Cloud survey uncovers seven storage services trends

Cloud backup for user files is one of the most mature cloud storage technologies; many of these providers began as consumer or small office/home office products before growing into enterprise-worthy services. But given their roots in the user community, cloud backup services are still used most frequently (70%) to protect end-user files.

Cloud backup is an especially good data protection solution for the growing hordes of mobile device users (38%). Thirty-two percent of those surveyed employ cloud backup as a simple and effective way to back up remote offices/branch offices, for which traditional methods of backup are typically problematic.

But with most major backup software vendors supporting cloud backup today, and large reliable services such as AT&T, Amazon, Google, Microsoft Azure, Rackspace and so on, cloud backup is no longer just about end-user files and distant offices. Forty-nine percent of reporting companies use cloud backup for all or some of their data center backup needs.