As reported in a recent Forbes article, there is a cautionary tale that everyone should pay attention to surrounding cloud storage.

There once was a well-intentioned organization named Nirvanix. The company jumped into cloud storage quite early in the game and was well funded. Just days ago, Nirvanix announced that it is closing its doors and is providing its customers the limited time span of two weeks to gather their data.

This isn’t a new story, as in the past there have been other firms that have quickly closed their doors and left customer in a lurch. In this case, a thousand cusomters will have to scramble for a solution to make sure that their data is safe and sound.

The takeaways from this scenario are as follows:

Cloud-only storage is a complete risk. When you rely on cloud storage to secure all of your data, you are at the whim of others. Essentially, you are pouring your faith into the organization hoping that your data will never disappear or some other calamity won’t occur.

Regular data backups are a must. It is best policy to find a way to back up all data that you store on the cloud. We suggest LTO tape backups or another similar format. Not only is tape reliable and durable, it is cost-efficient.

Choose a cloud provider that will be around for years to come. Carefully research cloud storage providers and make sure you choose one that will be around for the long-haul. You may even want to use a few different providers to distribute data.

Have an emergency plan scoped out. Work with your team to analyze possible issues that may arrive and develop an emergency plan for regaining data. Don’t get caught unprepared.

There is no doubt that cloud storage offers plenty of benefits. However, the Nirvanix scenario provides a perfect example of what can and may be occurring more frequently.

If you have any questions on developing an efficient and cost-effective backup solution for your data, we would love to help you get started.

Please contact our offices via phone or e-mail our team with your questions!