Wednesday 28 December 2011

Norton Online Backup


Norton online backup comes from Symantec, a trusted company in the antivirus software industry. It is Symantec's offering to the cloud storage industry. With a variety of features, but lacking in plan selection, Norton may or may not be the best service to fit your needs. This Norton online backup review will help you make the final decision.

Features

This backup service offers automatic and scheduled backups. Compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems and boasting of 128-bit and 256-bit encryption technologies, you will also be able avail of features such as file sharing (only private), remote access, archiving, and file searching with the Norton solution.

Norton's service offers a simple installation and user interface. You only have to install a small program of 2MB and you are ready to get started. The biggest part of the setup and maintenance process takes place through the web interface. This is a key feature because you can access your data from any computer with internet access.

In the area of customer support, this online backup service appears to shine since it offers email, live chat, and phone support.

Pros and Cons

The good points about Norton's cloud backup include the high level of security, the easy-to-use web interface and the ability to back up more than one computer. However, Norton is lacking a few key features, including file syncing. Instead of automatically syncing file changes as they occur, Norton waits to update files until the next scheduled update. So, if you make changes to a file and access that file from another computer too soon, you will not see the changes.

In addition, you won't find features like public file sharing, mobile access, or sub-accounts here. The lack of mobile access is a definite negative because smartphone use is on the rise and people like to access their data anywhere, anytime, from any device. The price is not exactly the lowest on the market and with no month-to-month options available, Norton definitely needs some work in the subscription plan department.

Storage and Pricing

Norton does not give you many options when it comes to pricing plans. At the time of this writing, the service offers only one plan - 25GB of storage for $49.99/year, with no monthly payment scheme. However, this plan includes the ability to add up to five computers to the plan for backing up and you can purchase additional storage in increments of 10, 25, 50, and 100GB.

Is Norton Online Backup the Right Choice for You?

Norton online backup is geared toward the average home user who simply wants a reliable place to store files. The pricing is high for only 25GB of space, but if your budget can withstand the impact, Norton's service is backed by a popular company. Symantec is a reputable service provider with a long history of making customers happy, so you do not have to worry about another fledgling company that will go under as quickly as it surfaced.

However, the fact that Symantec does not deal solely in online backup services could mean that they will not devote as much time and attention to making improvements. The final decision depends on your backup needs, your budget and your devotion to the well-known name.

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