IDrive Express makes cloud computer backups a breeze

IDrive has created easy cloud-based backup for businesses. Now it’s launching IDrive Express to do the same thing for consumers.

The Calabasas, Calif.-based company is launching IDrive Express today with consumers in mind. The backup storage company realized that some of its customers using its business backup service were consumers who just had a lot of data. So it created the new service for everyone to use.

But the company has figured out a way to get around the laborious process of backing up data via the Internet. Instead of having you attempt to back up your computer via the web, it sends you a temporary physical drive directly to your home. The terabyte drive connects to your computer via a USB cable and backs up the data that you select. This cuts out Internet uploading time. When the drive is full, you mail it back to IDrive. When the company gets it, IDrive will upload your data to its servers. Then you can access that data and commence with incremental web-based backups.

The backup is secure since the data in encrypted during the backup process. You have the option to use private key encryption, which, if selected, ensures that no one will be able to access the data from the drive, not even the IDrive staff. The data is uploaded to servers with the private key encryption and remains secure and inaccessible. The service costs $59.95 for those who have an IDrive Pro Personal account (which costs $49.50 per year). IDrive does not limit the number of computers you can back up. Rivals such as Carbonite put a limit of one computer.

IDrive is bootstrapped with private funding. Competitors include Mozy, Carbonite, Dropbox, and Mozy. IDrive has 150 employees and it has been selling backup services since 2007.