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Are You In A Data Smog?

Connection Magazine

Unshroud Cloud Storage Solutions

Story by Jen Calhoun

Adobe stock image by Vichizh

Cynthia Thomas uses cloud storage nearly every day. But like most people, the busy Livingston mother of 2 doesn’t think much about it. Still, the cloud factors into Cynthia’s accounting job at her family’s lumber and building materials business, Thomas Supply. And she uses it to read over her 9-year-old daughter’s homework. She also relies on the cloud to store thousands of family pictures and videos.

“I have an iPhone that I pretty much use for everything,” she says with a laugh. “I was looking through last week, and I have 2,600 pictures on my phone of mostly family stuff.”

When it comes to the cloud, however, she’s on a need-to-know basis. “I know that I pay for extra storage on my iPhone monthly to keep all my stuff backed up,” she says. “And I know that I’m supposed to back up my information every so often in the event that anything happens to it. But I don’t think I use the cloud as much as I could. I keep it pretty basic, honestly.”

Increasing Cloud Coverage

Cynthia’s not alone. More and more Americans use cloud ser- vices for everything from Netflix to storing data to using services like Google Docs. But it’s not always at the top of their minds.

That could change as cloud computing services expand at home and in the office, however. A 2022 study by Statista estimates the amount of computer-related data created, consumed and stored will nearly double between 2020 and 2025.

Storage will become even more important because of the massive increase in volume. The study notes that cloud storage capacity is forecast to increase by nearly 20% between 2020 and 2025.

That’s where cloud storage services come in. Imagine packing up a giant trunk of books, photo albums, records and term papers, then realizing you have no space left in your attic.

On a computer, the giant trunk contains the digital photos, videos, homework and various online tools and services you use. The attic is the hard drive of your computer or smartphone, which is already packed with operating system information, apps and other data. Using cloud services is like renting a storage unit.

Need-To-Know Basis

For some, storing photos, documents and movies in the cloud is second nature. Others might be surprised to find it’s not usually complicated. Cloud storage lets you keep track of all your documents without having to keep them on your personal device. That means you can store more information, access your files from anywhere and safeguard them from broken computers, fires, natural disasters and theft.

There are many cloud services available that allow you to store a certain amount of data for free. After that, there is typically a monthly or annual fee for storage. Cynthia uses Apple iCloud storage on her phone. It’s simple and free up to 5 gigabytes (GB). After that, it starts at $1 per month for 50GB and increases from there.

Follow these steps to find iCloud storage on your iPhone or Apple devices:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Click on your name.
  3. Click iCloud. This shows you how much storage you’re using on your phone.
  4. To delete data and/or apps, or to buy more storage, click on Manage Account Storage.
  5. Click on Change Storage Plan to upgrade to iCloud+ purchase options. Plans generally start at 99 cents a month.

Here are a few other cloud storage products to investigate. Each one will offer detailed steps on how to access storage options.

  • Backblaze— The New York Times’ Wirecutter called Backblaze the most affordable backup service it tested. It costs $70 a year for unlimited online storage for one computer, and it’s easy to use on Windows and Mac products.
  • IDrive—Another favorite of Wirecutter is IDrive, which is free up to 10GB, but costs start at about $5 a month for 5TB of storage. It’s a fairly flexible service that allows you to back up multiple computers.
  • Dropbox—Dropbox integrates with most tools, and it’s free up to 2GB. After that, it costs about $12 monthly for 2TB.
  • Google Drive—This one works best with Google Workspace, but it also offers the best free plan of cloud storage providers with its 15GB of free storage. After that, it starts at $11 per month for 2TB.
  • pCloud—If you want something that will pay off in the long run, look into pCloud. It offers a lifetime subscription option and serious security features. It’s free up to 10GB, and then it starts at $5 monthly for 500GB.
  • Sync—Sync might hold an advantage to business owners since its business plans are a little better priced than many of its competitors. It uses sophisticated encryption, just like pCloud. It’s free up to 5GB and starts at $6 monthly for 1TB.