{"id":16539,"date":"2021-09-02T10:33:02","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T14:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherweb.com\/blog\/?p=16539"},"modified":"2025-04-17T14:41:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T18:41:30","slug":"cloud-storage-and-backup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/r-swca2-app15-sherwebblogprd-c5f5cbg9dbf0btgy.canadacentral-01.azurewebsites.net\/blog\/cloud-server\/cloud-storage-and-backup\/","title":{"rendered":"How cloud storage and cloud backup can positively impact your business"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moving important files and documents to the cloud can be a big digital transformation<\/a> milestone for SMBs. If your business hasn’t moved to the cloud<\/a> yet, or doesn’t have a streamlined infrastructure, you should really consider what the shift could do<\/a> for your organization. By activating a cloud storage and backup solution<\/a>, you stand to gain increased productivity and collaboration<\/a>, facilitate remote work and keep your Intellectual Property (IP) and data secure.<\/p>\n

The positive impact that the right cloud storage and backup solution can have on your business operations and performance are noticeable right away. But before we get into some examples, let’s recap what cloud storage<\/a> and backup services<\/a> are, exactly.<\/p>\n

Read our Partner Guide<\/a> to explore the benefits of working with Sherweb<\/em><\/h3>\n

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What\u2019s the difference between cloud storage and cloud backup?<\/h2>\n

Cloud storage<\/h3>\n

Cloud storage refers to when files are made available online at an \u2018end point\u2019 or on a destination server. Typically, an identified folder (and the files within it) is automatically synced to a cloud location. Any time a file in that folder is opened and worked on, it saves not to your device but to the cloud, even if accessed through a folder on your desktop, or other offline location.<\/p>\n

Cloud storage solutions commonly offer corresponding applications for desktop and mobile, so any internet-enabled device can have the same access. Security<\/a> can be limited to editing or read-only options, and users can view and work on their files from any place, at any time within set security parameters. This flexibility and ease of collaboration<\/a> is one reason companies choose cloud storage; instead of having users repeatedly download versions of files onto their personal devices, important files (customer data<\/a>, for example) can be accessed simultaneously from anywhere. Most cloud storage platforms<\/a> also have easy-to-use interfaces that allow users to easily navigate company documents, from single files to big data analytics or customer database information.<\/p>\n

There are just a few points of consideration when thinking about how your business will use cloud storage. Since users choose which files are synced online, they might overlook critical data\u2014cloud storage isn’t a perfect option for all intentional backups<\/a>. Another item that to consider is the fee structure. Most services charge a fee based on data amounts, so cloud storage isn’t necessarily great for long-term storage of items like expansive customer databases.<\/p>\n

Cloud backup<\/h3>\n

Cloud backup or ‘disaster recovery<\/a>\u2019 typically describes a solution using external memory partitions that’s\u00a0all about avoiding data loss<\/a> without risk. Cloud storage can create data risk through susceptibility to end-user errors or cyberattacks. Cloud backup, however, is usually automatic and requires little to no user input. Backups are performed during set periods of the day or week, usually during quiet hours when users aren’t active. Depending on the nature and need of the backups some companies also take regular snapshots of the entire system, either once a day or throughout a 24-hour period. Doing so ensures that important company data is continuously saved (and can therefore be recovered) in a secure location in the cloud.<\/p>\n

Given a set backup schedule, fixed pricing models are commonly used for backup solutions. They usually have a set storage amount established that can be scaled as needed. This fixed aspect<\/a> of size and usage means cloud backup solutions are generally cheaper compared to cloud storage options.<\/p>\n

Cloud backup is the solution you’re looking for if your business needs to be able to…<\/strong><\/p>\n