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Overview and History - BackBlaze provide only one edition which gives unlimited storage for $5 each month or fifty dollars per annum. Their answer to online archiving is slightly unusual in that they presume you would like to archive all your personal information - documents, music, pictures, videos, etc. – thus you have to exclude information you do not want backed up. The service provides support for 11 languages and file restores can be delivered via web or for a charge can be delivered to you on DVDs or a USB drive. Security - BackBlaze security is something they are very proud of. They use double encryption methods involving 128bit AES encryption and a private key to ensure your data is totally protected. Physically, the data center is located in 365 Main Datacenter where they share space with Sun Micro, CNet and Esurance amongst others. For more information about BackBlaze’s security, visit this entry on their blog: http://blog.backblaze.com/2008/11/12/how-to-make-strong-encryption-easy-to-use/ Archive Features - Initially BackBlaze uses continuous backup to ensure all alterations to your files are immediately backed up. You can additionally enable scheduling or manually run backups whenever you require. Open files can be backed up, but server databases such as SQL server or Exchange Server are not supported. You can backup plug-in drives but not network drives. File versioning is available upto 45 days for unlimited versions of files. Restore Features - Restores are executed from the online portal and can be provided in three ways: A zip file directly to any device you wish - this is free. The second option is to DVD if you are restoring less than 4Gb of data - this costs you $99. Or if you are restoring more than 4Gb of data, they will send you a plug-in drive and charge you $189. These options seem rather steep yet most Web Backup Providers do not even give you these options. Control and Analysis - A central control panel is available on the internet site which gives management of multiple accounts. Within the client program you can see details of files waiting to be backed up as well as summary graphs of what has already been archived. Interface - The online and client interfaces are clean and easy to use. Information is offered in a clear and concise way and there are a reasonable number of options without being overloaded. Device Support - Current BackBlaze supports MAC and PC platforms only. Limitations - None. File Sharing and Collaboration - None. Synchronization - With web site but not between computers. Web 2.0 Integration - None. Customer Support - There is no 'live support', for example, phone or live chat. Yet there is email support which is rapidly answered and the tech. support people are friendly and well-informed. There is also a Blog full of helpful information. For self-help there is some documentation - although the system is so easy that more documentation would be fairly pointless. There is also an FAQ section and the free trial which lasts 2 weeks, so you have loads of time to evaluate the service before committing your whole five dollars per month! Ease of Use - BackBlaze is really easy to use, if you leave it at the default settings, BackBlaze will backup all your personal data from all your attached drives automatically. If you need to amend things then the options screens are well laid out and straightforward to navigate. Cost Initial setup - free Monthly Amount - $5 / mth / device Yearly Fee - $50 / year / device Initial permitted storage amount - unlimited Cost of additional storage - n/a Cost of additional devices / PCs / users - $5 / mth / device Referral Program - No E-billing facility - Yes Conclusion You can be up and running with BackBlaze in under 5 minutes. The experience of configuring BackBlaze was similar to jumping on a frisky horse: The issue is not getting started; the problem is trying to keep up! The minute BackBlaze is installed it instantly scans your locally connected drives, locates your personal data such as documents, pictures, music, etc. and promptly starts to back them up for you. It's like having your very own over-eager Jeannie desperate to get the job done. The cost is really cheap and while there are quite a lot of customer support options not provided, the available support is very well done and their technical staff are very helpful and friendly. If you are looking for a straightforward online backup solution at a fixed price then BackBlaze is well worth considering.
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