Protecting data is one of the biggest issues facing businesses today. Choosing between remote backup services, online backup, and Internet backup can be confusing, since these terms are often used interchangeably. Although there is no official definition of these terms, the most common description appears below.

1.    Online Backup: This process utilizes backup software and storage space in a data storage facility which is accessed via the internet. Backups of essential data can be processed while the application is currently in use.

2.    Offsite Backup: It is recommended that backup data storage should be housed separate from the location in which the primary data is stored. This term has been used for years in relation to storing data for the purpose of disaster recovery should the primary location be compromised. “Offsite backup” has become associated with “online backup”, meaning data copied off-site over a network and stored away from primary storage.

3.    Internet Backup: Generally, this is a service providing software and storage of data specifically for storage via the Internet.

4.    Online Storage: Although many ISPs allow some storage space on a server for your website, many of them do not include software to manage your backup data. This term is also used by big data centers to describe information which is immediately accessible by users, websites, and programs.

5.    Remote Backup: This term refers to backing up data to a server in a remote location. It is not necessarily a service, and remote backup services are most commonly used within a corporation.

6.    Network Backup: Typically a term used in-house by corporations who backup their own data on a variety of media, to include tapes or disks, using their own software.

Remote backup services are a big decision for businesses. Although a loss of data may seem like it will never happen to you, the truth is it is not IF a data crash will happen, but WHEN. A business can sustain a lot of damage if the basic infrastructure or data is lost for any period of time, and having a recent and clean copy of all data is imperative in the recovery process.
With remote backup services and a regular schedule, data can be protected and updated so when the inevitable happens, you can get up and running again with a minimal loss of time and money. Utilizing remote backup services to protect your data is like wearing your seat belt – it can be inconvenient or even uncomfortable, but when disaster strikes, you are mighty glad you have the seat belt buckled. You may never need to utilize your backup, but it just might mean the difference between life and death for your business.