Backing up Media files
There have been a number of devices in the past year that provide streaming media “home server” type options. A really interesting one is the Pogoplug, which released some new features today. Among them: streaming to XBOX 360 and PS3, and the ability to backup media files. It brings to mind the question of the worth of backing up media. Pictures, sure, but mp3s, movies, etc? It would be nice if there were, ahem, some sort of perpetual license that precluded the need to back these up. I wonder about the global cost and resources eaten up by having millions of copies of the same songs floating around, clogging network drives, being backed up, etc. When LaLa first came out, it seemed like a solution. But when Apple bought it, well, that was the last I’ve heard of it.
Also in the news today: Exagrid appliances are validated to backup and provide dedupe for NetBackup.
Also, Backup Exec 2010 was released last week, check out this review…
And last but not least, The Back-up Plan Movie, Release Date 4/23/2010 – check out the blog about it
Backup Evangelism Conitnues
The evangelism continues. There are quite a few folks writing articles promoting backups, and this is a good thing. I have a vision of a world in which no data is accidentally lost, and if everyone learns to back up, it may some day be a reality.
Jerry Osteryoung, writing for his blog and a local newspaper, uses personal anecdotes to illustrate the need for backups. He touches on some important points, including the need for a geographically removed archive in the case of a true disaster (something that is often on the minds of Gulf area residents).
Bill Husted, writing for The Columbus Dispatch, leans on the idea that there is little excuse not to put forth the relatively light effort required to have some form of backup.
Lincoln Spector, for PC World, writes an excellent article about different backup strategies. He covers a lot of ground, and it is a great article.
Keep speadin’ the word!
Free Data Storage & Online Backup to 300 Top Students
The Wall Street Journal carries a summary of a pretty savvy marketing move by EMC. EMC, which is one of the biggest players in backup and data management, is celebrating their 30th anniversary by offering free data storage and backups to 300 top students from around the world. This is one of those brilliant marketing moves. If all goes well, those 300 students will be loyal customers for life. Gievn that they are top students, it stands to reason that they will be influential, decision-maker-types in their future jobs, and given their loyalty to EMC, may recommend EMS soultions in the future. Add to that lots of excitement at schools, with folks nominating their favorite picks or trying to win the prize, lots of free press and writeups of…hey, wait a minute…
Online Backup Marketing – Taking it up a notch!
I had to promote competitors, but in the case of backups, I think there is room for a lot of service providers. There certainly are vast numbers of people and businesses out there that still need backups. I see other online storage providers as fellow evangelists, spreading the good word of online backups, and of the importance of backing up in general. Plus, there are a lot of firms out there with a lot more marketing heft than The Backup Plan.
What is my point? Well, I’ve seen Mozy popping up in online ads all over the place, most frequently at Pandora (the awesome build-your-own internet radio station site). Mozy is owned by EMC and provides a very cost effective backup solution to end users (although there are some reports of trouble with the service). Also, Carbonite has recently hooked up with Sun to offer a 30-day trial as an option during the install of java. How huge is that?! At some point, nearly everyone installs java, so that is going to get a lot of eyes on your product. Carbonite, by the way, is also an aggressively priced service. They are top-notch, and they have a geek-tastic name.
Remember, please, backup somewhere!