Anyone who has ever owned a computer or at least a smartphone knows that computing devices are not 100% reliable. If anything they don’t even approach that margin, at the very least. It is as if these devices are not built to last or stand the test of time. But that’s a topic for another day. In response to their vulnerability, technocrats have devised ways of seeing to it that files are not affected by how our devices are prone to failure, and this is through online backup.
Online backup works the same way as you would if you made copies of your existing files and stored them on an external hard drive. The only difference is that online backup technology is less involving, convenient and more efficient. On the other hand, your conventional method of onsite backup is not only complex, but also time-consuming and extremely boring. What online backup technology would achieve in the click of a button, onsite backup would require the hassle of making several copies and storing them in various locations.
Basically, there are two distinct types of online backup, although they both operate based on the same fundamental principle.
A) Software-based online backup.
In this type of backup, the data is stored on offsite servers (away from your computer) through a software interface. This means that in order to access the services of your online account, you require a series of software installations done beforehand. Usually, the company offering the online backup service will provide you with the required software set up to launch the program. It’s more or less like installing an antivirus protection.
Sometimes there’s a limit to how many computers you can install such software with. Other times, it is generally an unlimited service. It all comes down to the online backup service provider in question.
B) Web-based online backup.
This type of backup has a much simpler design than its software based counterpart. It mimics how you would generally store some of your word documents on your email account. The difference is that, in this case, you can store or backup larger files and of different file formats. In this variant, the online backup service provider only provides you with the account, after that all you have to do is push files from your primary hard drive to your new online account.
So which is the better version?
It all comes down to preference. Both types have their strengths and weaknesses. The upside to a web-based online backup account is that you can your data from any computer that has an internet connection. This is unlike the software based version, whereby you require an installation of the primary online backup program first on the computer terminal that you wish to access your files from.
Nonetheless, the main advantage of utilizing a software based platform is that it comes with more features out-of-the-box. These are like automated backup, scheduled online backup, and more storage space. The platform also makes it easier for new users to access the data by placing everything needed under one roof which can be accessed by simply clicking on the online backup icon on the desktop.
