Free Storage Options – for your own virtual cloud

I was speaking to one of my very tech-savvy employers today and I told him about my last post regarding my last almost crisis with loss of information and how it helped me realize the need to always backup all your information, your work, pictures, documents…everything that is important to you. From previous work done before (for documentation and history) to the equally precious immediate work that consumes your more recent hours, days, and thoughts.


I told you yesterday that I was going to go out to Fry’s Electronics to buy a backup hard drive. But today I learned of a virtual cloud program called Dropbox (their website: www.dropbox.com). He saves work files to it so he can access patient files from home. He is able to have a safe place to backup patient charts, safety and documentation.

After finding out about it I did a lot of research and found this website: http://techsplurge.com/910/top-5-free-cloud-storage-options/ that discusses the TOP 5 free cloud storage options and I wanted to share this information with you!!! All of the different cloud options have the ability to expand their storage amounts for a fee – but you have to start somewhere right? Included in the article is SugarSync (which is fantastic because you can sync it through your mobile phones, ipads, everything, in addition to your computer). Also, GoogleDocs (only 1 GB free), MemoPal (3GB for free and 200 GB for $50 per year), and Amazon Cloud Drive (5 GB of free storage).

Since my employer recommended Dropbox and he is all about efficiency, technology updates, and anything paperless I decided to check it out. And I was NOT disappointed! It was SO easy to use!! With dropbox you get 2 GB for free (if you have a lot of information or pictures or PATIENT FILES you need then it is 50 GB $9.99 per month, and 100 GB for $19.99 per month). If you use it for your business you can possibly write off part of the expense for keeping your work data safe. But If you have a lot of high quality photos or videos that take up a lot of space – then maybe the external hard drives are the way to go for you – because 2 GB isn’t enough. But if you have word documents, documents for work, powerpoints – then 2GB will suffice!

So what do you do to use this?? All you have to do is go to the website, download the program to your computer and install it. Once you have it, you can put any files you want just like a computer folder, and you can access them FROM ANY COMPUTER that you have installed the Dropbox program to! You can share files, you can share pictures in the “public file” folder with anyone YOU want making file-sharing quicker than you say file share!!!

So take a look at these free storage options for your data (and I’m sure there are a LOT more available). But the more information that you have at your fingertips and the easier access to your information – the better!!! With any of the free storage options – “the cloud” is useful, efficient, easy-as-pie to use, AND a smart bargain – for your info AND your peace of mind!

Would love to hear what you use for your storage backups!

Image courtesy of: cloudcomputingsys-con. com

Backing up your work…A MUST!!! Blessed be to the virtual CLOUD!!!

This morning I open up my email and my web-admin in the headline says “we have a major problem.” It was almost like the infamous “Houston – we have a problem” although I have nothing up in space at this time.
I didn’t know how to react to that at first – who wants to start their day that way!!?? After a momentary hiccup I opened the email and it stated that the website had some coding associated with the themes of both the websites that I work on and that I might possibly have to repost, redesign, pretend as if the hours I devoted to them never happened and start EVERYTHING from scratch! AGGGH!!!!
My GOSH – all the things I’ve written and devoted time to how the websites look and the special little additions. Finally I was at a place where the groundwork and layout looked like how I wanted it – but all the content!!!

Crisis averted…thankfully one website was fine. BUT this dental perspective website -I did have to start from scratch again!! I had to redo everything, repost, redesign. BUT -  I was fortunate enough to put all my blogs not only on a backup file at home, but also on a backup file on another website associated with my email! My own created “virtual cloud.” And so….what could have been devastating to me – loss of information, loss of time and effort with nothing to show for it – instead turned out to be more an inconvenience than a devastating loss and even more importantly a disappointment for me.

What if this had been patient charts, patient information?!?! What an irreplaceable loss that would be – and a liability!!! That is why at the offices I work at there is an on location backup and an alternate backup. And this goes for EVERYTHING in life – not just dentistry – anything on your computer, tax information, addresses, notes, anything – this just was one more reminder, for me anyway, to back up everything!
So if you’re backing up all your data, you are AWESOME!! If not, do it as soon as you can! It makes me think that there really is more to the idea of “the virtual cloud” – so all the information cannot be lost and easily accessible to you if you need it!!! They might ask for a service fee for the “cloud” or do you just want to have your own hard drive backup?? Up to you – either way – have something, for your peace of mind.
Fry’s electronics – here I come – I’m off to get a hard drive backup right now!!!

image courtesy of: silicon.com