In a study, Google found that one out of every fourteen computers will experience hard drive failure within a year. The risk of hardware malfunction, unauthorized data access, and damaged servers pose a threat to every business owner. In short, all owners need a reliable data storage and recovery system that won’t leave them at the mercy of a disaster.

So what is the best option for businesses that will ensure security but won’t burn a huge hole in the company’s budget? Offsite data storage. A rapidly increasing number of business owners are sending their precious data via Internet to a protected, offsite location. Thanks to encrypted IP tunnels, this process is risk (and hacker) free. Most storage systems hold files in two locations in the unlikely event of a system malfunction. And best of all, because of the spike in demand, operating costs are low. Who would have thought data storage and recovery could be so stress free?

As storage programs become more advanced, offsite services offer more than just a place to store files. These vendors include advanced monitoring capabilities that allow business owners to access any file at any time from anywhere. More advanced still is the option to allow access to certain information for co-workers. Information can be safely shared (or blocked) from all or select employees. This tool could be helpful for co-owned businesses in permitting both owners equal data access.

Overall, offsite storage systems make data backup and recovery simple. There’s little room for error during the transfer process and a permanent loss of data is highly improbable. Venture Technologies recently launched its storage product, Venture Offsite Storage, for businesses of any size. VOS is tailored to each company’s needs and allows owners to watch and access files whenever necessary. Venture Technologies understands that each business is different and offers a low cost back-up system perfectly designed to meet personal and corporate needs. Look for a product announcement in the near future.

After a crash, a small business can lose approximately $3000 in productivity value alone, not to mention the inability to recover important tax, contractual or financial data. So let’s face it: would you rather pay a relatively small fee for offsite storage or risk losing your irreplaceable business data in a disaster? I’m sure you’d pick the former. Business owners internationally are erring on the side of caution and making offsite storage an enormous business trend. Who knows? It could save your company one day.

By Kirsten Taggart