Cloud storage is becoming more common for both business and individual users, as seen from the growth of the number of those opting for personal cloud space. Customers put their files into the cloud (onto virtual servers) through a real-time communication network for data backups, data recovery and data access during emergencies. This is an apt solution especially for SMBs that can take advantage of this hot trend in online backup technology that leverages the Internet and cloud computing.

Losing data is not an option for any enterprise. Cloud computing can help safeguard valuable information, but it might not be a sufficient solution. PC experts encourage redundant-backups for any business of any size transitioning to the cloud. Data backup and recovery off-site is a great solution, but it is important that data are recoverable even in the event the cloud provider storage fails and files are lost. An additional storage site (in-house or through a third-party) might be necessary.

 “Cloud computing also requires backing up. Recent news about the topic explored the reasons for which corporate data that lives in the cloud should be factored into an overall backup plan,” mentioned a post this week featured on the Midsize Insider website, a source for small-to-midsized business owners and IT decision makers. The article also points out that “as more midsize firms work with cloud providers to store their data, IT professionals must consider what to do should something go wrong with their cloud storage service.”

Having a plan in place to protect the data is paramount; so is duplication of data (i.e., storing multiple complete copies of business files). Therefore, businesses need not assume that cloud providers have already put in place enough reduplication to protect the data in any event. Companies need to inquire and verify which protection procedures have been devised and decide on employing the services of a third-party storage company or prepare on-site backups of cloud data.

Businesses eager to adopt cloud-based services ought to ensure that managed service providers do have a robust disaster recovery solution themselves in protecting the architecture by backing up as well to other heterogeneous servers and storage devices, as part of their data replication technique. As the post explains, “the main idea is that data in the cloud needs a backup plan.” In other words, the chosen cloud provider should take the proper security measures to protect their own infrastructure that takes care of customer data via both public and private backup and disaster recovery services.

Cloud-based backup, disaster recovery (BDR) and storage, which falls under the banner of data protection-as-a-service (DpaaS), is what customers need to look for to protect data from losses, power outages, natural disasters, and cyber-attacks. A service provider that delivers virtualization backup and data protection solutions also needs to provide a quality of service (to ensure that data is reliably backed up) that meets cloud consumers' demands.

The Midsize Insider post points out that IT professionals might need to integrate cloud backup appliances into their company’s IT environment. As most people know, “data is the most important asset that any organization has. [L]oss of such data can be devastating. The reality is that critical data can be lost, even in the cloud. [As a result] it could be very difficult to recover [it] through a cloud data backup service.” Therefore, companies need to be sure to do some research on what solutions are available today: “There are several options, including storing data off-site, open source data backup software, tape-based backup systems and commercial backup software,” as mentioned in the post.