WASHINGTON – The majority of U.S. small businesses are not backing up data in the cloud with the support of a professional and automated backup service, as evidenced by new survey data from Clutch, a leading B2B ratings and reviews firm. Backup services, such as Mozy and Carbonite, automate the transfer of files to the cloud to safeguard against user error and negligence.
Nearly 70 percent of small businesses instead use a provider such as Google Drive or Dropbox to backup files and data in the cloud. This may be due to overconfidence and the rare need for backups, says Mark Estes, Regional Director of Sales at Qubole. However, data loss does occur and if the user wasn’t utilizing an automated service and forgot to manually back it up, then there are no further options.
“Mozy and Carbonite help with the human problem of actually backing up,” Estes said. “If I put a file in Dropbox, it’s going to be there. If I don’t back it up, then Dropbox can’t help me with that…”
Over 25 percent of survey respondents said that they began using their cloud storage services in the past year. Experts agree that this trend will likely grow and continue.
“It’s… just a natural maturing of the product,” said Jacob Ackerman, CEO of SkyLink Data and Horizon Businesses Services. “Once technology starts invading the personal lives of non-IT people in business, the technology is more accepted. It takes a level of acceptance and a level of comfort. People are comfortable with it now.”
Furthermore, respondents listed ‘improved access to data’ as the primary benefit of using a cloud storage platform. Experts attribute this to a variety of factors, including a reduction in IT staffing since the recession, a levelling of costs, and the growing popularity of remote work.
However, experts warn that, despite cloud storage’s many touted benefits, there are still some instances where it isn’t right for your small business.
For the complete article, please visit: https://clutch.co/cloud/storage/resources/selecting-your-cloud-storage-provider
