ThinkGrid, provider of business IT on demand, has launched its cloud storage service for organisations that need to retain ever-increasing amounts of data, but lack the capital to invest in high-cost, on-site storage. Customers can now benefit from this enterprise-class data storage solution on a pay-as-you-go basis. The service is based on the Mezeo Cloud Storage Platform and offers a range of advantages, including back-up and disaster recovery as well as business collaboration.  It can either be purchased as a standalone solution accessible from almost any device via an internet connection, including the iPhone and BlackBerry, or integrated with ThinkGrid's full business IT on demand portfolio, which includes Hosted Desktop and Dynamic Server plans.

"Over recent years there has been a huge rise in the amount of digital information as individuals and businesses increase their dependence on IT. Similar to the way we use banks for keeping our hard earned cash, it's becoming just as important to safeguard highly valuable data by keeping it stored in a secure, reliable location," said David Pratt, COO at ThinkGrid. "At the same time, just like our money, we should be able to access this data whenever and wherever we need it. ThinkGrid Cloud Storage is designed to offer exactly this capability but without the pain of having to build and manage a complex infrastructure yourself. Businesses are free to focus on what they do best, confident in the knowledge that their IT is working in the background, helping them to stay efficient and competitive," added Pratt.

The Mezeo Cloud Storage Platform is a highly secure platform offering SSL encryption of files for transfer and 256 bit AES encryption in storage, meeting or exceeding the encryption used by banks and online merchants. This enables files stored to ThinkGrid Cloud Storage to be securely accessed through a variety of mobile devices or web browsers and without the complexity of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) set-up.  This has significant advantages for companies or individuals that need to share or collaborate on documents ranging from presentations to PDFs, web site graphics, photos, videos, music and more. More specifically, businesses that often find they have to collaborate on or send large files will find ThinkGrid Cloud Storage a faster and more effective approach than sending email attachments. As the entire service is delivered on a pay-as-you-go model, there is no need to invest upfront in an expensive storage solution that is not fully utilised from day one. Likewise, if storage needs drop, customers can reduce the amount of space required, and only pay for what they use.

Pratt continued: "For the vast majority of companies, it's a necessity to effectively store or retrieve business data. There's also an increasing need to share this data with a range of third parties, such as customers and partners, or even employees who work outside the office. With ThinkGrid Cloud Storage we are offering customers a new and more affordable model for storing and accessing data from anywhere and, most importantly, giving them the confidence that this valuable information remains fully protected. For businesses that are not yet ready to move their full IT infrastructure to our business IT on demand service, it also offers an ideal stepping stone to the Cloud."

Customers that traditionally store data in-house can put their business at risk as a result of hardware failure or someone accidentally erasing or corrupting their high-value data. ThinkGrid Cloud Storage offers SMEs the ability to implement disaster recovery or business continuity to the same standard as large scale enterprises. The service is hosted in multiple data centres that run on a highly available, fully resilient and constantly mirrored Grid computing model. ThinkGrid uses enterprise-class hardware, which is constantly backed-up and managed by a team of specialists on a 24/7 basis.  This ensures 99.99% availability even in the unlikely event of a disaster at one of its facilities.

Whether purchased as a stand-alone service or as a fully integrated solution with the existing business IT on demand offering, ThinkGrid Cloud Storage features also include:

• Hierarchical and Tag-based File Organisation: Offering ‘Library File' views making it easy to search and retrieve files
• Permission Management: Allows users to more effectively manage private and public shared data through ‘Role-based' permission management and share expiration settings
• Contact Import Tool: Users can quickly and easily share information with personal contacts by importing names from Plaxo, Outlook, Yahoo, Gmail, or a CSV file
• Publishable URL: Generates public URL links that can be used to share information directly on forums, blogs and websites
• Patented Online Recycle Container: For users that need to delete or restore files right from the web

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