Difference Between Onsite and Offsite Storage
Onsite and offsite storage refers to the different ways a user can store his data. There was time, not so long ago, when the hard drive having a storage capacity of 50 GB was considered more than enough because there were not many media files that could fill the system. Moreover, at that time, there were no safety concerns in the form of malwares, viruses, hackers and other online threats as there are today. Therefore it is indispensable to keep a backup of a backup of all critical data, files and information that you may have. It is better to stay prepared for the worst and protect your valuable data, rather than feel guilty after you’ve lost it all due to any unavoidable situation or due to a problem that you can’t figure out or explain. Nowadays one can choose between onsite data storage as well as offsite data storage options. This article intends to find the difference between onsite and offsite storage characteristics and their pros and cons.
The Onsite storage refers to storing data on a remote server with the help of Internet. In addition, offsite storage nothing but to keep your data in external storage devices such as DVD, pen drives, external hard drives and CDs. Both methods are very commonly used for storing one’s data. While some prefer to rely on the old method of relying on hard drives and external DVD, others have begun to use the remote server to keep their data safe and sound.
If the cost effectiveness is considered, onsite storage is less expensive than offsite storage as you just need to use the services of a third party server while just paying the bandwidth cost. On the other hand in case of offsite storage one has to invest a lot of money for buying the external storage devices. So, if cost is a factor for you, you can go for onsite storage.
From the efficiency point of view also, onsite storage is better than offsite one because it is easier to access your data when you use the onsite storage as compared to the offsite storage. This is because there are delays in the recovery while using offsite storage as the Internet speed is an issue in this aspect.
However, if the security of the data is a concern for you, offsite storage is definitely better than the onsite storage. If you choose to storage onsite, there are always issues of security as there are many others users who use the system and can easily access your data. But in case of offsite storage, your data is beyond the reach of anyone else and you can be absolutely sure of its security and privacy. So if security is a big concern, you should opt for offsite storage.
Today, there are many professional companies that provide data backup and storage services via a third party server and if you have data that is extremely confidential, you can be assured of its safety if you use the services of these companies.