What Google did for email, Mozy is doing for online backups. That is the best way to describe the no-strings attached, 2 GB of backup space they provide to backup not only one, but multiple systems to a single account for free. For those needing more space, it is $4.95 per month which allows you to backup a single computer with unlimited storage space. It is compatible with both Mac and Windows systems.
Honestly, it sounded to good to be true, but I had to download and try it out. The Mac version of the software is currently in Beta, and Mozy does provide a Windows version of their backup client as well. The software comes with a range of default Backup Sets that allow you to backup folders like your Documents folder, iTunes and iPhoto data, and since all Mac users love Microsoft products, it searches for Microsoft Word and Excel files. While this is a good example, Mozy could have left that off. Loading the software seemed to hang at launch, as it used Spotlight to search those Microsoft files on my hard drive. What seemed like forever, but probably not more than 45 seconds, it finally stopped so that I could dig deeper into what Mozy was all about.
Not wanting to fill my 2GB of space on the first try, I selected a few default Backup Sets that would be small to see how it worked. Aside from possible Beta Bugs, where it seemed to time out while contacting "the server," Mozy worked like a champ when it did connect usually with relaunching the application.
Mozy was designed as an install, setup and forget backup option, the way all backups should be. You can have it backup daily or weekly at preset times, or backup when your system is idle. You can define bandwidth and system resource usage allowing you to continue to work, while the software uploads your 2GB of data. Since broadband upload speeds are a fraction of download speeds, it takes awhile to upload 2GB of data, depending on your upload connection speed, it could run all day.
To minimize subsequent backups, Mozy uses block-level differentials which in essence means if you change that 500MB file just a tiny bit, it doesn't need to upload the 500MB file again. They will retain incremental backups, up to 30 days, so you can go back in time. If you delete a file off your hard drive, then you will only be able to recover it within the 30 day window. The service is not designed for archiving and deleting locally, it only mirrors what is on your drive and remains on your drive.
Mozy is not designed to backup your entire system. The idea is to store those files which are one of a kind or of value, like purchased iTunes songs, your family photos, or business documents. The concept behind a service like Mozy is simple, off-site storage. If you don't store your important files in a location geo-distant from your primary location, then any number of factors could render your backups worthless, such as natural disasters, fires, theft and more.
As if all this wasn't enough, Mozy provides encrypted backups for those concerned with security and privacy. Your files are encrypted on the backup server using either a key they generate or your own key for those looking for even more security, in addition to being transmitted over an SSL connection.
For those looking for a little more flexibility, such as a remote drive to store files on like the dotmac service, your
Mozy account is only available to you, and data can only be placed on the space provided through the backup client. This is truly a backup client with service attached. This is a sure fire hit for those looking to sleep better at night when it comes to their bits and bytes.
Service Link: Mozy