Crashplan Remote Backup Service

The best way to archive your data is to have some of it located somewhere else. Of course, that requires a regular schedule of backing up data, lugging a hard drive over to a secure location (or it requires the cost of shipping it there) and the need to physically pick up that drive if things go south.

That's why CrashPlan is such a great idea. It's a combination software package and service that allows anyone to set up a remote backup location using nothing more than two computers and broadband connection. Here's how it works:

Let's say there are two computer users?a photographer, and his friend?and both have broadband. The photographer wants some external storage, the friend's got plenty of extra hard drive space on his desktop computer. The photographer buys and installs CrashPlan on his own computer and on the computer of the friend, who then allocates a portion of his hard drive for the photographer to use. On the photographer's side, the backups are automatic, occurring instantly when data changes (for the pro version) or once a day (for the entry level version). That's it.

It's painless, quick and easy, and best of all it's affordable. All the best things a backup plan could possibly be.



Cost: $60 for pro version; $20 for entry level

Further information: www.crashplan.com