We’ve all done it. We’ve lost important files because we haven’t backed them up. Or, if we haven’t actually lost files, we’ve all at least imagined the nightmare situation of having our server or hard drive completely crash, erasing our big project the night before the crucial meeting. In the IT world, there’s an old adage: “If you don’t back-up your files, it’s because you haven’t lost any… yet!” Sadly, it’s bound to happen. There are three popular ways to back-up your essential work files. In this issue, we will share with you the pros and cons of Hardware, Software, and Online Back-Up tools. There’s no reason your business’ important files should be at risk.

All the best,

Jeff Moore
Senior Editor — ProductivityJournal.com

Back to Back-Up Basics:

Maxtor One Touch III (starting at around $900)

The answer to your data-saving prayers can just be as simple as getting a second hard disk. Though many smaller, more portable disks offer decent storage space (some double-layer DVD-Rs can save up to 8.5GB), a second hard drive for back-up is more effective, because it allows you to copy, or "mirror," all of your data on the second drive, leaving it all in one place. Hard disk prices have dropped considerably, making a complete mirroring of your hard disk quite simple and affordable. The Maxtor One Touch III is a wonderful example. With capability for USB 2.0, FireWire 400, or FireWire 800 connections (cables for each included in the box) and a massive 500GB storage capacity, this secondary hard drive could end up being your best friend in a sticky situation.

Norton Ghost 10 ($69.99)

If you don’t have the kind of cash at your disposal to mirror your data with an entire secondary hard drive, back-up software might be the answer for you. The transformation of Norton Ghost 10 from a mere disk utility into a general-purpose backup solution puts the power of making an exact copy of your hard disk’s contents into your hands. Usability and feature enhancements include data encryption and better tools for managing backed-up data. These characteristics make the Norton Ghost 10 a unique and powerful backup application, even for novice users.

Iron Mountain Digital (from $79.95 per year from one PC)

Iron Mountain has stepped forward as a forerunner in the field of online data back-up. The world’s largest provider of online data back-up/recovery, Iron Mountain leads the market with incredibly user-friendly solutions. Two of the many benefits your business might enjoy from online back-up are the ability to not only store the data from all of your networked computers, but also the ability to free up crucial space in your office by housing your data in the cyber-world. Iron Mountain’s patented data reduction technologies save all user data in a footprint that is a small percentage of its original size, sharply reducing the demands on network bandwidth and back-end systems.