Online backup strategies

After trying online backup services from AOL, or later Mozy, then Box.net, 3 weeks ago I installed Windows Live Mesh on my PC, which until now seems to do a quite nice Job automatically synchronizing files from my PC to my live-mesh-account. Also a total of 5GB and no maximum file-size seems to me quite reasonable for a free service. As Wikipedia shows there is a growing market for online backup services, mainly because it is easier, safer, more secure and cheaper then using conventional backup methods like CD/DVD, Zip drive, tape unit or external hard disk. It also allows me to access latest files, independent wheather I am working at home or using another computer at work.
While I usually stopped using free services in past for its affect on system performance and other inconvenience, this time Microsoft seems to have done a good integration (I only tested on WindowsXP yet). Synchronization works smoothly in background, login automatically and I can have several folders to be synced.

As Daniel Jones and other experts quote, it is a good strategy using multiple Backup strategies to raise data available, due to the fact, that most user not start thinking about backups until a painful hard disc crash happened. Internet backups are a good way to start.

Regarding security of data one could see it as advance to trust big players, since the damage in reputation caused by security leaks would probably be bigger then damage at own company. Nevertheless before giving sensitive data to 3rd party provider a more detailed analysis about how Microsoft ensures security in comparison to own possibilities and costs should be taken into consideration.

Cutting costs for WebHosting and MailHosting to zero!

After dealing some years with content management we took notice that most clients payed for web- and mail-hosting including a lot of features they never used nor did not know how to use them. Therefore usability and costs are usually among the most important factors when it comes to think about a provider for mail or a company website. That´s probably why so many companies (Google states over 2 million) have switched to Google Apps.

Why it is better to connect to contacts online?

You probably at least once in your life have been searching for contact data of an old friends who has moved or changed his mobile phone provider. I have been into situations, where friends asked me again for my telephone after they have lost their telephone. Companies usually change faster employees or their current direction then private persons, so having up to date contact data is a definite plus and advantage to any salesman in this world.

With the spread of social network services, it got quite easier to keep in touch, but many companies still did not hit the opportunity yet. Online contact management not only will give you the chance to count on latest contact information if not  find interesting business contact, be found by possible clients or to inform about people, you never have seen before. So what would be the best tool to share contacts online?