Computer hardware is cheap and getting cheaper. A perfectly serviceable office computer can now be had for less than $1,000. But the data stored on those computers? Some of it is irreplaceable. Every computer you own should have its important data backed up, regularly and completely.
Suppose my nightmare comes true and every computer in the office disappears. Ideally, I’d go out and buy a new computer, turn it on, click a button or two, and my original working environment (applications, settings and data) would be available again. If you have that situation in your office, please get in touch, because I’d like to write about your secrets.
Most people would have to buy a new computer with a more-recent version of Windows or Mac OS. They’d have to locate the original distribution media for their applications (hope they aren’t floppy discs) and reinstall them. That’s assuming the older versions of these applications will run on the new operating system. If they’ve made changes to application settings, they’d have to remember what they were and restore those as well. That’s not to mention the learning curve associated with a new operating system. And then there’s the possibility that your backup is unreadable or corrupt. Ugh.
Everyone knows backing up computers is a good thing. So, why don’t more businesses (and people) do it? Mostly, I think, because it’s (perceived as) a hassle and an expense, and it’s a low-probability risk (sort of like nuclear plant meltdowns and 9.0 earthquakes).
The best backup doesn’t require you to think about doing it. Dependable backup used to require a central server and software on each computer to back things up to that server. You had to be careful about what you backed up (storage space was precious), raising the possibility of missing an important file. You also needed to back up the server (usually to tape), since it could also go missing (for example, in an office fire).
Today, we have high-speed Internet connections, cheap storage and servers accessible from our computer over the Internet. Backup really can be a lot easier. Assuming yours is a small business with five computers, each backing up 20GB of data, here’s what online backup might cost.
Backblaze: $50 per computer per year, regardless of the amount of storage used. So, our five-computer example costs about $21 per month. Backblaze doesn’t back up your operating system files or applications, though (to be fair, most computers would require more than the 20GB of backup in my example to store everything).
Carbonite Pro: Charges are based on the total amount of storage space used. A total of 100GB costs $75 a month (but it would cost the same if we stored 149GB, since it uses tiered pricing). Like Backblaze, it doesn’t back up system files or applications.
Jungle Disk Workgroup Edition: Charges $4 per user per month, plus $0.15 per gigabyte, regardless of how much you use. Our hypothetical business would spend $20 for its users and $15 for storage, for a total of $35. Cheap! And you can back up whatever you want.
Mozy Pro: Charges a license for each computer ($3.95 per month), plus $0.50 per gigabyte of storage. So, our example works out to just under $70 per year ($19.75 in licenses, plus $50 for storage). Mozy doesn’t recommend backing up system and application files, but will let you do it.
SugarSync for Business: Charges $30 per month for three users and 100GB. Additional users are $10 per month, and another 100GB is $30 per month. So, $50 a month for our example configuration—but I can’t recommend it (more later).
As you can see, there’s a broad range of pricing. There’s also a pretty broad range of features offered. For businesses, the one non-negotiable feature is local encryption: data should be encrypted before it leaves your computer. Backblaze, Carbonite Pro, Jungle Disk and Mozy Pro all do this. SugarSync transmits data securely and encrypts it once it arrives on its servers, which theoretically leaves a small hole in the process. Why take chances?
The one downside to all of these services is that the first backup takes time, since all the data has to be uploaded over your Internet connection. And most Internet connections are significantly slower when uploading data than when downloading it. Expect it to take a couple of days to complete the initial system backup (longer if you’re on a basic DSL connection). The good news is you don’t have to think about it while it happens, so don’t let that stop you from getting started.
An important thing to remember is the difference between a backup and an archive. Backups are intended as a snapshot of your system. If you delete a file, eventually it gets deleted from your backed-up copy. Archives are permanent copies.
Each service has its pros and cons. Backblaze gives you unlimited storage for a fixed price, but I don’t like the fact it doesn’t back up system files and executables. Carbonite and Mozy Pro are feature-rich but relatively expensive. Jungle Disk is reasonably priced and offers archiving, but doesn’t offer the hand-holding of the more expensive services. And none of the services make it simple to restore a complete system to a new machine (to be fair, it’s a difficult problem).
But rather than agonize over the various services, pick one that appeals to you and start using it today. Each will do the basic job of making sure your data is there—even if your computers aren’t.
Michael E. Duffy is a experienced and successful startup technologist, and is always on the lookout for The Next Big Thing. His personal website is www.mikeduffy.com.
