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The Benefits of Cloud Computing and Remote Data Storage

Not too long ago, the most common method for storing documents, contracts and other related paperwork was to shove it all into a folder, file the folder in a storage cabinet then slide the drawer closed until we heard that familiar click. However, in today's tech-savvy world, not only is an incomprehensible amount of data being stored on desktops, laptops, PDAs and countless other electronic devices, it can even be sent to a remote facility for safekeeping.

And just why would anyone send their electronic data to an offsite storage location? According to tech-savvy experts, not only are the benefits of remote data storage plentiful, it's extremely affordable, too.

Defining remote data storage

Offsite data storage might sound like a conundrum, but it's actually relatively simple. According to Roman R. Fichman, a Manhattan attorney who describes himself as a "technophile," remote data storage is the "placement of data outside the confines of a business' premises." As recently as four years ago, companies maintained their electronic data on servers located at the business. However, considering today's Internet speed and growing complexity of data sets, an ever-increasing number of companies are opting to store their electronic data at facilities removed from the business itself.

It's not just Fortune 100 companies singing the praises of remote data storage, said Fichman, noting even "Mom & Pop operations" are opting for it.

There is also no limit to what can be stored remotely. When data is stored off-site, it's actually being housed in a "cloud," said Adrian J. Herrera, director of marketing for San Diego-based Nirvanix, Inc., a fully managed cloud storage solution.

According to Herrera, a cloud has three characteristics:

  • Technology scales easily, meaning it automatically attends to the customer's storage needs;
  • A user pays for only the electronic storage space their data requires; and
  • Remotely-stored data is accessible over the Internet, simplifying the availability of information. That allows users, including people working on projects from different locations, to have unlimited access to the data. 

Pros vs. Cons

Hannes Marais, founder and CEO of Kalexo, a California-based e-collaboration site whose software connects worldwide work teams on clouds, is emphatic about the benefits of remote data storage.

Cloud computing creates "a place where team members can access the same information, wherever they are in the world. It's far less expensive than networking because the World Wide Web connects the group," rather than say, software that is downloaded on a hard drive. This immediate access to data is ideal for teams who are spread out he said.

Fichman noted other benefits of remote data storage, including that it:

  • Frees up physical space;
  • Eliminates the needs for maintaining a cool enough environment for computer hardware that can easily overheat and crash;
  • Saves electricity; and
  • Eliminates the cost of maintaining one's own IT staff to update and upgrade software or hardware because the data center handles that.

It is important to note there are downsides to shipping your company's entire conglomeration of data to a remote storage site. Many people find it difficult to relinquish control of their data. Also, while it is unlikely, there is always a potential for data to be compromised or breached. There's also an occasional risk data won't be accessible, such as when the cloud is down, or offline. One way to overcome that potential issue is to use a secondary vendor for remote storage, so if the primary cloud is down, hopefully, the second one will be working.

Another matter to consider is whether a remote storage facility sends American-based data off to clouds in other countries. According to Jason W. Reese, a security consultant with Proteus-OCM in Columbus, Ohio, "A major downfall of cloud computing is that certain remote data storage companies can and will store data worldwide, meaning it has no control. That is a bad idea. For example, Rules of Propriety differ, [thereby] impacting your peace of mind that your company's all-important documents are safe and secure," said Reese.