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#7 - ElephantDrive Review
Features
ElephantDrive delivers a reliable and user-friendly backup solution for both home and business users to protect their files in the event of data loss. ElephantDrive Business solutions also provide several unique services not found with many other providers.
ElephantDrive supports both Mac and Windows. It is primarily controlled using the ElephantDesktop software which is downloaded and installed in the initial stages of setting up ElephantDrive.
It can however also be controlled by the Web application or via their TrunkDrive system. TrunkDrive is a great option for those not so confident in learning a new application as it operates in the exact same way as a hard drive would operate.
After the initial set-up, Elephant-Drive is designed to run automatically, although this is done on a schedule rather than in real-time. This may present a problem should there be any problem encountered by the scheduler. It also means that should your computer fail in the middle of the day, you may lose everything you have done that day, since it won’t have been backed up.
Although the first backup can be quite a slow process with ElephantDrive, subsequent backups are much quicker. This is due to the application being designed to recognize automatically which files are only modified rather than new. The application then backs up only the portions of the files which have been altered rather than re-uploading the entire file. This can particularly save a lot of time if you are dealing with large files.
ElephantDrive supports file versioning, but with a stark contrast between the Home and Home Plus Editions. The Home Plus Edition will save 10 versions of a file for as long as you have an account with them. But the Home Edition is pruned way down to a mere 3 versions of a file for only 30 days.
The Pro Edition saves up to 20 file versions, and the Pro Plus Edition saves an unlimited number of file versions for as long as you have an account with ElephantDrive.
One of the best features of the ElephantDrive system is that it is specifically set-up to allow for sharing of files between users. Rather than the open-access sharing which many of the other services offer, ElephantDrive allows different sub-accounts to be set up. You are then able to set permissions on different files for different levels of access, and each user is issued with their own username and password.
What is especially good with the Business Version of ElephantDrive system is that rather than paying for using the system on different computers, the storage can instead be split across any number of computers and sub-accounts. This may make for a saving for companies with several computers but only small amounts of data which need backing up on each. Unfortunately this option is not available for home users however, although the Home Edition Plus does allow one account to cover more than one computer.
Security - 
ElephantDrive offers the industry standard levels of security for all files which are uploaded. This means that all files are sent via 128-bit SSL and are protected with 256-bit AES encryption at the data center. Users can create a private encryption key or an ElephantDrive system-based key. There is a substantial amount of information available on the ElephantDrive site about their security policies and practices to reassure clients that their data will be well safeguarded.
Please do not lose or forget your private encryption key as your data cannot be recovered without it.
Price/Value - 
If you are searching for a system which you can use to share only small amounts of files, or if you have only a very small amount of data which you need to back up, look no further than ElephantDrive’s free service. This uses the same application and storage system as the other plans, but provides only 1GB of storage space. The sign-up process is quite easy, simply requiring a username, password and a couple of pieces of security information.
The Home Edition of ElephantDrive offers unlimited storage on one computer, and is low-cost at only $4.99 per month or $49.95 per year. If you have more computers, the Home Plus Edition covers up to 4 computers for $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year.
Businesses are covered for up to 10 computers on the Pro Edition, which costs $34.95 or $349.95 per year for 1 TB, or up to 20 computers can be included on Pro Plus Edition for $99.95 per month for 2 TB. Both of these offer high storage limits, although not unlimited. If you have more than 2 TB to backup ElephantDrive offers Enterprise Edition plans--contact ElephantDrive for more information.
Users also have access to a fully-functional 15-day free trial, which offers a great chance to check out the service for yourself and make sure it offers everything you are looking for.
Ease of Use - 
The initial set-up of Elephant-Drive is very simple, requiring only a few clicks. It is also possible to select multiple folders for backup, which makes the process much simpler than in those systems where all files need to be moved to single folder.
ElephantDrive automatically sorts files, so should you need to restore a single file it is a simple process to find the file you are looking for. It is equally simple to restore everything which has been backed up, with only a few clicks required.
Support -
The level of support offered by Elephant Drive is not as good as it is with some other systems, which is one of the reasons why it doesn’t feature higher on our list. There are several e-mail addresses and phone numbers provided on the site, but you do have to search around a little to find them. When support is required, a specific form can be filled in, and ElephantDrive support staff do tend to reply quite promptly.
The FAQ on the site is quite thorough, providing step-by-step instructions for many of the more commonly experienced problems. This includes some technical elements, although support will still need to be contacted for urgent issues.
ElephantDrive Review 2012 Conclusion
ElephantDrive provides several unique services as part of their backup solution which would be particularly useful to businesses looking to share files as well as back them up. The level of support and the relatively high cost of the business packages are not however on par with several of the other providers aiming their services at businesses.
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