Data backup software covers your back in case of system or network crashes. Your business can’t afford to risk losing sensitive or important files, and backup software ensures that your interests are protected no matter what might happen.
Features and Advantages of Backup Software
The best backup software offers a full suite of backup types and capabilities, output features, advanced features, restorative features and technical support across a wide range of operating system configurations.
There are three types of data backup: full backup, incremental backup and differential backup. Ideally, your data backup software should offer all three. Your software’s backup capabilities should also offer backup of both individual and in-use files, as well as protection for your folders, address books and registries.
You should also look for backup software that lets you output your data to a variety of media. It is standard for software to let you back up your files to a hard drive or removable media (like CDs or DVDs), but the best backup software programs also allow you to write your backup data to FTP locations for online storage. This is the most secure means of backing up your files.
Some of the advanced features which you may find helpful in a backup software application include password protection and encryption, data compression, file filtering and drive spanning. Event logs and catalog backups may also be included.
Finally, the restorative features of your data backup software are capable of recovering your original file paths, hard drive images, older files and duplicates, and individual files and folders. In addition, the best backup software allows you to restore your data to a separate location, in case your original machine(s) suffered physical damage when it broke down.
Backup software can, literally, save your business. If your company is heavily reliant on computer data to perform, this is an investment you can’t afford not to make. It is a very important piece of any complete small business software package.
Popular Backup Software Products
Windows backup software is produced by Microsoft, but there are many other products that support Windows operating systems that you should consider. Among them are DT Utilities PC Backup, Genie Backup Manager, Acronis True Image, TurboBackup, PowerBackup, Norton Ghost, AISBackup, GRBackPro and Handy Backup. If you’re just looking for freeware for your own computer, you can also find free backup software for download off the Internet.