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Cloud Storage Vendors Worth a Look

By Chris Talbot on 2010-11-11



Every day users create more data that needs to be stored, and storage volume continues to increase. It’s no wonder that the idea of cloud storage has gotten so much attention from customers, IT solution providers and vendors of the services. There’s a need for cloud storage, whether it is in private or public cloud. The trouble is there are so many cloud storage providers popping up that it's easy to get confused. David Hill, principal of Mesabit Group, puts it best: “There's a variety of ways to go about doing it, and there's a host of companies. It becomes mind-boggling.” To reduce some of the boggle, here are 10 cloud storage vendors and services, from those designed for ease-of-use to those offered as Infrastructure as a Service, that are worth a look.
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Google AppsWith online document creation and sharing features, Google Apps has become a major player in the cloud services market for consumers and businesses. Google unveiled its cloud storage service earlier this year as part of its Google Apps business offerings. For $50 per user per month, businesses get all the features of Google Apps, including 25GB of cloud storage per employee.

DropboxWith a focus on backup, file sync and file sharing, Dropbox enables users to turn file folders on their PCs into Dropbox folders, which are automatically synchronized by the downloadable client with its cloud storage. A free 2GB Dropbox account is available for free. For $9.99 per month, the Pro 50 account offers 50GB of cloud storage, and $19.99 per month will get businesses 100GB of storage space under the Pro 100 account.

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)Amazon S3 from Amazon Web Services offers potentially unlimited cloud storage that also connects with various front-end clients and appliances from other vendors. Pricing is based on the amount of data stored (starting 15 cents per GB per month) and data transfer bandwidth used. The purpose is to provide cloud storage services at commodity prices.

BoxBox (box.net) promises simple and secure file sharing in the cloud. For personal usage (up to 15GB of storage), the service is free of charge. Business users can get additional storage and security features under a pricing scheme that starts at $15 per user per month. The service provides document collaboration features and can tie into Google Apps.

NirvanixNirvanix provides backup and archiving, off-site data protection, and distributed content and collaboration services in the cloud. The vendor has partnered with several others to provide various features, including business-grade security. Pricing is based on storage space used (starting at 20 cents per GB per month) and transfers (starting at 10 cents per GB).

Hitachi Data SystemsHitachi Data Systems (www.hds.com/solutions/storage-strategies/cloud) provides cloud storage services, including file tiering, and promises a low-risk cloud that can expand at the customer's pace.

IBMIBM Smart Business Cloud Storage (www-935.ibm.com/services/us/index.wss/offering/its/a1031610) provides business with private cloud storage services, giving businesses the ability to allocate appropriate amounts of storage space for every user. Pricing is based on the needs of the customer. IBM provides several tips on implementing a private cloud storage solution on its website.

RackspaceRackspace (www.rackspacecloud.com) Cloud Files can provide businesses with unlimited cloud storage and content delivery. Transfers are made over Limelight Network's content delivery network. Pricing is based on storage volume (15 cents per GB per month) and transfer bandwidth (starting at 22 cents per GB).

Iron MountainIron Mountain (www.ironmountain.com) specializes in records management and data backup services, including cloud storage. With more than 1000 physical storage locations (Iron Mountain stores everything from digital data to private collections), Iron Mountain provides cloud data backup and a suite of cloud-based storage-as-a-service options. Pricing is based on the individual customer's needs.

Google AppsWith online document creation and sharing features, Google Apps has become a major player in the cloud services market for consumers and businesses. Google unveiled its cloud storage service earlier this year as part of its Google Apps business offerings. For $50 per user per month, businesses get all the features of Google Apps, including 25GB of cloud storage per employee.

DropboxWith a focus on backup, file sync and file sharing, Dropbox enables users to turn file folders on their PCs into Dropbox folders, which are automatically synchronized by the downloadable client with its cloud storage. A free 2GB Dropbox account is available for free. For $9.99 per month, the Pro 50 account offers 50GB of cloud storage, and $19.99 per month will get businesses 100GB of storage space under the Pro 100 account.

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)Amazon S3 from Amazon Web Services offers potentially unlimited cloud storage that also connects with various front-end clients and appliances from other vendors. Pricing is based on the amount of data stored (starting 15 cents per GB per month) and data transfer bandwidth used. The purpose is to provide cloud storage services at commodity prices.

BoxBox (box.net) promises simple and secure file sharing in the cloud. For personal usage (up to 15GB of storage), the service is free of charge. Business users can get additional storage and security features under a pricing scheme that starts at $15 per user per month. The service provides document collaboration features and can tie into Google Apps.

NirvanixNirvanix provides backup and archiving, off-site data protection, and distributed content and collaboration services in the cloud. The vendor has partnered with several others to provide various features, including business-grade security. Pricing is based on storage space used (starting at 20 cents per GB per month) and transfers (starting at 10 cents per GB).

Hitachi Data SystemsHitachi Data Systems (www.hds.com/solutions/storage-strategies/cloud) provides cloud storage services, including file tiering, and promises a low-risk cloud that can expand at the customer's pace.

IBMIBM Smart Business Cloud Storage (www-935.ibm.com/services/us/index.wss/offering/its/a1031610) provides business with private cloud storage services, giving businesses the ability to allocate appropriate amounts of storage space for every user. Pricing is based on the needs of the customer. IBM provides several tips on implementing a private cloud storage solution on its website.

RackspaceRackspace (www.rackspacecloud.com) Cloud Files can provide businesses with unlimited cloud storage and content delivery. Transfers are made over Limelight Network's content delivery network. Pricing is based on storage volume (15 cents per GB per month) and transfer bandwidth (starting at 22 cents per GB).

Iron MountainIron Mountain (www.ironmountain.com) specializes in records management and data backup services, including cloud storage. With more than 1000 physical storage locations (Iron Mountain stores everything from digital data to private collections), Iron Mountain provides cloud data backup and a suite of cloud-based storage-as-a-service options. Pricing is based on the individual customer's needs.

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