Traditionally data was saved on your very own computer’s hard drive, flash drive or an external hard drive, that is, if you were being extra efficient about managing your storage space and sensitive information. You might pat yourself on the back and think your data storage method is fool-proof but think again!
Maybe you’re a work-from-home mom saving your crucial “work stuff” on your PC or perhaps you’re a graduate student finishing up your thesis and the next thing you know your laptop decides to break down leading to you experiencing a breakdown.
Another scenario: perhaps you and your friends are working on a startup or a group project and need to be able to access all the data generated by each team member simultaneously or 24/7, but either bits of information are stored on multiple laptops or you need the other person to be available to send you that much-needed data.
Well, if you relate to any of the above situations then we’re here to remind you it’s 2021 so make the shift to cloud storage services to make your life more comfortable. What is cloud storage you ask? First things first, sorry to burst anyone’s bubble but no it’s not data being magically stored in a floating cloud in the sky. Rather data is saved on servers in remote locations. In fact, there are big companies that specialize in data storage. Alright, you might think cloud storage is important but still aren’t sure why it’s important?
Well, let me list down the benefits for you:
1. Easily Access and Edit Information
Probably the single biggest benefit to using a cloud storage service is the ability to access information practically anywhere and on any device as long as you have an internet connection. With smartphones becoming ever smarter we perform more tasks on-the-go such as creating, sending, uploading and viewing files. For example, you can quickly revise material from the group study sheet uploaded on an online drive or add more material to the file to help your peers.
Sounds good, but worried you’re not tech-savvy enough? Have no fear because using cloud storage is as simple as things get. With friendly and easy-to-use interfaces that incorporate drag-and-drop options, even a 5th grader can successfully find their way around most cloud storage services such as iDrive, OneDrive, and Google Drive.
2. Never Lose Your Data
They say the three most beautiful words are “I love you,” and in today’s tech-oriented world you could probably the four most beautiful words are “never lose your data.” With companies and people using online tools more and more, it’s important to save your information securely. Losses in data can be a major blow to an organization especially advertisement-driven firms.
When you use cloud storage your data gets saved in different remote servers across different data centers. That means even if something were to happen to one data center, copies of your data would still exist in other servers at other locations. Unless an apocalypse happens that destroys every data center simultaneously (and just so you know cloud storage vendors have 100s or 1000s of data centers) your data will be safe and secure.
3. Cost-effective and Convenient
Storing data can be costly especially if your business is on the smaller scale of things. As a result, you can cut down on the costs of hiring an IT team to maintain your servers by outsourcing the need for backup files to a third-party vendor. However, even if you’re not running a business, at a personal level it might become a hassle to store ALL those precious family photos, videos and first-moments on multiple external hard drives. For these reasons, it is beneficial to outsource data storage to companies that specialize in and guarantee not losing your data.
4. Sync and Save Changes
If you happen to make any edits to files on your cloud drive then you can rest assured that the changes will be saved. So even if there is a sudden power breakdown due to bizarre weather or technical issues you can rest assured that your changes are saved. Never worry about not pressing the “save” button again.
5. Improved Collaboration
Thanks to multiple users being able to log in and access data on the cloud at the same time, there is much greater room for flexibility and improved cooperation. With many people preferring to work from home or workplaces adopting hybrid models for work, cloud storage makes for an incredibly useful resource to foster teamwork.
To Sum Up…
Using cloud storage services today is critical to any business or person. The increased guarantee of having your data stored safe and sound is essential to one’s peace of mind. As cyber security threats increase and hacking becomes more advanced third-party vendors have more resources to invest in improving their cyber security than you would have an individual or a small business. Everything sounds great right? Well, not so fast.
Before you leave this page remember that a solid internet connection is an absolute necessity to using cloud storage so make sure to check out Xfinity internet deals to get a good bargain on great internet services.