Other newer cloud backup services run continuously to capture changes to user systems nearly in real-time.
In the mid-1980s, the computer industry was in a great state of change with modems at speeds of 1200 to 2400 baud, making transfers of large amounts of data slow (1 MB in 72 minutes).
While faster modems and more secure network protocols were in development, tape backup systems gained in popularity.
During that same period the need for an affordable, reliable online backup system was becoming clear, especially for businesses with critical data.
An enterprise-class cloud backup solution must include an on-premises cache, to mitigate any issues due to inconsistent Internet connectivity.
Recent improvements in CPU availability allow increased use of software agents instead of hardware appliances for enterprise cloud backup.
[4] The software-only approach can offer advantages including decreased complexity, simple scalability, significant cost savings and improved data recovery times.
[5][6] Online backup services are usually priced as a function of the following things: Some vendors limit the number of versions of a file that can be kept in the system.
Add-on features (plug-ins), like the ability to back up currently open or locked files, are usually charged as an extra, but some services provide this built in.