Cloud or Local Storage: Which System Is Right for You?

One decision individuals and companies, alike, are confronted with these days, is whether to rely on storing digital data on backup systems they control themselves, or on cloud storage managed by a cloud provider. Depending upon the amount of data that needs to be stored, sometimes backing up computers onto your own hard drives is sufficient. However, as the amount of data and the number of persons needing to access it increases, cloud storage offers a viable and increasingly popular alternative.

Many, if not most, medium to large sized businesses utilize cloud storage as their primary means of saving, protecting and accessing digital data critical to the operations of the business. But what is cloud storage, and how does it work?

Understanding Cloud Storage

Cloud storage is, first and foremost, a business that provides a service. That service is to receive data from its customers and store it, manage it and back it up on safe servers in remote locations physically apart for clients. Each client’s data is always available to be accessed online by the client’s employees or designees.

Pros and Cons of Cloud Storage vs. Local Storage

Ultimately, the choice between cloud vs. local storage must be determined in accordance with the needs of each individual and business owner. Here are three critical areas of focus involving that decision, and the advantages and potential disadvantages of each.

• Accessibility.Because cloud storage is online it is immediately accessible to authorized users. Unless local storage is through a dedicated server that is always accessible to users, it may involve more time to find and retrieve the data from hard drive storage in order to make it accessible.
• Cost.The big advantage of a cloud service over local storage, from a cost perspective, is that expensive hardware is not required to be purchased and maintained by the client. Instead, they pay a fee for use of the service provided by the cloud storage provider, who owns and maintains the hardware necessary to store the date.
• Safety.Local storage is secure to the extent the business takes to make it secure, much as they would their networks. Also, data stored on specific drives can be turned off and accessed only upon request, providing an additional layer of security. While cloud storage security, like any other aspect of digital data housed exclusively online, is never one hundred-percent safe, it is less of a concern than it once was due to enhanced protection measures.

As a resident or business owner here in the Sonoma County area, data storage and retrieval that is safe and affordable is something that’s important to you. So is keeping your computer hardware and software systems in good working order. West County Computers consists of professionals with years of experience who are dedicated to both business IT and residential computer services. Their friendly and dedicated staff will help you to maintain your computer operations at a level of peak performance. No matter what the problem or challenge contact them today.