods when they choose to use a particular type of storage media, or a specific software for performing the routine. In fact, the commitment is probably less because, if a user wants to change the supplier of their remote backup, it will probably be a lot easier to manage than if they wanted to change the type of storage media they have been using for a traditional backup.

A computer user's choice of backup is down to a matter of individual taste and requirements. However, whether you choose to use a remote backup, or a traditional backup method, it is always important you do maintain the backup that best suits your needs.