When people call in to our support center we often get the question, “What is the cloud?’’
To answer this question, “the cloud” is basically a network of servers that store/run data, software, services, etc. that you can access through an internet connection.
When talking about our Remo+ products, when we mention “the cloud” we are referring to the secure place your videos are stored and which you can access through the Remo+ app with an internet or cell phone data connection.
What are some of the advantages of the cloud?
One of the biggest advantages of the cloud for the average person is being able to store large amounts of data like photos and videos on the cloud instead of storing them locally on a phone or computer. This helps save you a lot of memory space on your phone/computer and also means you won’t lose your photos forever if you happen to lose or break your phone since your photos will be in the cloud.
Another huge advantage is being able to access data and files from any device as long as you have an internet connection. Some examples of cloud services include email, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Netflix.
When it comes to Remo+ products, the advantages of cloud storage are similar to the ones just mentioned. You won’t have to store the captured videos on your phone (unless you choose to download them directly onto your phone) or spend money buying memory cards or other local storage options. You can also access your videos on any smartphone or tablet from anywhere in the world by downloading the Remo+ app and logging into your account with your email and password.
Most important of all, however, is that your recordings are more secure in the cloud in the event of a theft than stored on a physical memory card inside your device. In the unfortunate event someone stole your RemoBell or DoorCam, they would not have access to any of your recordings since they would be stored in the cloud instead of a physical memory card inside the stolen device. As an added bonus you would also be able to see who stole your device and submit it to police since the recording of the theft would be saved on the cloud. Recordings in the cloud are protected with bank-level encryption so you can rest easy knowing your videos are secure.
What is a Cloud Plan and why do a lot of companies charge money for it?
At Remo+, our Cloud Plans store your videos in the cloud for a set number of days so that you can go back and see what was recorded. If you purchased a RemoBell S or RemoBell W video doorbell, we include a free 3-day rolling cloud plan that stores all recorded videos that occurred in the previous 3 days. If you want your videos saved for a longer time you can also purchase an extended cloud plan that stores your videos for up to 30 days for $3 a month or $30 a year.
The reason most companies charge fees for cloud storage is that it costs money to run “the cloud.” All the data that is saved onto the cloud is saved on something physical like a hard drive. Storage hardware like hard drives cost money and must be replaced every few years which can be very expensive. They also take up a lot of physical space which means you have to rent or lease space in a building to house them.
The hardware must also use electricity to run which translates to a very large electricity bill every month. Uploading large amounts of data onto the cloud via an internet connection also translates to a very large internet bill at the end of each month. Lastly, companies must hire IT staff to perform server maintenance and keeps things running smoothly which also factors into the cost.
Cloud plans are optional and you will still get alerts and be able to see a live video of whatever motion is happening. However, if you do not have a cloud plan your videos will not be saved which means you won’t be able to see them later if you missed an alert. Additionally, when you have a cloud plan you are also able to share videos with friends and family and download videos onto your phone or tablet to keep them indefinitely.
We give all of our customers a free 30-day trial of our standard cloud plan as a thank you for purchasing our products. As previously mentioned, we also provide a free 3-day rolling cloud storage plan to all of our RemoBell S and RemoBell W customers which they are automatically shifted to once their free 30-day trial is over. If you’d like to see more information about our cloud plans you can visit: https://remoplus.co/pages/cloud