These days theres no excuse for losing your data, your phone numbers, or anything else. With Cloud storage services available youre able to back everything up, share everything and generally make sure that everything is where it should be.
Its also possible to synchronize different devices so that you can have all of your description accessible in your smartphone, your tablet, your laptop and even between all of the members in your family.
In this article, well take a look at different cloud storage services to understand more about what they are, how they work and which you should choose.
The cloud storage services provided in this article are not a comprehensive list, but they represent some of the bigger providers that you can choose from on the market.
Why would you use a cloud storage service?
Cloud storage services are fantastic for sharing videos, documents and photos between your different devices. You can also ensure that you back everything up automatically by synchronizing your files to the cloud. If you want to share files between family members, automatically, or manually, you can do so with a cloud storage service, and all you need is a decent broadband connection.
A cloud storage service does not store the files on your device, they are sent up on your broadband connection to the internet servers. Therefore, they can be downloaded anytime from that location as long as you have the login details.
Some of the services require that you pay a monthly or annual fee. However, many also have a free allocation of storage for those that are light users. Even the largest storage amounts are relatively affordable.
Whats your Mobile Broadband Connection?
If youre sharing files using mobile broadband, whether it be 3G or 4G, its well worth ensuring you do a mobile broadband comparison before you commit to a deal. Different providers charge different amounts for data, and it may be that if youre sharing files from your smartphone you only have a 1Gigabyte or 2Gigabyte allowance of data.
Listening to radio, streaming some movies and using a cloud service could well use all the data up. If you find that youre using too much data, then perhaps speak to your provider and find out whether they can up your amount for a small fee, or even if youre eligible for a free upgrade of data.
The Cloud Providers
Lets now take a look at some of the bigger cloud providers. Well take a look at the plans and storage available, the costs, the freebies they offer, and what platforms can use the services on.
Apple iCloud
Apple iCloud offers storage plans from 15-55 gigabytes. The cost is around £13 per year. They also offer a free data allowance of 5 gigabytes. It being an Apple product, the Apple iCloud only works with the iOS operating system.
Livedrive
Livedrive offers storage plans up to 2000 gigabytes. The cost is from around £7 a month, or £84 per annum. Again they offer 5 gigabytes of free storage. It is a more flexible solution than the Apple iCloud, being available for Apple products on the iOS, Android platforms, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 8.
Amazon Cloud Drive
Amazon Cloud Drive offers 20-1000 gigabytes of storage from just £6 per annum. With 5 gigabytes of free storage it is similar to the previous options. The Amazon Cloud works with Android and iOS operating systems for smartphones.
Microsoft Skydrive
Microsoft Skydrive offers storage between 20 and 100 gigabytes from just £6 pounds a year. They offer slightly more free storage than the previous options at 7gigabytes. It works with iOS, smartphones, Android and Windows Phone 8.
Google Drive
Google Drive offers a massive amount of space from 100 gigabytes up to 16 terabytes. It starts from just £3.20per month, and you get 15 gigabytes of free storage. Google drive works on Android and iOS smartphones.
Mozy
Mozy offer 50-125 gigabytes of data in their packages. The packages start from £3.82 per month, and you get just 2 gigabytes of free storage capacity. The smartphones that Mozy works with include iOS and Android operating systems.
Backup Genie
Backup Genie offers 75 gigabytes up to unlimited storage space. The packages start from £4.49 per month. Unfortunately, they do not have a free storage option but they do work with a variety of smartphone operating systems including iOS, Android, BlackBerry and WP8.
Dropbox
Dropbox comes with 100-500 gigabytes of data; from $9.99 a month ,which is around £5.50, you can access the extended data capacities. The free storage includes 2 gigbaytes of data, plus you can get 500 megabytes for every referral that you make. You can quickly get yourself up to 10 gigabytes if you are sharing Dropbox with others.
Dropbox is a diverse platform working with iOS, Android, BlackBerry and WP8 smartphones.
Zip Cloud
Zip Cloud comes with 75 to unlimited gigabytes of data. It begins from just £4.49 per month. Unfortunately again, there are no free allocations of data but it does work with the four main operating systems on smartphones; iOS, Android, Blackberry and WP8.
SOS Online Backup
SOS Online Backup comes with 100 gigabytes to 240 gigabytes of data. It is an expensive option from £12 per month, but you do get a 30-day trial to see if you like the way it works. It works with iOS and Android smartphones.
Carbonites
Carbonites come with unlimited storage capacity. You get a 15-day free trial and have to pay just £37.65 per year to use the unlimited service. It works with Blackberry, Android and iOS smartphones.
iBackup
iBack-up comes with 10 gigabytes-300 gigabytes of data. There is no free allocation of data but you do get a 15-day trial. The packages start from £6.35 per month, and works on iOS and Android systems.
SugarSync
SugarSync comes with 60-250 gigabytes of data in the various packages. It starts from £5 per month and again doesnt have a freebie subscription packages, although you do get a 30 day free trial. SugarSync works on all of the smartphone operating systems above; iOS, Android, BlackBerry and WP8.
My PC Backup
My PC backup comes with 75 gigabytes to unlimited data storage. The price starts from just £2.86 per month and you get a 2 week trial to see how it works. It works on all four systems- WP8, BlackBerry, Android and iOS.
JustCloud
JustCloud again comes with 75 gigabytes to unlimited data, and is the same price as My PC back-up at 2.86 per month. There is, however, no free trial and so you have to take your chances with the platform. It works with iOS, Android, BlackBerry and WP8.
Most of the providers above work in dollars and so the pound values vary depending on the exchange rate.
So, there you have it, a look at some of the top cloud storage providers to choose from; some of them you may have heard of, but most of them you probably wont have.
Phil Turner was interested in buying a new phone and being able to synch his home files and the files on his phone and laptop. He knew very little about used the subject so used mobile broadband comparison sites like uSwitch to compare different companies’ offerings.
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