Cloud Storage

A Definition...

Cloud storage is an alternative way of storing data where the data belonging to a company or organization is not stored on-site in data centers or individual servers; instead the data is stored on a number of virtual servers. These servers are hosted by companies which lease or sell storage space on their servers to companies which do not have or need data centers of their own.

Cloud storage is very popular as an alternative to having an additional backup service. In case of data loss or problems with access to the data, the data can always be accessed in the cloud.

Benefits?

It is an easy way to gain storage capacity without investing large sums of money on building and maintaining storage facilities. The data center is not physically situated on the premises of the company, but storage capacity is available to them virtually, via web applications, in the same way as if the servers were in their building.

Costs?

These solutions are very attractive for small and medium size enterprises, the storage costs of even large amounts of data are reduced in comparison with conventional data storage systems.

Companies who become customers of these services pay only for the storage capacity that they use and do not need to be concerned about the installation of hardware, technical problems, or services and maintenance of data centers since all this lays within the responsibility of the service provider.

The reasons mentioned above are the most prominent advantages of cloud storage since they clearly reduce IT and server costs. Also, the customer does not have to invest in additional security systems, fire systems or special anti-virus software to protect the data center, as they would have to when operating their own data center. Of course, since the access to the data in the cloud relies on access to the network, the companies using this type of storage depend on their web applications and IT connections extensively. However, more and more companies are offering services based on cloud storage and it is possible to rely on private as well as public hosting.

What else?

One of the most important components of cloud storage is the storage software. It is very important for efficiency, high data availability and of course for security. Open-E provides Data Storage Software for cloud storage which provides superior performance, security, and scalability at a fraction of the cost of alternative storage offerings.

If you are thinking about provisioning cloud storage services, you should try using Open-E DSS V6 as the software for cloud storage. You can download a free trial version of our software and check out all the features or buy the full version of Open-E Data Storage Software V6 at an affordable price from Ace, one of our key long term partners.