Small Business Online

The holidays are fast approaching and many people will want to call family and friends in far away places. Many people who make international calls infrequently will be shocked when they find out how much their home phone or mobile phone service provider charges for making international calls. The total cost will include a high per minute rate charged by the service provider and additional taxes and fees levied by the government. Large phone companies like AT&T and Verizon offer lower cost international calling plans but even the rates they charge under these plans are outrageous when compared to other low cost options for making international calls.

Many consumers have turned to VoIP providers such as Vonage in order to save money on international calls. This may be a good choice if it is purchased as a replacement for home phone service but it is not the best option for international calling. Vonage includes long distance service to Canada, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK with their basic service but calls to these locations are typically very cheap. Vonage also uses VoIP technology so international call quality tends to vary from good to poor. Vonage may seem like a good deal but it costs $24.95 per month and a long-term contract is required. International rates are also relatively expensive when compared to other low cost options.

Other consumers, especially techies, save money by making international calls with PC to Phone providers like Skype. This can be a great option since Skype features free PC-to-PC calls. However, in order to make free calls, each party needs to have a PC, an INTERNET connection, and have a Skype account. Many people live with these inconveniences and make free calls with Skype. However, many others want an international calling plan where they can call landlines and cell phones. Skype can be used to make calls to phones but it is inconvenient since a PC and INTERNET connection is required and it is not as cheap as other, more convenient options.

One option for making international calls that is convenient, flexible and low cost is prepaid long distance. These virtual calling plans evolved from phone cards but they have become more sophisticated. Most come with free user accounts where callers can monitor activity (even the details of each call) and make account changes. They also typically have other features like PIN free dialing and speed dial so they are more convenient to use than standard phone cards. A few of these prepaid international calling plans offer high quality and low rates on calls to almost any location in the world. We are very familiar with two of these plans, Tel3Advantage and Continental. We have used both of these to make low cost international phone calls for several years. Tel3Advatage is an especially good calling plan that features high quality connections and rates that beat Skype’s PC-to-Phone rates to many locations. Both Tel3Advantage and Continental are virtual prepaid calling plans that do not require a contract or other long-term obligation. They also do not charge an activation fee or any fees for maintaining or terminating an account. They are both ideal calling plans for short-term use over the holidays or long-term use all year long. Either one of these prepaid calling plans are a good option for consumers who want to save money on long distance calling and still want convenience, flexibility and high quality.

For illustrative purposes, the Table below compares the rates charged by these calling plans to some popular international locations. These rates are in cents per minute for calls made from the USA. They are the rates advertised on the service provider’s website and may not include all fees and taxes. They include rates from two traditional international calling plans (AT&T and Verizon), one VoIP provider (Vonage), one PC-to-Phone provider (Skype) and two prepaid long distance provider (Tel3Advantage and Continental).

International Calling Plan Rate Comparison

Calls Originating in the USA (cents/min)

Conclusions

The above table illustrates a few things:

1. International rates vary significantly between companies and countries. It pays to shop for the best deal to the locations you call the most.
2. It is not hard to beat the rates on international calls offered by the traditional long distance providers. They are not even trying to compete on price.
3. Skype provides free PC-to-PC calls but their rates to landlines or cell phones are easy to beat.
4. Vonage may save consumers money on home phone service but their international rates are not cheap relative to the competition.
5. Consumers who plan to make frequent international calls should consider using a prepaid long distance provider like Tel3Advantage.

There a several great reasons to get involved with the data security in your working environment but perhaps one of the best of these has to do with the fact that if ytou lose the information that you  store on a computer, you could very well lose your business as well. That’s why the need for some kind of data protection becomes critical and some of the best that you’ll be able to find comes from the remote backup model.

Hackers

Many business owners need to know what the advantages are of this type of system as they want to be sure that they are looking into a system that will take away the worries that they might endure over losses from fire and other natural disasters as well as hackers and thieves.

Remote Backup

One of the biggest advantages to the Remote backup model deals with the simplicity involved. Although the system itself generally has the best technology that includes Cisco and other top notch technologies, the business owner has very little to do to ensure that this manner of online backup system works to his or her specifications. Many of these remote backups have the kind of constant attention that renders them virtually impenetrable and for that reason alone more and more oline concerns are turning to them for their data protection concerns.

Threats

The threats are everywhere and they don’t just include the traditional worms and viruses anymore. Disgruntled ex employees make up a good number of the people who pose a threat to any online company, and the number of malicious hackers that corrupt files for no apparent reason has been on the rise for years as the technology that allows the Internet to grow spreads.

All the experts tend to agree that there is a solution. Finding the best remote backups is generally considered the best way to keep all of you information safe so that you can concentrate on the business of making money and not data security.

Dan Dugal is the CEO of Remote Data Backups, a successful date protection company with hundreds of satisfied customers. You can see all of RDB’s data security options at

http://remotedatabackups.com/

There are many different reasons that you’ll want to get to know as much as possible about the various kinds of data protection that is available, and one of the primary issues that you should be familiar with are the different kinds of threats that you can come up against.

Worms and Viruses

Of course there are a few different types that can cause a serious crash where you could lose all of your mission critical data if it’s not backed up with the best online backup software that’s available today, but one of the biggest threats still remains the worms and viruses that have plagued the Internet for years. One of the latest techniques that the casual surfer is using involves not only having the downloadable type of anti virus software, but looking to the increasing number of online sites that can double check these files to ensure that they are safe.

Remote Backups

Of course all the experts agree the real heavy hitters when it comes to online security are the remote backups. These are generally the places that take all the worry away from the user in that they often run a series of constant backups and because they use the best in  data protection technology, they are virtually hacker proof.

Of course that’s not to say that the downloadable versions of the data protection won’t keep you safe from many of the worms and viruses that are out there, but they do nothing to make sure that the most important data that you’ve got is safe in the event of a disaster like a flood. In these instances, it’s the online backup service that adds the extra degree of safety.

There are several things that you should be looking for in one of these online backup services and here’s a partial list that will point you in the right direction.

1. Reputation. Look at the testimonials on their website and the affiliates that they have. The more you see the better the company generally is.
2. Services. Because of the sensitive nature of this business, there’s a real need to have a customer service department that will go a little further and do a little extra.

There are many different reasons that you’ll want to get to know as much as possible about the various kinds of data protection that is available, and one of the primary issues that you should be familiar with are the different kinds of threats that you can come up against.

Worms and Viruses

Of course there are a few different types that can cause a serious crash where you could lose all of your mission critical data if it’s not backed up with the best online backup software that’s available today, but one of the biggest threats still remains the worms and viruses that have plagued the Internet for years. One of the latest techniques that the casual surfer is using involves not only having the downloadable type of anti virus software, but looking to the increasing number of online sites that can double check these files to ensure that they are safe.

Remote Backups

Of course all the experts agree the real heavy hitters when it comes to online security are the remote backups. These are generally the places that take all the worry away from the user in that they often run a series of constant backups and because they use the best in  data protection technology, they are virtually hacker proof.

Of course that’s not to say that the downloadable versions of the data protection won’t keep you safe from many of the worms and viruses that are out there, but they do nothing to make sure that the most important data that you’ve got is safe in the event of a disaster like a flood. In these instances, it’s the online backup service that adds the extra degree of safety.

There are several things that you should be looking for in one of these online backup services and here’s a partial list that will point you in the right direction.

1. Reputation. Look at the testimonials on their website and the affiliates that they have. The more you see the better the company generally is.
2. Services. Because of the sensitive nature of this business, there’s a real need to have a customer service department that will go a little further and do a little extra.

There’s really only one way that you can find the piece of mind that you’ll need to if you’re working in the world of the Internet and that’s with the best Online Backups that you can find. No question about it, you need to have a remote backup so that you’ll never need to worry because these are the places that often have the best in backup software features like:

• Easy File Restoration. When you’ve lost a file either accidentally or through some misfortune, there’s a need to get the information back quickly before the day is lost. You’ll want to carefully go over what a firm that wants to supply your data protection can do for you here since time is of the essence.
• Another important feature is the automatic file backup. Of course knowing that all of your mission critical data is being backed up every night gives you the piece of mind that fosters trust in the system that you’re looking at.

Still there’s more to it than that. You need to be sure as well that any online backup service that’s worth looking at has the capability to keep your data safe and away from the very threats that you’ve spotted around your own system. For that, it’s easier than you think to get a good handle on the company’s reputation.

Affiliate Program

All you really need to do is have a quick look at the state of their affiliate program. Do they have an extensive list of the companies that they service? What about testimonials? Some of the best firms get glowing recommendations from the clients that feel secure with their service.

You’ve got a lot to do each day to keep your business running smoothly. One of those things should not be fretting over the state of your data security. You really should have the benefit of an online backup service to look after that for you.

Dan Dugal is the CEO of Remote Data Backups, a successful date protection company with hundreds of satisfied customers. You can see all of RDB’s data security options at

http://remotedatabackups.com/

Here’s a scenario that no one wants to think about even though it’s one that could easily happen to you. Imagine that you’re in charge of your own franchise and you’ve got someone in change of data protection but they’re doing the things the old way and physically saving the files and taking the information with them after work each day.

Now imagine that this person has had a bad day and forgets. Happens right? Now think about what would happen if the very night they forget, your store suffers a catastrophic fire and all the files are lost with the computer in the store? It’s not hard to see how devastating that would be to your entire business.

So now you’re asking yourself what the solution is. Aren’t there ways to ensure that this doesn’t happen? The short answer is yes there are, but the correct answer is that some of these data protection ideas work better than others and the best by far is the remote backups that ensure full security. When you look at some of the other ways that people have saved their data, it’s easy to see where they’ve been vulnerable before the remote backups came along. Some of the more common approaches included:

1.      The CD Rom. Still a great way to keep that information remote and away from the source should something bad happen, but these run the risk of being lost or stolen. They come in a distant second to the remote backups.

2.      FlashDrives. Just like the CD Roms but in a way even more likely to go missing.

It’s not hard to see why remote backups are the best. They are offsite in a secure location away from the original source and with a set of specific codes it’s possible to get the information right away as long as you can find an Internet connection. Remember that there are certain instances where second best isn’t good enough and data protection is one of these.

Dan Dugal is the CEO of Remote Data Backups, a successful date protection company with hundreds of satisfied customers. You can see all of RDB’s data security options at

http://remotedatabackups.com/

Once you’ve seen the light and decided to go with an online backup service so that you’ll be able to feel secure about your mission critical information and it’s safety, there are a few others things that you’ll need to decide to ensure that you get the right fit. Remember that while all of these services do their best to provide the very best in data security, there are some that are can be more specific to an individual firm’s needs. That said, here’s a list of the things that you should be looking for:

• Flexibility. Does the place that you’re considering have a variety of backup plans to choose from? The best of these online backup services will be able to allow for the diversity of services and offer something in the small MB to the larger GB range. As well, it’s generally considered the mark of a confident place if they offer a trial so you can test their systems out.

• You’ll want to have a good look at their software features as well. Remember that the software is like the engine that will run the whole service so you’ll want to make sure that the one you’ve got is top notch. Look for a few things like an easy system restore and a series of fast efficient backups that will allow for a certain piece of mind.

These are just a few of the things that you need to be looking at when you’re shopping for the best in remote backups, but you need to be aware that these are the very services that will ensure that a disaster in the form of lost information doesn’t happen to your company. By taking just a little extra time to select the best that you can afford, you can move forward with the other more pressing things that your company demands.

Dan Dugal is the CEO of Remote Data Backups, a successful date protection company with hundreds of satisfied customers. You can see all of RDB’s data security options at

http://remotedatabackups.com/

If you work in another industry, you might consider your inventory your most valuable asset and so you might need to physically walk through a warehouse and count things.  Well, that’s no different when you work on the Internet except for the fact that you’re most valuable asset in a lot of cases here is the information that’s stored on your computer. However you’ll still want to know where it is and you’ll want to be able to get to it at a moment’s notice.

The modern business man needs to be aware that there are a new set of issues that go along with working on the Web and the first of these is data security. There are no padlocks at the gate of a computer so you need to find another way to make sure that the information that you’ve got is safe and the best way that you can do that is to get the right online backup service.

The best of these will be able to provide a variety of functions that include:

• Account and File sharing
• Remote File Access
• Easy File Restoration

When you find a firm on the Web that can supply you  with all of these features you know that your business will be secure. However, there is one final feature that will cement the deal and that has everything to do with the kind of security that the system you’re looking at has. There are a few things that you really need to make sure that the company you’re considering has and at the top of that list are the right Firewall technology.

Remember that it’s one thing not to trust the security that you have in place for your own system, but not being able to have confidence in the data security you’re paying to use the services of is unforgivable. For that reason you’ll want to make sure that a top name like Cisco comes up when you’re looking at the Firewall technology that’s being offered. You can trust names like this since they have been one of the leaders in Network Security for years now.

Dan Dugal is the CEO of Remote Data Backups, a successful date protection company with hundreds of satisfied customers. You can see all of RDB’s data security options at

http://remotedatabackups.com/

Data Protection is the Holy Grail of Internet commerce. While it’s easy to get the idea underway for what you hope will be a great ecommerce enterprise, making sure that the information  that you gather and store in your computer can be a daunting task. There people out there who will tell you what you need to keep that information safe, but most of them are wrong. It’s not that they’re bad people or crooks of any kind. It’s just that they don’t have the experience to tell you what you really need to get the job of data protection done right.

So, the real question is: what do you need to ensure a reasonable level of data security? Well, there are a few things that should help you decide and the factors include:

1. What Kind Of Business You’re in. Especially if you’re working in a global environment where there is a large amount of information changing hands every day, you need the kind of data backups that will guarantee you  that your information will be both safe and accessible at all times but only to you and that select few that you choose.
2. How Many Files You’ve Got To Backup And Their Size. The kind of plan that you can be offered usually depends on the sizes and amounts of files that you’ve got to backup.

Of course there are other indicators that should help you in getting to know what kind of remote backup plan that you’ll need, and one of these is the old standby of customer service. Although many of these online backup services are automated, it’s a great comfort to know that you can access their  customer support people when and if you need to quickly since having all your critical information right at your fingertips is essential to running a business the proper way.

Dan Dugal is the CEO of Remote Data Backups, a successful date protection company with hundreds of satisfied customers. You can see all of RDB’s data security options at

http://remotedatabackups.com/

When you’re looking at ways that you can improve the profits in any business, one of the ways that you’ll want to look at is proactive in the sense of data protection. We’ve all heard the stories about people losing valuable business and not because the customer wasn’t satisfied with their efforts but rather because they experienced one of those disasters that cost them a computer crash. Granted, most of the reasons for these impossible situations can be prevented with the right kind of planning, but it’s unfortunate that more business owners don’t know about the ways that the right data protection system can help you out.

There are a few things that are nothing short of requirements here and the first of these is that the company that you choose to go with be an off site firm. Remember that these are the companies that usually also have the very best when it comes to data security as well. Here you need to be assured that the firm has an above average customer relations department as well and one that will be on call for you to come to them 24/7.

One of the other things that can help you decide is a quick overview of the reputation of the place that you’re considering. And there’s a great way that you can judge this and that’s by having a look at their affiliate program and if those people are willing to supply testimonials as well the further the company’s name.

Of course there are other factors that you should consider and one of these is the online backup software that they use. Take a look and decide if that software has at least a few of the following features.

1. Quick and Easy File Sharing That’s Always Available. Here you want to be able to work on any file at home and then share that file with your company’s remote account.
2. Accommodate Large Files. The online backup service that you use should have the capability of letting you work on large files and back them up or share them as well.

Dan Dugal is the CEO of Remote Data Backups, a successful date protection company with hundreds of satisfied customers. You can see all of RDB’s data security options at

http://remotedatabackups.com/