A backup and storage service over the Internet. Cloud storage providers generally let users upload any size and type of computer file. Also called "online storage," "public cloud storage" and "file hosting," customer files can be downloaded to anyone's computer with a Web browser and password. While some providers require paid subscriptions, many are freemium based, offering a limited amount of storage for free and higher capacities for a fee.
Backup or Storage
Although any remote storage service such as Dropbox and Box can be used to upload files for backup, providers dedicated to "backup as a service" (BaaS) perform automatic uploading periodically. They may also keep multiple versions of a file for a certain length of time because a corrupted file may have been damaged prior to the last version uploaded. Carbonite, IDrive and Acronis Backup and Recovery are examples of dedicated backup services. See
media sharing site.
Synchronization
Keeping the same files in sync in all the user's devices is another feature of storage providers. For example, Apple, Google and Microsoft include cloud storage and synchronization as an incentive to keep users within the fold. See
iCloud,
Google Drive and
OneDrive.
Content Management/Delivery
Cloud storage providers that keep data for automatic downloading to websites and user applications fall under the "content management" umbrella (see
CDN). See
cloud computing,
cloud storage gateway,
cloud music storage,
S3 cloud storage,
Amazon Glacier,
Google Storage and
external storage.