Taking your files on the road

General

Before the dotcom bubble burst in 2000, many of the Internet startups had some great ideas. Everything from chat-based tech support to auction-based Christmas card designs. Then it went by the way of the dodo bird.

With Web 2.0 innovations making headlines, we are now starting to see the second generation of more great innovations and ideas.

Online file storage, for example, is nothing new, but it has become a great tool for the traveler who relies on the Internet. It’s not as convenient as a USB drive, but, on the other hand, it can’t be accidentally washed in the rinse cycle. And it is available wherever and whenever you need it, so long you have access to a computer that has, in turn, access to the Internet.

The concept of Internet file storage is similar to FTP (file transfer protocol) where you upload your files to a location on a server on the Internet. You then download the files as needed, to store and access wherever and whenever you need them.

So, what’s the difference? Speed and user-friendliness. No more FTP client installations and configuring on the computer, just open the web site address in your browser, login using your credentials and you have instant access to your files and folders.

High-speed Internet is the primary factor in limiting online storage because you can literally run your business using web-based applications. Files can be stored and opened from your online storage service, without ever having to keep them on your hard drive.

There are several providers of these services, such as:

Their services differ in features, price and offerings; however most seem to offer 1GB of free storage and 10GB of traffic (monthly upload and download). Subscriptions are required for more file storage and more monthly bandwidth.