• Online storage has several advantages.disquettes pc image by Melisback from Fotolia.com
  
  Backups are essential for data recovery. When a hard drive crashes, backups are used to restore documents and installed software. Online storage is an option for users that do not have the capability to create backups. Online storage provides a solution for saving important documents and application "install" files to a remote computer. This type of storage has several advantages.
  
  

Large Capacity

• Large capacity drives, DVD burners and external drives are costly. Online storage provides users with the ability to save gigabytes and even terabytes (1,000 gigabytes) of data to a remote hard drive. Most companies require a small fee for storing data online, but the monthly cost is more affordable than purchasing an extra storage drive. It also saves the user from setting up a network, if the only hard drive available is on another computer. Additionally, since these backups are on the Internet, they are available wherever the user travels.
  
  

Automation

• Users can automate backups using online storage. Computers connected to the Internet with a broadband connection, such as digital subscriber lines (DSL) or cable, can send information to an online storage database when not in use. The automation is done with desktop software or automated backup utilities included with the operating system. Automated backup also allows the user to upload data when the computer is not in use. Backups consumes resources on the machine, which slows normal work applications. Automating backups at night allows the user to work while the data upload processes.
  
  

Recovery Anywhere

• Many people use laptops when traveling. If the computer crashes on the job, the user can download backups from any location. By uploading several backup versions, the user can choose which backups to use when recovering the data. Online storage companies backup the user's data, so even if the online server fails, a recovery can be made. This avoids the issue of broken CDs or external drives when trying to download recovery data from a personal backup media.