Protecting what’s in your PC demands a two-pronged backup strategy: regular local backups, plus off-site storage of a second copy of your critical data. Affordable external hard drives have made local backups easy, but for many home and small-business users, off-site backups are still tricky and expensive. Acpana Business Systems’ new Data Deposit Box service makes things easier, offering a Web-based backup solution with a simple interface and an affordable pricing plan.
The problem with most Web-based backup service plans is they tend to lack flexibility: They offer large chunks of storage space and charge you the full rate whether you use all the space or not. If you exceed your allotment, they charge you for an even larger chunk of storage. Acpana takes a new approach, charging you a penny per megabyte each month for just the storage you use. For example, backing up about 900MB of data will cost about $9 a month.
To use Data Deposit Box you first must install the software, downloadable through the company’s Web site. Restoration of backup data is reasonably easy, although the software asks you to specify a parent folder name rather than just creating one automatically. All in all, Data Deposit Box offers an easy and penny-wise added layer of safety, with no foolishness.