After reading this SOS online backup review, you may believe that SOS could well stand for "Save Our System" as Brian Nadel of ComputerWorld.com puts it. Or, considering how reviewers and customers alike have been raving about how user-friendly the service is, SOS could also easily mean "So Simple."

Whatever meaning you want to put into those three letters, it remains that SOS Online Backup is one of the more popular backup solutions out there. It has been reviewed by most tech-related websites, and with every review, you'll find a handful of comments from users who've had their own experience with the service. Of course, the fact that SOS has been chosen by PC Magazine as its Editor's Choice for 3 straight years has helped boost its status as one of the forerunners in the online backup space.

Full Review

What SOS backup brings to the table is a robust set of features that includes multi-PC support, continuous data protection, unlimited file versioning, secure data transfers and storage, local backup support, and web and mobile access. And one particular feature that is interesting is that you can do your initial backup on CD’s and then mail them to SOS. This is very convenient and saves considerable time.

SOS backup isn’t perfect, however. For starters, there are limited backup plans and you can’t backup a large amount of data. In addition, it’s more expensive than others. For home users you have two plans to choose from – the 50GB and 100GB plans that will set you back $79.95/year and $99.95/year respectively. For business users there are four plans to choose from that start at $120/year for 10GB of backup.

The other drawback to SOS online backup is that it is only available for PCs, although a Mac version is reportedly in the works. In addition, you’d have to be fully convinced that SOS is the answer to your backup requirements because the service does not offer a free “bite-sized” storage plan as others do, or a free trial for any of its paid plans.

Still, though, this is a service that gets high marks from expert reviewers and actual users alike. You’ll have to read the rest of this SOS online backup review to find out if SOS is the right backup solution for you.

Ease of Use

While SOS Online Backup comes loaded with many features that users would surely welcome, the interface has been designed so that it’s easily understandable for both experienced and novice users. When you first have the software set up and running, you’ll be taken to the main menu which offers only four options: backup online, restore online, backup locally, and restore locally.

SOS understands that the backup and restore functions are the core of any service and I like that SOS puts these four basic processes on the forefront of its interface. At the same time, it also gives you a convenient way to go to the full Classic view that has the options for more advanced control settings via the Advanced button on the upper right hand of the screen.

Another factor that makes the SOS interface intuitive and easy to navigate is that the file organization structure is quite similar to what you would find on a Windows system. The service supports drop and drag functionality that most users would have no trouble figuring out.

While there is a comprehensive knowledge base that contains specific questions for new users, not many will need it as the interface is very straight forward.

The Backup Process

Using the service starts with a small, 11MB program which only takes a minute to download and install on your PC. Upon setting up the client software, you’ll be asked for your account username and password.

In the latest version of the service, SOS has added its “So Simple” file select feature that starts up upon program installation. It browses through your computer and finds the files that users most commonly back up such as office documents, pictures, videos, and music. If you go with the backup set that SOS pulls up from the user folders in your hard drive, then most of your data should be safely backed up. However, you also have the option to manually add files and folders to the initial backup set.

You can also upload files and folders using the Classic view of the interface where you have the freedom to browse through your hard drives and then choose folders to drag and drop for uploading. Whichever method of uploading you opt for, as you add files you will be shown a bar that indicates how much storage space your intended backup set will require.

Completion of the initial uploading can take from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the speed of your connection and the size of your backup set. If you have a particularly large volume of data, you are provided with this alternative means of initially getting your files on the server: backing up your files to a CD or hard disk and then mailing it to SOS. This will save you significant time and bandwidth.

The backup process of SOS, however, is not flawless. I’ve come across a couple of users who were having problems uploading data from a Windows 7 PC. Even PCMag.com, which is a big fan of this backup solution, acknowledges this problem by including on its list of Cons – “Some issues with 64-bit Windows and network drives.” Clearly, a few adjustments to its system are needed to iron out these kinks.

Backup Status

Once you have the initial backup completed, you can set the schedule for subsequent, automatic backups. You have the option to either run scheduled backups in hourly, daily (default), weekly, or monthly increments, or have it when the PC is not in use. Unlike the first backup, the succeeding backups won’t take much time because only new files and changes to saved files will be backed up.

For critical files, SOS has this nifty tool called Live Protect that continuously monitors specified files so that they are updated with the server each time changes are made. This way, you are assured that important data is protected in real-time and up to the latest version, but at the same time, you are saving bandwidth resource because not all files have to be tracked and updated at all times.

SOS Online Backup is also unique in that it the only service that I’ve reviewed so far that gives a confirmation of every file received, processed, and saved on the server. You may also set it up so that the service sends email reports – to multiple addresses at that – at the end of every scheduled backup. On the downside, SOS does not give an estimate of how much time is remaining before upload is completed.

Performance

Performance-wise, SOS is at least at par with other services. According to Michael Muchmore of PCMag.com, this backup solution, “did well and never noticeably slowed down my PC.” In the actual test he performed, SOS Online Backup was able to upload a set of mixed files in 22 minutes. The same set took Carbonite 21 minutes to upload, and both MozyHome and IDrive, 20 minutes. SOS is a tad slower here but isn’t that far behind.

One feature commonly available with other services, but SOS doesn’t support, is bandwidth throttling. This allows you to control how much of your bandwith should go to your backup and how much should be allocated for your other Internet-related activities. Still, the fact that users can go on working without them noticing any change in the speed or performance of their PC speaks well of this online backup service.

Security

In making sure that customer data is protected at all times, SOS utilizes a three-way encryption system: files are encrypted even before they leave your computer, while being transmitted, and while they are stored on the company’s servers. Data is sent via 128-bit SSL connection and stored using 256 or 440-bit encryption.

This backup service also offers a security feature called SOS UltraSafe that gives the user the option to keep their own encryption key. With a private key, you are guaranteed complete privacy because even SOS employees cannot gain access to the information stored in your account. Be careful, though, because if you lose your private key, you lose access to your own data!

To further seal the company’s commitment to data security, they are maintaining multiple data centers across the globe to safekeep multiple copies of customers’ files.

Restoring Data

SOS has also designed its service so that restoring your data is as simple of a process as possible. You can do it using the software on your desktop or via the web interface.

If you choose to download files back to your PC using the SOS software, the first screen of the restore wizard will show you a calendar and search boxes where you can input the file size, file type, and file name. This method of restoring may come in very handy if you know exactly what file you’re looking for or any of its specifics – its file size, file type, or when you uploaded it.

However, if you choose not to enter any information on the first screen, you can simply proceed to the next one where you’ll be able to view all files saved in your account. Just check or uncheck any file or folder to restore, choose the destination of these files, and you’re good to go. As soon as the file restore proceeds, you’ll be shown a progress bar as well as a message box that tells you what particular files are currently being downloaded.

As mentioned, you can also do a restore from the SOS website. This method is very convenient if you’ve backed up several PCs and you don’t have access to all or one of them at some point. From your web account, you can select which computer you want to restore files from. Then, it’s all a matter of clicking on folders and subfolders until you get to the exact file you want.

While restoring data from SOS doesn’t differ much from other similar services, one thing that’s worth mentioning is the Unlimited Versioning and Archiving feature. Many backup services only keep previous document versions for 30 days; SOS keeps all file versions forever – or at least until the user chooses to delete it. Keep in mind, though, that these archives will count against your storage quota so you may want to get rid of unnecessary files from your backed up data from time to time.

Remote Access

Providing data access through a website is nothing new to most online backup services. With SOS, subscribers can view and restore files from their account using any web-enabled computer or device. Documents and other files can also be shared with anyone with an email address. Videos and music can be played online too. Since SOS supports multiple PCs under a single account, it’s easy to retrieve files from any of your registered or backed up computers.

Mobile access is also available via the SOS iPhone app which PC Magazine calls “excellent.” I’m a bit surprised they don’t have an app for Android or Blackberry devices. Hopefully they’ll be rolling those out soon.

Customer Support

Customer support is another aspect of the service where SOS has put a lot of effort into. The knowledge base and FAQ section found on the site offered comprehensive and helpful information. A user manual and video tutorials are provided for customers who may need assistance with any of the functions or features.

For specific queries and issues that require personalized assistance, you can submit an email or support ticket, use the live chat support, or talk with a representative via phone. These support channels are more than what many other backup companies offer and for the most part, SOS customers certainly appreciate the attention.

But while many customer reviews I’ve read online praised their support, a few were not too glowing. Some went as far as calling SOS tech support as “abysmal” and “poor.” Digging deeper into these negative comments, I discovered most of the complaints came from users whose problems were not immediately addressed. It wasn’t they didn’t get the assistance they needed – it just didn’t come fast enough for them.

Still, judging from the many user comments I’ve come across, there were more happy customers than dissatisfied ones and that usually isn’t the case when it comes to the customer support departments of these online backup services.

Bottom Line of this SOS Online Backup Review:

SOS Online Backup gets rave reviews from expert reviewers and users alike. It has been PC Magazine’s “Editor’s Choice” for three straight years. Still, though, I’m hard-pressed to find anything really unique about this service that would lead me to join those praises.

It does have some features that stand out and that deserve praise. Those would include unlimited file versioning (which few others do), and the ability to do your initial backup via CD’s. It also seems to have one of the better customer support departments, judging from user comments.

On the other hand, however, it has some serious drawbacks. It’s pretty expensive compared to other services and it has limited plans and a limited amount of data you can backup. Furthermore, it only supports PC’s and apparently is buggy on Windows 7 64-bit machines. And for mobile access, there are only apps available for the iPhone – Android and Blackberry users are left waiting.

Despite the drawbacks, there is no doubt a lot of people like this service. SOS Online Backup may be limited in scope overall compared to other services, but what it does offer it does so very well. If you are a PC user and you don’t have a significant amount of data to backup and other services have let you down, then SOS online backup should definitely be considered.

No related posts.

Support

Phone Support:
Email Support:
Live Chat:

Company Information