New Backup Options Blur The Line Between Physical and Virtual StorageNew Backup Options Blur The Line Between Physical and Virtual Storage

NovaStor's new NovaBACKUP 10 data protection and disaster recovery software for Windows lets small busineses store data locally and online in the cloud.There are plenty of local backup solutions, of course, and more and more companies are making online storage and backup services available to small and midsize companies.

Both approaches have their uses, obviously. On-premise backups enable quick file restores, while and online backups offer protection for critical files in case of a catastrophe -- think cyclones, earthquakes, wildfires -- that completely destroys local storage and backups.

To make it easier to manage both, NovaBACKUP 10 combines both options into a single application. Versions are available starting at $50 for a single Windows PC up to $500 for a version covering a single server Windows 2000, or 2003 Server, including Microsoft Exchange and SQL support.

And each version includes a free one-year online storage account (ranging from 2GB to 10GB) with Digi-Data Corporation.

Since I don't fully trust local storage (something could break, ) or online backups (the provider could go bankrupt, Internet connections might not be available), combining the two would make me feel at least somewhat safer. But I don't want to have to deal with any more complexity than I have to.