Overview and History Carbonite are located in Boston, MA and they initially offered their online backup utility in the first half of 2006. Currently they backup and protect in excess of 2.5 billion files in over 100 countries. They were founded in 2005 by David Friend and Jeff Flowers. Carbonite is a simple, safe online backup program for unfussy home users, students, home office users, business travelers, etc. For under 5 US dollars each month, Carbonite archives all the vital information on your computer (digital photos, mp3s, docs and other vital files) whenever your desktop is connected to the Internet. Carbonite is really painless to initialize and use, requiring very little ongoing user amendment. The online backup solution is designed to constantly store altered files from your computer whenever it is attached to the internet. Feature Set Security Carbonite security is delightfully high. When data is sent back and forth from your computer and their servers it is encrypted with triple DES – which is very strong – and when on their servers your data is protected with Blowfish 448bit – which is the best protection available. The Storage for your data is held on 2 up-to-date facilities located in Massachusetts that provide carefully temperature-controlled rooms, backup power generators, restricted personnel access, and many other features to protect the security and integrity of your files. Backup Features By default Carbonite backs up the ‘My Documents and Settings’ folders but this can simply be altered in the desktop program. There is no limit to the number of files that can be backed up, therefore you can choose as many or as few files as you want. Archiving will start when your computer is not busy, so there is no drain on resources or bandwidth. However, you can use the backup scheduler to backup as frequently as you wish. Carbonite does not support backup of network or external drives. During our tests it needed thirty seven minutes to upload 2,000 megabytes of information using a normal 8mbps ADSL line whilst sending and recieving other data on the internet. Carbonite uses a continuous backup facility which means that data is backed up whenever they are altered. This means you no longer need to depend on scheduling archiving and checking your laptop is on when the scheduled time arrives. However, if scheduling is what you wish, the PC client does have that option as well. The backup progress can be monitored by an including progress bar. You can additionally add files and folders to the backup list by right-clicking. The Carbonite service creates a ‘virtual drive letter’ where you can see which files have been backed up and which are wating for backup. The manager also annotates colored dots on files so you know if they are archived, pending backup or not included in the schedule list. The PC client permits unlimited ‘file versioning’ for three months. There are as well no restrictions on the size of individual files or the amount of information that you can backup. But, it is important to take into account that the initial backup time required is more than that needed when you are up and running and your first backup is finished. Restore Features File restores can be setup from either the client or the web portal and can be restored to – by default – their original location, an alternaive location on the desktop they came from or to the web portal. On the PC edition, file recovery can also be initiated by right-clicking a file or folder. There is also a search option so you can look for files to restore that match a specific filename or filename pattern. Control and Analysis The web site allows central control for all clients being archived. The resource and upload/download usage can be geared between high and low. Reports are generated to verify what is backed up. Interface To use Carbonite you must install the Carbonite Client Software on every device that is to be archived. But, once setup, all backups can be administrated from a central admin portal. Many devices can be administered via a single account, however, multi-account management is not supported. Once the client software is up and running, it permits access to a virtual drive letter which can be designed to monitor the status of archived folders and to restore files. The system tray icon is initially yellow – this shows that the initial backup is running. When the initial backup is done, the tray icon turns green. The client software is uncluttered and great to use. The web portal is similarly clear. The utility is setup to be set-and-forget so the screens are not cluttered with lots of options but instead are designed to permit you to select what and when you want to archive and then allow the program to just do it. Device Support There is support for PC and MAC. There is an iPhone, iTouch, iPad and Blackberry apps however these only allow you to view archived information, not actually backup the iPhone, etc.. You can attach files from the backup set in emails. There is no limit to the amount of computers that – MAC or PC – can be backed up. Limitations Network drives and external drives cannot be archived There is no block level incremental backup ability Carbonite is a PC and MAC archive tool, so it does not archive server databases such as SQL server, Exchange server. Open or in use files cannot be archived until they are no longer in use. Whole machine backup is not supported. Proxy servers are not supported. File Sharing and Collaboration Files and folders may be shared privately via the web site and seperate access rights can be configured on individual files and folders. Carbonite does not support public file sharing or file collaboration. Synchronization Multiple computers can be synchronized with each other and with the central web site. Web 2.0 Integration Not supported. Customer Support Phone support is available as an optional extra at a cost of $19.99 a year. Support is via: Live Chat: https://www.carbonite.com/chat Email Support: customersupport@carbonite.com Email web form: http://carbonite.custhelp.com/app/ask Online Documentation, FAQs and knowledgebase Blog: http://www.carbonite.com/blog Free Trial: There is a free 15 day trial available. Ease Of Use Carbonite is extremely easy to install and run, simply download the client software and run it. There is audio help that talks you through the entire procedure and you will be archiving your data in no time at all. The 15 day – no credit card required – free trial means {there is no risk in trying Carbonite out. Once setup all that is required is right-click on a file or folder to add it to your backup. Cost Initial setup Cost – Free 15 day trial Monthly charge – Not applicable Annual Charge – $54.99 Initial allowed storage amount – unlimited Cost of additional storage – no charge Cost of additional devices / PCs / users – Unlimited device but one account per user Referral Program – 3 months free subscription for each referral that signs up after their free trial E-billing facility – yes There are no corporate service plans available, but, there is a pro edition of Carbonite available at http://www.carbonitepro.com which is designed for corporate use. Hidden cost: Telephone support costs $19.99 per year. Conclusion Carbonite offers a easy secure method to archive your information from either PCs or MACs. The unlimited storage for a set fee allows for uncomplicated budgeting and takes away the requirement to continually note how much information you are backing up. The Carbonite Online Backup utility is very well protected and the support is solid. If you require a easy backup solution then this is an excellent choice. The lack of file sharing, synchronization and collaboration is a definite gap in the product but if you do not need these features then this is a really excellent product. I’m a IT professional with over 20 years experience in providing solutions to companies both small and large. I spend a lot of time researching and reviewing products and services to ensure I am up-to-date with all the latest technology. When I’m not glued to my keyboard I enjoy walking with my wife and our beautiful daughter in the lovely, tranquil countryside in Shropshire, England where we live. For more in-depth information on Carbonite and other Online Backup Solutions visit the author’s website: savvyITsolutions.com