Cloud backup is the process of replicating data that is stored in a physical location and transferring it into a virtual, off-site cloud server for safekeeping in case of an unexpected incident or disaster. In other words, cloud backup is a service that businesses use to back up their systems, servers and data to a remote, cloud-based server.

Reports show that 94% of businesses store their data on the cloud since it enables them to keep their data in a safe and accessible place in case of a software or hardware failure, natural disaster or even cyberattack such as ransomware.

What Does the Cloud Mean?

“The cloud” does not refer to a physical server but rather a network of remote servers at different locations around the world. In simple terms, anything stored on the cloud can be remotely accessed by users over the internet.

To make things simpler, here's an example – there are many different email service providers that you can access through any device over the internet. All you need are your credentials. Even if you lose your device or change devices, you will still be able to access all your emails and files because all your data is stored on the cloud and not the physical hard drive of your device.

How Does Cloud Backup Software Work?

A cloud backup software will collect, encrypt and transfer all data to remote servers managed by service providers at regular, scheduled intervals. The major advantage with cloud backup software is that it is a fully automated process that does not require any human intervention.

The Importance of Cloud Backups

Did you know that the average cost of downtime for companies of all sizes is almost $4,500 a minute?

Businesses have become increasingly dependent on data for daily operations. Backing up your business' data on the cloud keeps it safe and protected in the event of natural disasters, system failures or even cyberattacks.

Cloud backup enables your business to send a copy of your data to a remote location through the internet. In the event of an incident, you can restore all lost data with minimal manual intervention to ensure business continuity.

How Is Cloud Storage Different From Cloud Backup?

Cloud backup and cloud storage are often assumed to be the same since they both have a similar function, which is to store data in a safe, remote location that also allows users to access it whenever needed.

However, cloud storage only supplements on-site data, storing it in the cloud. It gives you access to the data stored in it, from any device, using an internet connection. It basically frees up physical on-site storage space by transferring data off-site.

On the other hand, cloud backup is the process of making a copy of the data on-site and storing it in the cloud. This allows businesses to restore data with ease and reduce downtime in the event of an incident.

As of 2021, around 50% of corporate data is stored in the cloud, which is why cloud storage itself should have cloud backup to ensure minimal data loss. For instance, an organization can back up its Google Cloud data on Google's native backup solution or a third-party offering.

What Are the Benefits of Cloud Backup Software?

Physical backups are time-consuming and require a lot of manual effort. Cloud backups, on the other hand, can eliminate the need for physical transportation of backups to different locations. Apart from being more time-consuming, physical backups are also not a s reliable as cloud backups.

Some major benefits of cloud backup software are:

• Automation: Cloud backups can be automated to suit an organization's requirements. Businesses can choose what data they need to back up and how often they need them backed up (daily, weekly or monthly).
• Accessibility: Cloud backups can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. All you need is an internet connection.
• Security: Cloud backup software will encrypt your data before it is transferred to the cloud. This is an advantage it holds over cloud storage since data is only encrypted after it reaches the cloud in the case of cloud storage.
• Reliability: Cloud backups are not only a safe place to store your data but can also be counted on for long-term data retention.
• Scalable: Scalability is an important factor for any business. As businesses grow, they generate and store more data. Cloud backup solutions are scalable and can expand as your business grows.
• Productivity: IT teams can spend less time monitoring and managing physical backups and focus on more important tasks.

How Pulseway's Cloud Backup Software Can Help Your Business

Pulseway's Cloud Backup software does away with the manual task of physically making copies of daily data and transferring it to another location. The software provides MSPs and IT teams with seamless backup support for both workstations and servers.

Here's what Pulseway's Cloud Backup software can do for your business:

• Your data is always protected: Our cloud backup is fully integrated with remote monitoring and management (RMM) to deliver a clean, easy-to-use interface from the comfort of your desktop or mobile devices. You can schedule backups, recover data and check backup statuses for both virtual and physical servers, workstations and documents on the go.
• It's fully integrated: Pulseway's Cloud Backup is fully integrated into Pulseway RMM, enabling you to quickly deploy backup agents, manage backup and recovery jobs, view backup status and add backup tasks with ease, all from within the app.
• It's easy to use and easy on the pocket as well: Pulseway's Cloud Backup is a cost-effective way of protecting business data from anywhere, at any time. It's easy to use, with a painless, straightforward setup, and enables mobile access to schedule and monitor your backups from any device.