With Cloud based Storage you can upload your files over the internet and access them from anywhere, on a PC, Mac, laptop, tablet or smartphone. It is fast, convenient, always on and available. Cloud Storage offers a safe and secure way of storing your files, digital media, images, music and even core system settings and data. It can be used as a main backup, a sharing tool, or as the main storage for specific files, saving local disk space and device memory.
With a fast internet connection it is easy and fast to mirror an entire device or computer in the cloud, providing a safe backup in the event of a system failure, physical damage or theft.
Extra Backup
Cloud Storage Solutions are usually considered as an extra backup to local storage on external hard drives. It is good practice to have a local backup (Mac Time Machine is an example) as the speed of retrieval is fast and the backups incremental regularly. With devices such as smartphones and tablets it may be the main backup. With faster internet connections the use of a cloud based backup is becoming more viable as the main option.
Free Cloud Storage
A lot of cloud service providers will offer a free account with a small amount of storage in the range of 5gb - 20gb or more. This may be enough for many users to backup their important files, documents, and personal photos. Services such Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive, OneDrive, Livedrive and ISP's such as BT Internet, offer an introductory free amount of storage.
To use cloud storage seriously, especially with large amounts of images, RAW files, or video a paid service will be the best option. Trying to manage a number of separate free accounts becomes very difficult and may end up defeating the object of reliable back ups.
Prices and options vary greatly, so it is important to compare what's on offer and check the reliability of the service provider. With a large amount of data to store it can take a while to upload and becomes a substantial investment in time and effort, so changing providers is not a trivial task.