Backup Software Features Vary

Author: Joseph Simcic

Are you a home user or small business looking for a backup solution? Do you carry a laptop with you everywhere you go? Is the data that you carry important to you? You should consider a backup solution that fits your needs. I want to take you through a short list of items that you might want to look for in a backup solution. Your needs may vary and I just want to inform you of what features are out there.

Some of the common criteria that people look for may sound obvious. Does the software perform all types of backups? Can it protect single files at a time even if they are in use at the moment? These are some of the normal features you can get with backup software. Do you need a "one-click" hard drive backup solution? Do you know what a "one-click" backup is? All of these features depend on your needs. It is just like a new car. Do you need the car to get from point A to point B or do you want to cruise in style? Let's cover a few features.

Backup scheduling is a necessity in my opinion. Any piece of software that you are going to use to backup your system regularly should come with the ability to schedule. Scheduling will allow you to set it and forget it, increase your productivity, and allow you to have piece of mind knowing that your data is being protected. It saves you the time of manually scheduling a backup every night or every week. Who knows, you could forget if you didn't have that functionality.

Backup to removable media is another option that I think is important if you will be purchasing a software solution. You may want to have the ability to back up static data for long term storage to CD, DVD, or Zip Drive. I know there are tons of pictures I have that I probably won't do anything with until I want to view them in five years. A DVD backup would make that easy.

Do you require data compression? Is it necessary for your backup software to compress the data so that you can store more information on the media? This might come in handy if you are limited on space and still want to backup your data regularly. It may not be a requirement for you but could be something you look for later.

Do you want to filter the files that you are backing up? Let's say you have a small business and you want to backup all of your important data and not include mp3's. You can make a rule that allows you to perform that task. This is perfect for those special cases when you need a little bit more control over what you are backing up.

Are you a process oriented person and want to know that the information you have backed up has been verified? This function performs a type of error checking. It makes sure that you have retrieved the data that you said you wanted. The draw back is that it takes more time to complete.

Do you want to use old CD/DVD rewritable disks? Well, some backup software comes with the functionality to erase the media before it ever starts to backup your data. This would be nice if you don't have a bunch of data and want to recycle some of those rewritable disks that you no longer have a use for.

Another great function is creating image backups that are bootable. How nice would it be for you to restore to a pristine state with a bootable disk and not have to worry about installing the original operating system first? This is nice, keep in mind that you have to have the storage space to keep that entire image. They can get pretty hefty if you aren't careful.

I hate to talk about system restores or desktop restores but there comes a time when you might need to do them. Would you like the ability to restore specific data to a separate hard drive so that you can hand pick the files you want replaced. It may not be something you identify now, but it might be a nice to have later on.

This is just a preliminary list of things you may look for in your backup solution. Keep in mind that when you are looking for backup strategies, backup solutions, or the ability to restore systems your mileage may vary. A home user may have different criteria than a small or medium size business. The amount of data may differ from person to person. You should evaluate what pieces and parts you need before you decide to go out and purchase a solution. The point is take this information and plan appropriately all strategies are different. Just take action. The strategy won't be any good if you don't backup your data.

Author Resource: Don't become a statistic. Never lose your data again. Discover how to perform desktop restores, system restores, and learn how to backup your computer. Joseph Simcic has created this easy to read eBook which has everything you need in one spot. Download it now.

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The Benefits Of CRM Software

Author: Dave Roth

CRM software, often called customer relationship management software, is becoming much more popular today than it was in years past. One reason for this is that more people understand what the software is and are deciding to use it. Another reason is that the software is getting better and easier to use. It has more features and benefits than it did in the past, and it is also becoming more user-friendly, which is very important. More people today are using the Internet for their businesses. As this trend continues to grow, there will be a larger need for CRM software, but only if it is found to be useful and compatible with the needs that a business owner or manager has.

There are a lot of benefits to CRM software, as well. Managers can use this software to keep track of their customers and vendors and organize them in many different ways. It is unfortunate that so many people only think of CRM software as being a datebook or contact-recording type of software. It does handle these functions, but it does a great deal more than that, which is something that many business people fail to realize today when they are presented with CRM software. This CRM software can be used to record names and dates. However, it also keeps track of sales, returns, important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, it can help to remind salespeople of their prior commitments. This keeps them from missing deadlines, meetings, the returning of phone calls, or anything else that will affect the perception of them that their clients have.

Naturally, not missing deadlines is vital to a good business relationship. In addition, the CRM software can help a client feel as though he or she matters to a business. When a client feels important and valued, repeat business is much more likely than it would otherwise be. This is great for the business, but it is also good for the clients, because everyone in the relationship benefits from the efficiency that CRM software helps to create. Without CRM software, there is a good chance that there will be more problems in the interactions that are needed between clients and businesspeople. This is not to say that CRM software eliminates all chance of problems, but it does reduce them.

Those who use CRM software can also be more organized, because it is easier for them to find what they need when it comes to their customers, their vendors, and anything else that they need to keep close track of. It allows them to return calls more promptly, send out birthday cards, and keep customer information stored in a database where it can easily be retrieved by anyone who has authorized access to it. The main benefit to customers is that almost anyone in the company can help them, at least to some degree, because they can get to their information. This benefit of CRM software is the most important one because of the ability to let customers know that they are important to the company.

About the Author:
Dave Roth runs a site that reviews popular CRM software. The site provides reviews on everything from open source crm to various web based CRM solutions. Check out his site at http://www.elitecrmsoftware.com.