Even in the age of gigabytes and terabytes, it seems everything has a limit. First came the looming demise of unlimited data plans for smartphones on wireless carriers, and now Mozy, a company offering consumer data storage, is ending unlimited data backups, a service available for only $4.99 a month since 2006.
A Crowd in the Cloud
For $5.99, consumers can now get 50 gigabytes of storage, or 125GB for $9.99. The cheaper plan covers just one computer, while the costlier one covers three. Those using unlimited MozyHome plans don’t have to switch mid-month. They have until March 1 to pick the plan that’s right for them.
On its customer support page, Mozy gave three reasons for the change: The strain of an onslaught of photos and videos with increasing high-resolution quality, the use of multiple home computers with files to back up, and a reluctance to impose “small print” restrictions on users.
“In an attempt to remain viable in the ‘unlimited backup’ business, other providers have introduced measures to inhibit the growth of storage, such as bandwidth throttling, excluding files over a certain size, or excluding certain file types such as photos and videos from the default backup sets,” Mozy wrote. “Rather than claiming to offer ‘unlimited’ backup while imposing bandwidth or file limitations, we want you, our users, to decide what you want backed up, and in return Mozy will provide you the best possible service level with no hidden restrictions.”
One Dollar More
The company said the “vast majority” of its one million-plus clients will find the 50GB plan suitable and will thus pay only an extra buck per month. “The vast majority of MozyHome customers’ storage comfortably fits within 50 GB,” the company said. “Others’ needs are greater. This difference in users’ needs lends itself well to price tiers.” Those who need…