This new video from SugarSync Business is kind of corny, no doubt, but it does get the message across about what this business class cloud storage service can do for your office work flow; then protect it besides.
If you need to collaborate among multiple employees on a variety of devices, including mobile ones, then maybe SugarSync for Business is right for you.
Sample SOS Online Backup Email Report
A key component of any online backup strategy is to verify that the backups are happening as they should. With SOS online backup you have the option of sending a backup completion email report to one or more email recipients (see the image above).
Everyone wants a backup strategy that is “set it and forget it”; and, indeed, that is a message that you might hear from many online backup vendors vying to get your business. Nobody wants to think about backup. Believe me, I know. Over 25 years of computer consulting and helping people recover lost data via my YouTube videos and websites has drilled that into me well.
Yet while that is an admirable goal, it leaves you vulnerable to data loss if you don’t check up on your backup scheme regularly. Simply receiving an email, noting that it arrived each day, is one step to verifying. Naturally, the next logical step would be to at least SCAN the email for any signs of concern.
Actually, there aren’t that many items mentioned in the SOS online backup email status report and consequently you will find that ALL of them are meaningful.
In detail:
Please understand that more needs to be done to completely verify your backup, but reading a daily SOS online backup email report is a good start.
The image above was sent to us during the course of our 14 day, 50GB SOS free trial
SOS Online Backup Software For Home
Like so many applications these days, SOS online backup software updates with new versions at least periodically; I received an update notification just a couple days after installing the free trial.
While we generally don’t like companies doing things on our computers without our knowledge – or using our bandwidth, something like backup software is important enough to make sure it’s updated if a bug or security flaw is detected and puts our data or state of backup at risk.
Fortunately, SOS online backup software is at least reasonable about, using the Windows system tray and a notification “bubble” to inform us of the new release and allowing us to choose the time to actually download and install the update.
The SOS software update process goes like this:
SOS Software Update Notification
You might notice in this process the two items that rub me the wrong way: step 4 & step 5.
It’s bad enough that software like SOS requires the massively bloated, at times buggy and even security-risk prone Microsoft .NET platform, but it requires a reboot; this is on our virtual Windows XP machine so it’s POSSIBLE than in Windows 7 and above the reboot might not be necessary.
But then again, that whole Bill Gates process of needing fewer reboots for software updates was more promise than reality.
The other is a pet peeve: the desktop icon. If I deleted the darn thing the last time I installed the software what makes them think I want it again? ASK! Other software programs allow you to check a box (or uncheck if checked by default) the option for a desktop icon.
It’s MY system, not anyone else’s. Ask permission in computing just as in life itself. Just because you subscribe to Sirius radio doesn’t mean they automatically get to put a bumper sticker on your car, does it? ASK! (OK, rant over).
One of my rules of marketing is this: tick off as few people as possible.
So make your software updates as “user friendly” and courteous as possible. Remember, if you aren’t adding a new feature that I want, I just assume that you are fixing a previous screw-up that never should have happened in the first place.
Overall, the SOS online backup software update is much like the Mozy Home update process. Basically OK, a few tweaks would be welcome.
You too can get a free trial of SOS online backup for home users here.
A Dignified Reminder That Your SOS Online Backup is Temporary
With our article yesterday about Copy online backup service we mentioned integrity and trust with the company you hire to store your data in the cloud. As we continue our SOS online backup review we feel pretty good about the company’s dignified approach to reminding you of the free trial status and suggesting you upgrade.
Could it be a tad more low-key? Sure, but it’s not bad and it seems to be a once per day reminder as opposed to some of the other online backup reviews we have done. The graphic is attractive, it’s a call to action, but it’s not a horrid nuisance.
And at least they give you a full featured product with an ample 50GB to use in the SOS free trial account.
So, it’s not a game-changer, show-stopper, or any clear indication to buy. But it IS the avoidance of a red flag which is always helpful in determining who you can trust in this fast paced sector that includes some fly-by-night vendors.
If you want to try online backup with a solid, reputable company, here’s the link to the SOS free trial.
Our full review of SOS online backup for home users is here.
What Do You Know About Copy?
One of the reasons we feel our work here at OnlineBackupSpot is of value to potential online backup customers is that these vendors seem intent on offering as little information as possible about their service.
To wit: The new Copy Online Backup that is part of Barracuda Networks.
Barracuda is a trusted name with a long history, but on the Copy website they don’t say much about its affiliation with Barracuda, so in essence, they want you to sign up with their service and trust your data to them knowing ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT THE FEATURES OF THE SERVICE!
Why on earth are they spending money to advertise on Facebook when an interested potential customer can find so little information – other than a signup link – on their website?
Yes, it’s true, many people shop online backup services based on price and ASS-U-ME that they are all equally – or at least adequately – trustworthy.
That is NOT the case, unfortunately.
And besides the issue of trusting a company with your data, and trusting them to protect your data and be ready, willing and able to provide you with perfect copies of it on demand is the issue of FEATURES and BENEFITS that you want to be aware of before you sign up for even a free account.
On the plus side of the ledger, Copy online backup does offer a generous 5GB free account with no apparent expiration date (as opposed to a free TRIAL), and even offers bonus space for signing up friends.
But as far as features & benefits go, that’s it. You can take their word that they intend to make it easy for you to share your files with others, but some are concerned that their data NOT be shared, but to be private and secure. Little to nothing is said about that.
Are we saying that Copy online backup is not a good cloud service?
No.
We are just saying that we know too little about it to put any of our data their and that we find it confusing at best that these companies say so little about their service other than “sign up here” and will actually spend money on advertising to do that.
Certainly some portion of the public just wants to “click a button and backup”. Our concern is that when they do that they REALLY have protected ALL of their data.
If what you want is a free 5GB permanent cloud storage account, from a trustworthy, tested and reputable vendor, we suggest you take a look at IDrive online backup.
Our post explaining our disappointment with the MyPCBackup free trial was not the end of the story, as we suspected.
You see, if you don’t convert to a paid version of the product, or uninstall the software without buying, you will continue to get emails from “your representative” at MyPCBackup expressing concern over your files not being backed up.
Almost immediately you will be offered 20% off, then 30% if you cancel out of the landing page on their website.
But wait! There’s more!
You will get even better MyPCBackup coupon code links if you hold off.
Soon you will get a concerned email from your rep that will offer you 50% off subscribing.
Then, if you KEEP WAITING, you will get a 70% off coupon link for MyPCBackup. Oh, and the email will state that the discount is for TODAY ONLY. I wouldn’t believe that, but let us know if you find out otherwise.
If you are a MyPCBackup customer who paid more, how does this make you feel? Sure, there are always sales, or gas goes down the day after you fill up, but this can be a significant price difference.
Unless they have changed things, that 70% off will only be on ONE MONTH’s service if you pay by the month! If you want 70% off the entire year then you have to pay for the entire year when you subscribe.
I think you would probably be much happier with IDrive or Mozy Home, but if you insist, here is the link to MyPCBackup
Please leave a comment with your thoughts on this post, how would you feel if you bought at full price and found out a friend paid 70% less by procrastinating?
Currents - Sync App From Carbonite
Carbonite is trying to make their online backup service more competitive and feature rich on an ongoing basis.
The latest in that endeavor is the beta release of Currents, the free app that will keep all of your Carbonite online backup files in sync with each other.
Carbonite has a video describing the service, along with some other info, available at labs.carbonite.com
If you do not yet have a Carbonite online backup account, that’s easy to fix – Simply Click Here
Backup Complete Buy You Are NOT Protected!
Since it’s been a while we thought we would re-confirm that the MyPCBackup Free Trial is as disappointing as the last time we tested it.
UPDATE 4/11/2013: Read This Post About How They Responded To Our Request!
It is.
Recently we wrote that we noticed NO ONE is signing up for MyPCBackup after visiting from our website, and speculated that perhaps the DISMAL free trial is part of the reason.
Notice that our top pick, IDrive, gives anyone who wants to sign up a permanent 5GB free account. Try it for as long as you like. If 5GB is enough, you never pay.
And IDrive seems to do just fine as a business.
MyPCBackup seems to have a lot of good things in place, which is why we initially reviewed them and rated the service 4.5 stars! People signed up for the service.
Then we started getting some negative feedback and saw that users were no longer signing up.
So just the other day we fired up one of our VirtualBox VM’s with Windows XP and installed the MyPCBackup Free Trial.
Here is what we found that we didn’t care for:
Gee, No Kidding!
OK, we’re fair, here is what we liked:
What Other Online Backup Service Offers Only 15 Days Anymore?
Quite honestly we’re surprised they are still in business with this poor of a free trial (Perhaps people REALLY DO LOVE their service!). 15 MEGAbytes is a joke. And why not 30 days? Anyone who can endure the nag windows and emails for 30 days deserves a prize.
The company IS very responsive to us and we have just today made a plea with them that they increase the storage limit on the free trial – we’ll see what happens.
That nag window, pictured above (“Some of your files are Not Protected”) KEEPS popping up all day long. I cannot remember any other online backup free trial doing anything so obnoxious as that.
We will say that upload and download speed seemed very good, but remember, these are REALLY SMALL samples to judge from! In the past there have been complaints that MyPCBackup was slow on the upload – or – got slow once a person surpassed the 200GB mark and tried to actually take advantage of “Unlimited Online Backup”.
UPDATE 4/11/2013: Read This Post About How They Responded To Our Request!
We would love to hear what you have to say, please leave a comment.
And note that MyPCBackup is the same company marketing pretty much the same service under the names JustCloud and ZipCloud.
Or, if you prefer, try MyPCBackup and decide for yourself (then please let us know what you thought)
SugarSync for business is an online backup solution that is tailored toward business with lots of mobile devices, collaboration and sharing needs.
Now, to make things even better, SugarSync for business offers unlimited cloud storage as part of the package.
The basic package is priced for 3 users with the option to upgrade easily at any time to accommodate additional users. Built into the administration of your company’s online backup is optional user quotas.
At this point in time, each additional user is $13 more per month or about $130 if on the annual payment plan.
As a matter of full disclosure, SugarSync states that your initial allocation of space is one terabyte (1T) but that you simply contact them for more space at no additional cost.
Getting signed up for the SugarSync for Business free trial is very straightforward, just 3 screens of very non-intimidating information and you’re ready to go.
Here are the screenshots of the SugarSync signup process; as you will see, a credit card IS required but will not be charged until the END of your 30 day free trial.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
SugarSync for Business is still pretty new, but it’s obviously built on the same platform that has kept users, mobile users especially, thrilled with their online backup service.
Improving their offering by providing UNLIMITED ONLINE STORAGE is just a fantastic sweetener of the deal.
Cost is in line with many other comparable quality services and should be especially easy to budget in on a monthly basis.
Get 5GB Free As A Bonus
You know the routine: email files to yourself at home to work there, get home and find out the files were too big and the email bounced.
Or put files on a USB stick and then wonder where you put it. Now you don’t have the files and wonder who does have your files!
Mozy Stash has been a great hit for Mozy Home users, now Mozy Pro is offering Stash in a beta release.
Add Mozy Stash to your Mozy Pro account and get 5GB extra storage free.
This is on top of having one of the premier online backup services protecting not just your files but your business too. After all, for most of us, if we lost our data we would lose most or all of our business.
Don’t have a Mozy Pro account?
Sign up right now and get started protecting your data and get Stash to boot!
