offsite storage

An online service that allows individuals and companies to lease computer storage space for electronic documents. It's "offsite" in that the files are on the provider's storage network rather than on a company's system. For a monthly fee, you can store and access files via the Internet, 24/7, from any computer connected to the Net. (Some storage providers will also run automatic backup services, which can eliminate the need for in-house backups.) The downfall is that you are sending important documents over the Internet and putting them under the control of a third party; for many companies, that raises too many security issues.