Are you scared of accidentally dropping your hard drive, corrupting it, and losing all your precious data forever? Not to mention the nearly impossible feat of maintaining backups.
With the pace at which technology is advancing, local storage now seems like a hassle. From having to create backups yourself to protecting the hardware with your life, it seems nothing less than an uphill battle.
This is why cloud computing became such a big deal when it first came to the forefront. Organizations had already been using it for a time before it became accessible to the everyday internet user.
If you have been having storage issues and want to know more about cloud storage as an alternative, this blog is for you.
Understanding Cloud Storage
Before we begin discussing how cloud storage is better than local storage, let us take a refresher on what it means.
Have you noticed how you can access stuff backed up on your iCloud or Google Drive from anywhere in the world? That is because it is stored on the cloud instead of being stored on your phone or device. On the other hand, you can only access the data stored on your personal hard drive when you hook it to your PC. There is no way to access that data without the hard drive it is stored in. That is local storage.
In technical terms, cloud storage is when your data is stored on off-site servers and can only be accessed online. These servers are owned and taken care of by third parties, who charge you for storing your data on their servers.
You can access this data over the Internet. So saying the internet plays a crucial role in enabling cloud storage is not understating it. If you are considering switching to cloud storage, then having a stable internet connection is an important prereq for it. [MN1]
A reliable internet connection can ensure that you are always able to access your data, wherever and whenever you want. For that, you can consider Xfinity Internet to ensure full-time connectivity. To learn more about their plans, you can contact Xfinity customer service which is available 24/7. Plus, you can save a great deal by opting for their bundle plans.
Let us move on to find out why cloud storage is so much better than local storage.
Benefits of Using Cloud Storage Over Local Storage
It does not matter if you are a business organization or an everyday internet user, the cloud has proven itself to be useful for everyone. This is why it does not come as a shock that around 200 ZB (zettabyte), which is equivalent to 1 billion TB (terabyte), data will be stored in the cloud by 2025.
Listed below are the reasons why cloud storage is better than local storage.
1. Accessibility
The above-mentioned example shows how cloud storage is a winner in terms of accessibility. Since the data is stored on remote servers, therefore you can easily access it from anywhere in the world using the internet. With local storage, you need to be physically in the same space as the server to be able to access it.
Moreover, cloud storage is the reason why remote work and work from home became a possibility post-pandemic. It allows simple access to data by using the internet. Plus, cloud storage tools are easy to use as well. All you need to do is enter your password to log in and drag and drop the files you want to store on the cloud.
2. Cost-Efficiency
Cloud storage is pretty easy on the pocket too. Most cloud storage services have a simple pay-as-you-go model, which does not cost a lot either. Moreover, these services also have multiple plans, which are made to fit the user’s needs. A plan for individual users costs less than a plan for multiple users.
The main reason behind its cost-effectiveness is that managing, hosting, and maintaining a local server by yourself is a costly process. With third-party providers taking the brunt of this, cloud storage becomes easily affordable for you.
3. Data Protection
Contrary to popular belief, cloud storage is so much more secure than local storage. All it takes is your hard drive being stolen or someone gaining unauthorized access to the server room for all the data to be stolen, duplicated, and misused. With cloud storage, data protection is a major benefit.
Companies providing cloud storage services have strong encryption protocols in place. Plus, the location of their servers is also unknown. They also have in-house cybersecurity professionals who work day and night to ensure your data remains safe. Lastly, with cloud storage, your data is stored in a centralized manner. This means that even if one of the servers collapses, there are other servers in data centers to make sure your data remains accessible at all costs.
4. Automatic Backups
Cloud storage is enabled with automatic backups. This means every activity you perform on the cloud is saved automatically. For instance, every word you write on Google Docs is saved automatically without you having to do it manually. This allows you to focus on the actual tasks at hand instead of worrying about backups and potential data loss.
However, with local storage, there is no concept of automatic backups. This means users have to manually create the backups themselves. This involves copying all the data and pasting it onto another drive and waiting for hours to get the feat done.
All in all, not only is cloud storage affordable, easily accessible, and more secure, but it also has unbeatable ease of use. So, by switching to cloud storage right now, you can benefit in multiple ways.
