Prior to commencing your hunt for a cloud storage provider, you need to have a clear objective of what you need. Determine how much space your files require, the features that you will need, and the number of users, or computers, for which the service will be utilized. Armed with this information, you can then proceed to seeking a company based on the criteria below.
Company Reputation
There are many review sites and forums online through which to conduct an investigation of a company. Companies rapidly come and go in the arena of cloud storage. You need a service that has been around a while and has proven to be financially stable enough to merit your trust.
You should also look for positive reviews with regards to the provider. This will ensure, at least to some degree, that it is a reputable service.
Security
Your data security is of utmost importance, especially if you’re going to be storing sensitive information. While in transit, information hops from one computer to another. Unless the data is encrypted, it is susceptible to being intercepted and read by a malicious third party. A secure online backup service offers file encryption for both transfer and storage. Look for a provider which employs SSL and 256-bit AES encryption.
Customer Support
There will come a time, regardless of the provider, where you will find yourself in need of some help whether technical or otherwise. For this reason, it’s important that you select a cloud storage provider with the capability and inclination to come through in times of need. While seeking reviews online, you should be able to also find out about the level of support a company offers.
File Restoration
A good cloud storage provider offers a means by which to restore files without the need to wait for technical help from the company. Many companies offer overnight delivery of a hard drive that contains your stored data. With the drive in your possession, important documents can be recovered instantly.
Features
Service features play a substantial role in the convenience and user-friendliness of a service. Among other things, they can facilitate uploading, downloading, sharing and syncing of files. Your service provider should offer remote public and private sharing as well as drop and drag functionalities.
Selecting a cloud storage company with the above criteria in mind, will ensure that you avail yourself of a service that will provide an agreeable experience.
Steven is a web developer and online technology expert. He has built global networks and websites for fortune 500 companies. A graduate of Georgia Tech in Chemical Engineering, he now happily spends his time building Joomla and WordPress websites as well as reviewing online backup services, web hosting and anything else that needs reviewing.