Cloud backup, also known as online data backup as well as off-site data backup, is one of the biggest trends in backup and recovery today. Cloud data backup involves sending a copy or copies of encrypted data usually over the Internet to an off-site server within a data center. The server is usually hosted by a third-party service provider, who charges the backup customer a fee based on storage capacity, bandwidth used or number of users. Backing up business data to the cloud is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional data backup and recovery storage media, such as tape and disk, due to ease of use and affordability.
Many vendors are positioning cloud backup as an ideal disaster recovery solution, allowing businesses to replicate data offsite and outside of their company's geographic region at a reasonable cost. This can be a viable option for many businesses, but may not be a good fit for your business depending upon your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and your Recovery Point Objective (RPO).