It sounds strange at first: "I'm just going to upload my data to the cloud. You should be able to see them right away." But when people talk about an upload to the cloud, things look different again. In the following tipps + tricks article, we explain what cloud storage is, what you can do with it and which common providers are available.
What exactly is a cloud?
Cloud computing is usually understood as a type of digital network in which large amounts of data are stored. This network is online and allows users to save their personal files online and access them from anywhere, regardless of device. In order to be able to use a cloud, an internet connection is required for uploading and downloading, at least for a short time. Also note: There are differences between a private cloud and a public cloud. Most of the clouds available online are public clouds. However, this does not mean that your stored data will then be publicly accessible to all users. It just means that the cloud service is freely available to all users even on the Internet. Each user has their own cloud storage,that other people cannot access at all or only with a share. The private cloud is a solution for companies. This cloud is location-bound, for example to a data center in the company headquarters. All employees of the company can access this and data within the company can be made public. However, each employee can also have their own area within the cloud..
What can I do with cloud storage?
The use of a cloud can be useful in a wide variety of cases. For example, you can upload a backup of your files to the cloud. Then, if your computer has a technical problem, your data will not be lost. You can then easily access the cloud from another computer and download your data. You can also share data with someone very easily via a cloud. To do this, upload your files and then share them. The release can be done with a password or with a specific release code. In this way, your data is still protected from unauthorized access.
Which clouds and providers are there?
Well-known cloud providers include, for example, Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive. Which cloud you use depends a little on the devices you use and your preferences. If you have Apple products like an iPhone, iCloud is worth it. So you don't have to load up the memory of your iPhone with too many pictures, you can upload them to iCloud. The counterpart to iCloud is OneDrive, the Microsoft cloud. This is integrated directly into the newer Windows computers. If you don't want to be tied to a provider, you can use Google Drive, for example. If you prefer to do without Google as a cloud provider, Dropbox is certainly a good alternative.We have put together an overview of many good cloud providers for you here.
By the way: many clouds offer a free basic program with limited storage space. If you would like more space for your data, you can book this for a fee. The prices vary depending on the storage capacity and provider..