There are many cloud storage companies available today. Examples include Windows Live Skydrive, Google Docs, Dropbox and iCloud’s Super Drive.
Each cloud storage provider has a different interface — some you?ll like, others might not work for you. Gladinet provides you with a software solution that allows you to turn your cloud storage providers into a simple-to-use desktop virtual drive. The company has a free starter edition as well as a Professional edition and you can compare each offering to tailor to your IT needs.
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Using Gladinet is very powerful, because it enables you to leverage free/paid secure storage mapped directly to your computer. Your data is backed up on secure servers and you do not have to worry about backups or redundancy. For example, if you have an external hard drive, it has to be connected to your computer or network. But it?s always possible that it could fail, and then you lose your data as well.
Saving data to the cloud allows you to forgo any networking configuration and since the servers in the cloud are backed up and redundant, your data is safe and secure. If you leverage free cloud storage such as Windows Live Skydrive and Google Docs, the storage is free. It is a winning situation. The ability to save data without networking configuration hassles and backup strategies allows you to concentrate on your business model and not IT administrative tasks.
Leverage Cloud Storage Locally
Let’s move on to reviewing Gladinet and how you can leverage cloud storage on your desktop.
After downloading Gladinet, simply open the program and you are presented with a management console. The management console has a list of common tasks that you can perform. Simply click the link to mount cloud storage and you are on your way.
Next, select a storage provider from the drop-down menu such as Google Docs or Windows Live Skydrive and enter your user name and password. The virtual drive is created and mapped as a drive letter to your desktop computer. You can drag and drop files to your cloud storage using a single interface or create windows tasks to automate.
After mounting all of your cloud storage providers, you can manage them via the console. You also have the ability to change the virtual drive letters and label of the Storage drive under Settings.
If you purchase the Pro version, you can leverage Backup Manager to create backups of your data to your mounted cloud storage. I leverage the mirrored backup and keep a mirror copy of my personal documents synchronized to my iCloud Super Drive. Additionally, I have tasks configured to backup data to my FTP site. Gladinet allows me to set it and forget it. Automation is the key to a successful backup strategy.
If you have embraced cloud storage but need a tool to bring that storage to the desktop, Gladinet is for you. Download their free trial and let me know what you think.
