Vodafone to Offer Cloud Back-Up Service

Vodafone has teamed with EMC-subsidiary Decho to allow consumers to back up mobile data through the cloud-services firm’s Mozy online storage hub.

The new service, called Vodafone PC Backup, is available to consumers and businesses who want to back up documents and files from computers and netbooks, though it does not currently include mobile devices.

Vodafone, which operates in 70 countries, is initially offering the service to its European customers.

Customers will also eventually be able to view and share the content from their accounts through a Web browser, reducing the need to transfer content from one device to another, Vodafone said.

The company is rolling out business and consumer versions of the service. For enterprises, Vodafone will offer a Web-based management console to enable administrators to centrally control storage allocations and policies for multiple users.

While the service does not yet support mobile devices, the news comes on the heels of T-Mobile’s user data-loss fiasco, highlighting the importance of backing up key content.

For Vodafone, which owns 45 percent of Verizon Wireless, the new cloud-based service partnership indicates a push beyond the mobile sector. For its part, Verizon Wireless recently strengthened its cloud-based firewall with several upgrades.

Decho’s Mozy platform, meanwhile, recently struck deals with China Telecom and McAfee, as it makes managing the “personal cloud” a priority.

“The explosive growth in both business and consumer information is driving demand for new personal cloud services to help people protect, organize and enrich their most valuable information,” Decho CEO Harel Kodesh said in a statement. “Building on the proven Mozy online backup service will differentiate Vodafone’s services and make it easier for millions of people to access and manage the information they need to do their job or run their lives each day.”

Financial terms of the partnership with Seattle-based Decho were not disclosed.

But the Vodafone-Decho deal isn’t the only news in the sector as of late. Dashwire, also located in Seattle, recently debuted a mobile back-up service in conjunction with Best Buy called mIQ.

Microsoft also heavily promoted mobile back-up features during the launch of the new Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones.

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