Features

As far as online backup features go, XDrive is somewhere in the middle of the pack. While they have some really good features like public folders and folder sharing that allows them to act as a file-sharing service, they skimp when it comes to online backup features. They don’t allow you to backup open files, and their automatic backup feature suffers from fatally spotty performance. In addition, they have no versioning support, so whatever you stick on there is what you get and there’s no going back. They suggest you take care of versioning yourself.

Security

Security is another weak point for XDrive. They provide encrypted backups, but because of the file-sharing nature of the service, they do not encrypt the files on the server.

Usability

Since being acquired by AOL, XDrive has updated their look to a very nice Web 2.0-like design. In addition, the GUI is nicely laid out, and fairly easy to navigate. Because of the dizzying array of file-sharing options XDrive offers, all the menus can be a bit much if all you want to do is back up your data. Otherwise, the interface is fine.

Price

Price is another one of XDrive’s strong points for the “free stuff” crowd. They offer 5GB free, no strings attached. If you need more than that, looks like you’re out of luck, apparently.

Intangibles

As an AOL-owned company, one has to wonder if XDrive will be plagued by the same customer service and privacy issues that have troubled their parent company.

Overall

Features

As a dedicated pure-play online backup service, Mozy fields an impressive range of features and options for its customers. The most notable feature is the fire-and-forget automated backup. Set it up once, and never worry about it again. Mozy also features open-file support, the ability to backup Outlook mailboxes, versioning, and internet side access. Only problems? They don’t currently support Mac or Windows 2000 systems.

Security

Mozy seems to pride itself on their security. They use a secure connection to upload your data, and once your data is stored, it is kept safe with an ultra-secure 448-bit encryption algorithm. They also give users the option to create their own security key, meaning that the user is the only one able to decrypt the stored files.

Usability

Despite a fairly standard-looking Windows interface, Mozy was easy to install, set up, and use. Setting things up was fairly self-explanatory, and it was nice to not have to worry about starting the backup manually. Overall, Mozy was a painless experience to use.

Price

Mozy currently offers 2GB of free storage, which is respectable, but still less than some of their competitors. They have very competetive paid options, however, with unlimited space going for $4.99/Month, which is as good as you’ll see anywhere in the industry.

Intangibles

Mozy is a company that seems to have some good mojo. Their blog is fairly amusing to read, and the internet buzz they’ve got going seems to point to a healthy and competetive company.

Overall

Features

Carbonite does automatic scheduled backup, which is nice, but it’s limited in the types of files that it can backup, which include open files and email, most notably. In addition, there is no versioning support, so should you backup an infected or corrupted file, you’re out of luck.

Security

Carbonite boasts a fairly robust security algorithm, and files are encrypted before they are stored on their servers, so your data remains relatively safe and private. They do not give customers the ability to encrypt their data with their own encryption key, however, so they can access your data on their side.

Usability

Carbonite’s interface is relatively easy to use, but there’s nothing special here.

Price

Carbonite’s strong point is their unlimited space for 5 bucks a month deal. This is OK if you’re looking to upload all your music or a huge amount of photos, but there is the possibility that if you try to upload too much they will shut down your account.

Intangibles

Carbonite is a pretty young company with decent prospects. They’ve managed to capture some serious funding and are becoming a player in the space.

Overall

Features

Data Deposit Box manages to seam file sharing options with decent online backup functionality to deliver a reasonably feature-rich product. Data Deposit box supports versioning, which leads to faster backups, which is nice. The continuous backup feature is also nice, as it only backs up files when changes have been made, but the lack of open-file support and manually shceduled backup is noticeable.

Security

Security is fairly standard, with a basic key encryption scheme. While the data is encrypted on their server, you can enable file-sharing, which allows others access to specified files with the proper password.

Usability

Data Deposit Box has gone to great lengths to make backing up your data simple. Unfortunately, restoring your data is not quite so simple. The process is clunky, and it’s an ordeal to get things put back together once you pull down your data.

Price

The price (1¢ per MB) is cheap, as long as you only want to back up a few hundred Meg. However, with competitors offering several GB of free online storage, this pricing model gets out of hand quickly. Caveat Emptor if you have a lot of data to backup.

Intangibles

Data Deposit Box feels old. Its pricing strategy, layout, and the functionality of its software all feel dated, and therefore, less trustworthy.

Overall

Features

Box.net has a decent feature list- if you’re looking for file sharing. Otherwise, their online backup offering is pretty weak. They don’t do any kind of automated backup (that actually works), they have no versioning support, and they cannot backup open files.

Security

It seems that, while Box.net is concerned about security, they don’t really showcase it on their site. Their site talks about an optional 128-bit encryption scheme, which is decent, but nothing to shout about. Overall, their focus as a file-sharing service handicaps them a little bit when it somes to secure online backup.

Usability

Box.net is very pretty, with a clean, colorful, bubbly Web 2.0 look and feel. Signup is uncomplicated and quick, and the actual setup is fairly painless. File management on the server can be a little bit of a hassle, and downloads are occasionally clunky, but overall, they have a very nice, professional interface.

Price

Box.net sits somewhere in the middle of the pack. They offer 1GB of free storage space, or you can pay a little extra for more ($4.99/Month for 5GB or $9.99/Month for 15GB). The prices are reasonable, but they cap available storage at 15GB, so if you have more than that, look elsewhere.

Intangibles

Box.net has done a great job marketing themselves. They come off as a competent and attractive solution for online file management, and they have an extensive network that shows a great deal of marketing savviness. Bottom line, they’ll be around for a while.

Overall

Features

Online backup features are a little hit or miss with Novastor. They use their vast experience with file backup to provide options like version restoration and open file support (both of which are very cool) to online users, however, they don’t allow you to access your files via the internet (without a client) and the lack of an automated backup feature is noticeable.

Security

Novastor’s security is robust, providing encrypted uploads and downloads as well as strong excryption on the server. The ability to create your own private security key is an added plus. Once you’ve created your own key, not even the system administrator can access your data.

Usability

Novastor is slightly more technical than many of its online backup brothers, and therefore, more difficult for the layman to use. Backups must be scheduled, adding an extra layer of complication, and with several obscure (albeit useful) features, it’s easy to get out of one’s depth with the software.

Price

Price is Novastor’s Achilles’ heel. Their prices are pretty high ($225 for 25GB) which isn’t very competetive. The extra features, reliability of the service, and brand establishment might make this worth the price.

Intangibles

Novastor’s experience with backup is fairly impressive. They bring that experience to online backup and yeild a secure, feature-rich product. The only drawback is the pricing.

Overall

Features

On one hand, Iron Mountain’s Connected is a grag-bag of great features, while there are some key options that appear to have been overlooked. For example, they offer version support so you can restore your files, even if you accidentally upload corrupted versions, but they don’t allow you to backup open files. They allow anytime, anywhere access and restore, but they won’t do automatic backup. Decide which options are most important before deciding on Connected.com

Security

Because they are focused solely on internet backup, Connected.com offers a more secure product than most file-sharing companies that also provide online backup services. They encrypt all transmissions to and from the storage server, and they keep the data encrypted on their servers. You can use your own security key for ultimate security.

Usability

Connected.com has gone out of their way to make their service as easy to use as possible. All aspects of the backup/restore process are self-explanatory and relatively painless. The restore wizard is a great example of how this service is making things easier on the consumer.

Price

The pricetag associated with Connected.com backup is the main drawback to this service. 30GB will cost you about $74 bucks/month. When you can pick that kind of space up for $5 per month, it’s hard to justify that kind of cost.

Intangibles

Connected.com has a dominant position in the market right now, so it’s a question of whether they are complacent or not. There are plenty of new players in the space who are looking to slit Connected’s throat on both price and features. Odds are, Connected will lose some market share, but look for them to stay pretty mean.

Overall

Features

Titanize provides a fairly high level of usability. They offer 1 click backups and restores, the ability to back up to different types of media, along with relatively fast initial backup speeds. In addition they offer a cool search function that lets you find individual items that you’ve backed up. On the downside, they don’t offer open file support, nor do they allow you to backup your email .pst files.

Security

Titanize boasts fairly robust security, although the information is buried in their FAQ. 448-bit Blowfish encryption means that your data will be well-protected. The main downside to their protection is that they don’t allow users to create their own encryption keys.

Usability

It’s fairly easy to install, set up, and use, and restores are fairly straightforward as well. They offer 1-click restores, syncs, and sharing, along with completely automatic backups and shared file updates. They also offer a high degree of flexibility in their features, allowing you to have fairly specific control over when and how your data is backed up.

Price

While 10 GB for $5 a month is hardly competitive, given the existence of unlimited automatic backup options for the same price from Carbonite & Mozy, it’s still better than some if its competitors. To be fair, Titanize’s wide feature set might make this price more palatable, however. There is a free trial option that allows you to test the service out (5GB free for 30 days), but there is no true free option.

Intangibles

Titanize is a brand-new service, but McAfee Security’s decision to distribute their service gives them a little more cred in an increasingly saturated market. This is a service that deserves some consideration.

Overall