Data Backup Digest

It seems that every day there is a new cloud storage provider on the market. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but you’ll no doubt feel that there’s a vast array of choice when it comes to online data storage. Choosing the right provider can be an incredibly difficult decision; trying all of them out is time consuming. Here’s another name to add to the mix: Copy.

Copy is a relatively new service that was launched by Barracuda Networks last year. Barracuda are known for their security and anti-virus software and are now moving into the cloud market with Copy.

The service works much how you would expect it to and is very similar to Dropbox, one of the biggest rivals in the market. Users have one folder in which everything within is automatically uploaded to the cloud and synced between all your devices. Something that makes Copy stand out is the variety of operating systems that it is available on. For the desktop there is Windows, Mac OS X (10.7+) and Linux versions. For the mobile devices there is iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Raspberry Pi. This covers the majority of systems out there and ensures that Copy should be compatible with all devices for a significant number of their users.

However, where Copy has one-upped Dropbox is that you can sync more than just that individual folder’s contents. If you create a shortcut to a different folder within the Copy folder then everything within the shortcut folder will be synced too. This means that you don’t have to replicate data on your computer to get it to sync, nor do you have to actually store everything within the same place.

Users can also set permissions for each folder that they share. Permissions include allowing users to edit and sync the contents or just view it. On top of this, all data is handled through what Copy call ‘fair sharing’. This means that a 20GB file split between four people will only use 5GB of each user’s space. Copy liken this to splitting a restaurant bill between friends – you all pay a percentage of the bill, rather than everyone paying the full amount.

In terms of security, all your data is stored on servers controlled by Barracuda. Files are encrypted with AES 256 level protecting, during transfer and while at rest on the cloud storage. It would be nice to see full end to end encryption in the future, though.

So, what about storage space and pricing? First of all, there’s no limit on individual file size. Users can sign up and get 15GB of storage for free with an additional 5GB for each friend they refer. Copy has a slider on their website that lets you adjust pricing plans for business users and compares it against Dropbox and Box. Currently, 10 users will cost $899 a year, 100 users will cost $8,990 a year and 300 users will cost $26,970 a year. This can go all the way up to 500 users, at which point you’re told to contact their sales team directly.