Say you have a car. It's not just any car – it's the 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS sports car. It's an investment sure to turn the heads of everyone in the neighborhood. It's also going to entail costs far beyond purchase price – at an annual average of $7,040, the SLS commands the highest (non-exotic) insurance prices of any 2014 model, according to Forbes. Now pretend you have a fleet of them – think about what it costs to insure 20.
The obvious rejoinder here is, why would anyone buy 20 of the same car? It would certainly change the conversation about car ownership. What about big data? Data has grown astronomically in recent years. It may not seem so crazy because it's been an almost natural progression, but big data and application environments have created zettabytes of information beyond anyone's expectations just a few years ago. It means that the conversation about information storage has transformed almost completely. Legacy models have to change. Traditional insurance policies don't make much sense, logistically or financially, when extrapolated to a more expansive environment.
Online backup services are the data management version of a smart, cost-effective insurance policy. Storing and backing up data with conventional physical storage devices will likely hamper an organization's ability to accumulate and safeguard information, or result in unmanageable costs. According to ITProPortal contributor Neil Rubenking, many companies are still reticent to invest in online backup services due to security concerns. However, nothing is more insecure than not having data properly archived. As an insurance policy against the growing dangers of data leaks and breaches, they represent the most cost-effective and user-friendly option.
"Online backup is quite simply convenient. It takes a lot of the pain out of the backup process by doing away with media swapping and a lot of the drudgery – you just set it and forget it," Rubenking wrote. "Your files are safe on somebody else's servers. If your home implodes into a Stone Age burial mound you can still recover those backups."