KeepVault version 4.15 is now available from our download site: www.keepvault.com/software
This release adds important and useful features for all users:
- the max file size increases from 20GB to 200GB
- backup of password protected network shares is now supported
- better handling for backup of hidden files and folders
San Luis Obispo, CA (PRWEB) July 12, 2011
Thousands of small businesses protecting their data using KeepVault.com Online Backup can take advantage of new flat fee pricing of just 15 cents per GB, with no per-computer or per-server fees. Web access has been enhanced for mobile devices like iPhones. A free trial is available.
Read the full press release here ... http://www.prweb.com/releases/keepvault/online_backup/prweb8606718.htm
Last week we learned that online backup provider, and KeepVault competitor, Carbonite had filed a form S-1 with the SEC, a proposal for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of their stock. Estimates have them looking to raise USD$100m. But it was the content of the filing that generated most of the emails/calls to my desk; over 1m customers, losses of USD$25m in 2010, and last quarter revenues of USD$12.8m.
Acceptance
We're hugely excited to see an IPO in our industry; a hopeful sign of acceptance and maturity in a business where KeepVault's 5-year track record makes us elder statesmen! As fear of cloud based backup continues to dissipate and services improve, so the market is consolidating (mostly) around strong companies with solid business plans. Carbonite's ~1m users makes them one of the largest online backup services, and to paraphrase 'things are just getting going'! Their last quarter revenue of $12.8m is certainly impressive and again talks to the increasing rate of acceptance. KeepVault has seen approximately 70% yearly growth, almost entirely through word-of-mouth 'advertising' (BIG thank you to our loyal customers!).
Similarities and Differences
While KeepVault and Carbonite are both in the Online Backup business there are significant differences in the two services. An article today in The Register asks why now and why Carbonite? Why isn't Nirvanix (an online storage provider) filing for an IPO?
The Register proposes that Carbonite needs money to sustain their current business model, e.g. the 'land grab' approach reminiscent of Web 1.0: give the service away and spend any revenues on attracting the next customer. Carbonite and some other services (livedrive, Backblaze et al) offer 'unlimited' storage, for one computer, for a low monthly fee. The downside for Carbonite? Significant $ loss each quarter and for the foreseeable future (according to the Carbonite IPO filing).
As Mozy recently announced, 'unlimited' storage is not sustainable; the growth in customer storage is fast outpacing any reductions in storage costs. Hence, Mozy has adopted a pay-for-use model similar to that offered by KeepVault for the past ~3 years. Not to toot our own horn, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that unlimited plans, while an easy way to attract new customers, were not the key to long term success.
Summary
Many companies offer online backup, but how many are in it for the long term? Do you want to re-upload your data every time your provider runs out of money? KeepVault's pricing is, we believe, walking the fine line between feeding our families and protecting the digital memories/files etc you entrust to us; there are no investors looking to cash-out or reap huge returns on investment, and no questionable business models. Backup is about conserving, and we're taking a conservative approach!
Version 4.0 of KeepVault.com data backup service available now; fastest data backup and recovery, intelligent file versioning and differential uploads, higher encryption levels, file protection queue manager, improved web access and account management, support for new Microsoft 2011 Server Platforms. Prices start from under $4/month, with no per computer fees, free trial available.
Read the full press release via the link below
http://www.prweb.com/releases/keepvault/onlinebackup/prweb5222944.htm
IBM recently announced that it is building a new data center near Beijing China. The new data center is set to be among the ten largest in the world. This announcement brings to mind an important subject for consideration. Where is your data warehoused, and why is location even important?
I will address the latter of these two questions first. With the near ubiquity of bandwidth and storage, having your data cross a border, state or otherwise, at some point is all but guaranteed. Though not often considered, not all governments view personal privacy the same. As recently as August of 2008, the Chinese government has been known to lock down data centers to search through archives. Do you know where your provider’s data center is?
Perhaps you are backing up family photos or patient health records. Either way, if you are reading this blog, you care enough about your data to protect it. You also want to know that you are the only with access to your data. KeepVault begins the process by encrypting your data –at the source– using up to 256 bit AES encryption. Then communication with our servers is accomplished using an encrypted Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection. This connection prevents would-be eavesdropping while data traverses the Internet.
The final piece of the equation is the data center. All the encryption on earth provides only limited protection if third parties can gain physical access to your data. KeepVault only houses data in places that have laws to protect your personal and business data. Our servers are currently located in California, Kansas, and Michigan, USA. Moreover, as we expand our global network, we will only ever house data in states or countries with similar laws already in place.
The data center is an often overlooked aspect when considering an online backup provider. Those of us who have created KeepVault consider it a sacred bond of trust with our customers. Ensuring your data is safe and that only you have access to it motivates us throughout the day. Rest assured that your data is secure when you use KeepVault backup.
We're really excited to announce the public beta of KeepVault v4.0 (contact us via our support site here to gain access to the beta)!
Version 4 of KeepVault Online Backup brings three important new features to the desktop and server software, and support for the latest iteration of Windows Home Server, Small Business Server, and Storage Server (the codename 'Colorado' series of servers). You can read about the server support in our last blog post here. We expect that KeepVault 4.0 will be finalized/ship in early April, once we've listened to and included feedback from the public beta.
The feature chart snippet below shows the features new to the software, namely:
new features in KeepVault v4.0 Pro
Differential File Backup
Rather than backing-up the entire file every time it changes, file differentials only protect the portion of the file that has changed! This feature is especially important for large files or files that change frequently, as upload times will be reduced considerably. The result is that your data is protected faster, further reducing the chance of loss. Our innovative and proprietary approach to differentials automatically balances storage usage (having lots of differentials takes up more space that just having one master file), upload times, and periodic complete reupload of the file. Differential file backups are available to KeepVault Pro & Business users.
File Versioning
Released in conjunction with file differentials is KeepVault's new file versioning system. Working in parallel with file differentials, KeepVault Pro & Business allows users to restore point-in-time versions of changed files. File versions are also available via the Web Interface. Obviously as one stores more and more versions of files, so a user's storage account can quickly fill up. Thus, to alleviate the maintenance burden of managing/deleting multiple versions, KeepVault Pro & Business file versioning includes a clever automatic pruning system to balance space usage and version availability.
256-bit Encryption
Listening to customer requests we have increased the encryption level available to our KeepVault Pro & Business customers from 128-bit to 256-bit, helping to provide increased peace of mind about file security. Of course, all files are encrypted prior to sending over the Internet, and users retain the ability to use a default encryption key or set their own.
More to Come ...
We have some additional and important features in the pipeline that we'll announce shortly. Features that will provides advanced users with more control and configuration options, additional device support, and other enhancements that maintain KeepVault Online Backup as a leader in the space.
Vail, Aurora, and Breckenridge (collectively known as 'Colorado') were the codenames given to Microsoft's new Windows Home Server and Small Business Server (SBS) platforms. Here are some preview screenshots of KeepVault v4.0 running in the new SBS Essentials 2011 environment.
Easily installed and configured, KeepVault for SBS supports backup to both a local or network device and simultaneously to secure online storage.
KeepVault supports simultaneous local and online backup
The console has been completely re-written from KeepVault v3.x for Windows Home Server, to take advantage of the new layout with the 'Colorado' platform. Users are able to enable/disable protection of the built-in 'shares' and also specify specific folders for protection. Backups can be encrypted and compressed; encryption always occurs before sending the data over the Internet. A full discussion on the new features in KeepVault v4 will be forthcoming, shortly before its release in mid March.
KeepVault Online Backup running in SBS 2011
The popular KeepVault Connector functionality will continue to be available. KeepVault Connector installs a lightweight client on your Mac + PC computers. This client then automatically and in real-time archives new and changed files in monitored folders to your WHS or SBS. KeepVault Connector functionality is available over both your local area network and via the Internet (requires you enable remote access). It is a great way to ensure that company or personal files are always backed up.
KeepVault Connector archives files to SBS 2011 over your local network or Internet
Protecting the data in your office is crucial for the survival of your business. A single unforeseen event (fire, theft, flood, equipment failure, accidental deletion, virus etc) could wipe-out critical data and cause a significant loss in revenue or outright failure of your company.
Windows Home Server/Local Backup
A good first step is to create a local backup of your data; this is your initial line of defense against data loss. The Windows Home Server and Windows Small Business Server platforms are an excellent way to protect your data; Windows Home Server (WHS) units can be purchased for under $500 and setup quickly
and easily. Either use the Microsoft PC/Laptop tool to backup device to the WHS, or our KeepVault Connector archiving tool, or simply use the WHS as a central file share. Once setup, KeepVault is the best way to then backup your Windows Home Server to the Internet.
4 Step Program
Optional Steps
It is becoming increasingly common for small businesses, especially startups, to have no central or physical office location. Residential high speed Internet
connections mean employees can work from home (of the coffee shop!), work flexible hours, and remain continuously connected to each other via SMS, IM, social media, email etc etc. But without a central network, server, or backup system all of the data these employees create sits unprotected on their laptops/PCs, vulnerable to accidental data loss, or device failure/theft. Numerous studies have shown the catastrophic impacts of data loss on the long term longevity of companies. PowerPoints, contact lists, projections, art, and other intellectual property. What data is unprotected on your employee's computers?
Many companies are turning to web based productivity solutions like Google Docs for an affordable means of creating and sharing information. While this protects the items created there it does nothing for all the other data an employee creates/owns. Backing up that PC/laptop is still very important if you want to own your data. Here's how to quickly protect your company data to our secure online servers:
4 Step Program
their 'Desktop' and 'Documents/My Documents' folders.Optional Steps
One More Thing
Securing your data is very important. KeepVault does this by encrypting your data BEFORE it ever leaves the computer. Also, you have the option of choosing the encryption key/code used. This way, only you will ever be able to retrieve/read the data! Just make sure you keep that key in a secure place!
Our next post on Small Business Backup will look at ways to protect networked computers, including the Windows Home Server platform which is gaining popularity in the business world.
The definition of what makes a 'small business' small varies based on who you ask. Is it, for example, defined by the number of employees? Or maybe it is the gross revenue? Or perhaps it is the amount of data it produces? Does any of that matter when it comes to determining a good backup strategy?
The answer is 'no' ..... and 'yes'! For example, I often see small businesses defined as having 10-99 employees. That does not, however, necessarily define the backup needs of the company - for example there might be 99 employees and only a handful of computers in a central office with very little data being created. On the flip side, a few graphic artists or photographers producing lots of data, working in multiple mobile locations could present a much more taxing backup environment.
The other day I read a post about new smart switches from Cisco targeting small business and wondered who exactly Cisco was targeting and what metrics they used to determine small? Perhaps 'small' refers to the amount of money the company wants to spend, or their IT expertise?
The truth is your backup strategy will depend on many factors; budget, number of devices, location of devices, security, types of data ... At this point many companies give up and hire an IT professional, and certainly for a lot of companies that is the right approach to take. The IT professional will, or should, have the experience to design a backup strategy to your specific needs.
However, in many instances you can design your own backup strategy and system to match your needs and budget. Over the next few posts we'll try to demystify backup for truly small companies, those with small budgets, or only a handful of computers or locations to backup. We'll provide setup instructions and real world examples. Stay tuned!
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