Redstor Backup for Schools review

Redstor’s offering is a pure online backup solution. As with other backup products, a small piece of client software needs to be installed, which controls the backup process from the PC or server.

The software is simple to use, with an interface that any intelligent user should be able to follow. Our only complaint is the slightly garish grey/silver and red colour scheme.

When performing backups you’re presented with two panels, one showing a list of folders and another a list of files in that folder. Just right-click on a file or folder and choose the Include Folder option (or select Exclude Folder to have it ignored), then click the Backup icon from the menu and the backup will be uploaded. When backing up, we could also choose to ignore certain file types; for example, larger picture and video files.

Redstor is UK-based, and upload speeds are impressive: our 500MB test sample uploaded in less than 14 minutes; this time includes compressing the files as well, so that our 500MB of data took up only 310MB of space. As you’d expect, subsequent backups upload only changes, making them quicker still.

Restoring files is just as easy as backing them up. You receive a list of backups you’ve performed, and then a list of folder and files in the backup. Right-click and select “Include” on the files you want to restore, then click the Restore icon. You can choose where you want to restore the file to and whether to replace existing files.

As an extra, the company can provide a SIMS/FMS plugin, allowing easy backup of your school’s MIS data if you use a compatible system. Redstor doesn’t have all the features of other cloud storage packages, but it’s a great backup option, particularly for staff with fewer IT skills. It’s just a shame the company refuses to quote a list price for its service, making it impossible for us to judge value and therefore recommend.