Your Questions About Business Online Backup

Jere answers:

I went back to school last year with the intention of making a total career change and looked at TONS of online colleges. One of my requirements was that it be reasonably priced (as opposed to the $9 billion/credit that the U of Phoenix charges!); I also wanted a school that offered an entirely online education, was fully accredited, and didn’t require a lot of bizarre classes.

I picked Indiana Business College…and it was a really good choice. It’s a “real” school that has an online division. They charge somewhere in the neighborhood of $200/credit, although many of their classes are five-credit classes as opposed to the usual three or four. My experience with their financial aid department was unbelievably positive; one thing I remember from going to college the first time around was how many hoops you had to jump through to get your financial questions answered – or do anything else. And I have to say, not only is the financial aid analyst assigned to me extremely nice and helpful, so is everyone else I’ve contacted. They were great about transferring credits, and they reply to my emails about administrative stuff very quickly and helpfully. They charge (I think) $90 per class in fees, and those are the only fees I ever see. I also can email the offices for the master book list so I can shop for books on Amazon or eBay and get them much cheaper than I could shopping at the bookstore. You’re required to have a computer with XP and office 2007 (I got grandfathered in on the 2003 requirement, and so far they haven’t made me upgrade) along with an internet connection. They’re pretty firm about missing homework or tests due to technical issues, so it’d be a good idea to have a backup plan in case your internet connection goes on the blink.

Two of the big reasons I chose this school that I haven’t already mentioned are their tuition freeze and their test-out policies. If I remain in school continuously, my tuition never increases. Find me another college that can say that! And if there are classes that I feel are redundant (because of life experience or whatever) I can test out of them. I’ve done it for three classes already (and passed all three) and plan a couple more. They charge $30, you have to find your own proctor, and if you get a 90 or better on the test you get full credit.

They’re very flexible. They’re up-front about prerequisites and once you’re in your classes, you’ve got a week to complete that week’s assignments or tests. As long as you have your work done and turned in by midnight on Sunday for that week, it’s up to you when school is “in session.” They have discussion boards for class participation and so far my instructors have been very good about answering questions. But the time I spend on school is totally up to me – I can take a test at 4 a.m. If I really wanted to (not likely, but…) and if I grasp a certain unit quickly I can breeze right through it rather than having to sit in a classroom, bored. And I don’t actually have to go anywhere.

I think the one big thing that made up my mind for me was how much time they spent before I even officially applied answering all of my questions and helping me decide if the school was a good fit. I wish I could have done something like this the first time around. I finished school, but I really disliked it. And all of the things I disliked have turned into positives. So if you have the self-discipline to handle online classes, go for it!

Jere answers:

I think you can keep them in a computer only. A computer gives you many advantages, such as-
1) Easy calculations
2) Easy record keeping
3) Printing only the required fields any time
4) Portability of files

To safeguard your files from being damaged in an accident, you can keep a regular backup of all your data. You can take the backup on a hard disk/CD/DVD or a tape. The frequency of backup will depend on the criticality of your data. In general, people take daily backups.
Also, you ca buy some space online where you can keep the backup if you dont want to write the discs.

Hop it helps!!

Jere answers:

You can encrypt your data before you transmit it to an online storage company. They should be using a secure connection between you and them anyway – but this would add another level of protection.

Their systems should be set up as a RAID – array type storage, so that even if a drive should fail, the redundancy of the system keeps your data intact.

Their environment should be temperature/humidity controlled guarded with alarms for such and fire/water. Their enviornment should be safer than what a small business would normally provide.

Local backups on tape drives are nice, but many times, it’s found out that the backup(s) really didn’t work, so you carry a blank tape home, thinking you’re protected from data loss, and really you’re not.

Depending on your data volume and pricing of storage space, it’d probably make sense to do it. I’d check out their facilities first, if at all possible. Get the specs in writing – how it’s set up, how you are protected, what protection features do they have on their environment, etc.

Jere answers:

Hi Steve,

Yes, it is possible to outsource your company’s file server. The fastest way to do so is to rent a fully managed dedicated server from an online company that specializes in offering such service. They can get you up and running within a few days.

Here are some must-have features to shop for:

1) At least 100Mbps bandwidth
2) Redundant or mirrored hard drives
3) Fully managed service
4) Off-server backup storage

The pros being that a fully managed firm takes care of patching and maintaining your server so you don’t have to hire personnel to do this job. Also, you don’t have to worry about the logistics involved in keeping a server cool and racked up in the office. The cons being there’s a monthly service fee involved when renting a dedicated server online.

Feel free to get in touch if you have any question or comment.

Cheers
joe@unixy.net

Jere answers:

Benefits of webhosting services are varies.

•Webhosting helps to run a site full of information, images, audio files, videos and more.

•Webhosting allows a site owner to upload or save the save coded files that create the essence of the website.

•Webhosting helps to create e-mail accounts on the same site that depicts professionalism to those who want to contact the owner.

•A good webhost offers responsible and timely Support Services.

•Webhosting allows for site backups so that no data is ever lost.