Advantages of Using File Backup Programs
I have previously written an article that looked at the best free backup software that can be found out there. This article is a followup and lays out some of the advantages that accrue from using file backup programs. Most computer users are, seemingly, not cognizant of the fact that they are living on borrowed time, as far as the security of their documents is concerned.
Computers are fragile things and backing up should be a natural part of the computing experience. That is particularly the case considering the fact that most of the cloud file synchronization services that are out there are relatively affordable. So, what are the advantages of using file backup programs?
Your files are automatically synced to the cloud
Most of the file backup programs that are out there, such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, work by syncing files from your computer “to the cloud.” You can read this article to find out more about cloud computing.
Needless to say here that the world has been trending more and more towards cloud computing, with files and even software programs, operating from the cloud. Cloud computing, therefore, refers to programs and services that are internet based.
A good example of this is Microsoft’s Office 365, a subscription service that offers cloud based versions of its famous Microsoft Office suite. The cloud does have its shortfalls, not least of which is the fact that it requires that you have constant access to the internet while you are working on your files.
The best thing about cloud backup services is that you actually always have two versions of the same file, one on local storage and the other on the cloud. As an example, I know that this article is stored both on my computer and in my Dropbox cloud folder.
I can even work on it without being connected to the internet. As soon as my laptop gets internet access, however, the files are synced to the cloud. This gives me an amazing level of security and enables me to have peace of mind, knowing that whatever happens to either my computer or the cloud, I will have a copy of my important files stored somewhere.
Share work with your teams from across the globe
Another great thing about using file backup programs is that you can share your files with as many people as you wish across the globe. This allows several people to work on one document at once. Having a shared Dropbox or Google Drive folder, as an example, allows you to synchronize your workload with all members of your team, even if they are on opposite ends of the globe.
Access from multiple devices
Since your files are saved on the cloud, you can access them using multiple devices. All that I need to do in order to work on this document from my tablet computer, as an example, is install Dropbox on the device and log into my account.
Which file backup service is the best?
In this article, I did not set out to compare the services that are mentioned here. You can choose whichever suites your needs. As mentioned earlier, I personally use Google Drive when sharing work with colleagues across the globe. The one major advantage of using Google Drive is that it comes with 15GB free storage, which is more than what is offered by the competition.
Need to find out more about hardware and software in computers? Feel free to read this article. You can also find out how malware spreads from one PC to the other by reading this article.