Back-up your data

It seems the only time backing up your data becomes a topic of conversation is when a computer has failed and work has been lost. Backing up is one of the most important but most neglected areas of computing.

Loss of data can happen in many ways, the most common of which is failure of the media on which data is stored. Hard drive failures are common and if it has never happened to you, it is probably only a matter of time until it does. Power failure or power surges can also result in data loss or even failure of your entire computer.

It is important to establish how best to do it. CD’s and DVD’s are a definite no-no. Preferable options range from external hard drives (these can work well for a single PC) to a dedicated back-up system, using tapes or mirrored drives, on the network. This is best for large office set ups.

However, there is a fairly significant hardware cost associated with backing up on your own network. Recent developments in cloud computing and other new service offerings allow businesses to back up online.

For example, Microsoft can back-up your data on their data centres in the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. There is no need for extra hardware, tapes or hard drives. Instead, your entire office can be set to back-up using your office broadband connection over night. This type of back-up system is extremely cost effective, secure, reliable and efficient. It seems reasonable to say that online back-up is the way forward for modern businesses.