Monday, April 30, 2012

The Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act (mdia)

The Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act goes into effect on July 30, 2009. Please understand that this is federal legislation that could affect your closing date. All mortgage professionals must comply with the requirements as noted below. A loan cannot close or fund unless it has met the requirements listed below. The requirement is applicable for all mortgage loans (unless exempted as noted below). It has been implemented to protect the consumer, but it could cause delays in the closing.

On July 30, 2008, Congress enacted the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA). Within HERA, Congress included amendments to TILA which are known as the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act of 2008 (MDIA). On October 3, 2008 Congress further amended the Mortgage Disclosure Improvement Act as part of the enactment of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (Stabilization Act). With the enactment of HERA and the Stabilization Act, the Federal Reserve Board is now amending Regulation Z with all provisions of the MDIA and making these changes effective as of July 30, 2009.

The immediate changes you need to know about MDIA requirements are as follows:

1. MDIA implements a 3-7-3 rule that creates new timing and waiting requirements with regard to the issuing of Truth-in-Lending disclosures and when closing can occur. The 3-7-3 rule requires the lender to:

a. Upon the taking or receipt of a loan application, provide an initial Truth In Lending(TIL) to the borrower(s) within 3 business days of the application (no change to current requirement).

b. Impose a waiting period BEFORE allowing a mortgage loan to close. The waiting period requires a lender to wait until the 7th business day following the delivery or mailing of the initial TIL to the borrower(s) before a creditor may close any loan. The 7 day period may be waived only if there is a bona fide and/or extreme and/or urgent reason to do so. This would be handled in the same manner as a waiver of rescission, which is virtually impossible to achieve. Therefore, there will be virtually no waivers of the 7 day waiting period.

c. Impose an additional 3 day waiting period before a loan may close in any instance in which the Truth In Lending(TIL) is outside of regulatory tolerances (e.g., for regular or fixed rate loans more than .125% and for irregular loans more than .25%). The 3 day period begins with the mailing of the TIL. A corrected TIL is required whenever a TIL is outside of regulatory tolerances.

d. The TIL may be mailed via regular mail or overnight or by e-sign or e-mail. However the lender sends the TIL, they must still comply with the 3 day waiting period. MDIA does not assume a quicker waiting period might occur and does not allow the lender to proceed until after the 3 day waiting period has ended.

2. Lenders can under no circumstances collect any upfront fees prior to the consumer's receipt of an accurate TIL unless the fee is to cover the cost of the consumer's credit report.

a. The fee collected must be bona fide and reasonable (no padding of fees and do not collect a fee unless the consumer is actually responsive if there was no intent to charge them for the credit report).

b. A lender and third party such as a broker must adhere to the same rules regarding the collection of fees. If a third party forwards a consumer's written application to a lender, both the lender and third party do not collect any fee, other than a credit report fee if a credit report was pulled.

c. If a third party forwards a consumer's written application to a second creditor following a prior creditor/lender's denial of an application made by the same consumer (or following the consumer's withdrawal), where fees have already been assessed, the new creditor/lender or third party does not collect or impose any additional fee until the consumer receives an initial TIL from the new creditor/lender.

3. An initial Truth-in-Lending disclosure must now be issued on a closed-end principal dwelling and a second home whether transaction is a home purchase transaction, a new construction loan, or a refinance. Previously, initial TIL's were not required on refinances. The changes continue to exclude issuing an initial TIL on an investment property loan or a HELOC.

a.. For a primary residence, any non-owner occupant must also receive a copy of any TIL that is issued.

4. A new required "Notice" will be added to the TIL advising a consumer they are not obligated to proceed with the loan if they do not wish to do so.

5. No initial TIL is required if a consumer withdraws or is denied within 3 days receipt of the loan application.

6. Under the amended rules, a business day is any day other than Sunday or a legal holiday - which is the same as the current rescission day definition.

7. Any waiver of the 3 or 7 day waiting periods must be treated the same as waiving rescission. There must be a bona fide emergency before a waiver request will be considered.

a. A waiver when granted may not be a preprinted letter. The borrower(s) must handwrite a request to waive the 3 day or 7 day period and must describe the bona fide emergency.

b. Any waiver requested and granted must be signed by all parties that take part in the transaction.

8. MDIA does not amend any requirements specific to HELOC loans.

Weighing The Risk Factors Involved In E-commerce

E-commerce has become one of the hottest trends in the arena of business today. The popularity of online shopping is increasing day by day. But at the same time, the risks involved in the buying and selling online too are increasing. Even though e-commerce has created a whole new world of buying and selling; still neither the buyers nor the sellers are free from the various risks involved in the online business industry.

First of all, as the scope of e-commerce is global, the products and services are sold all over the world through the internet. So chances are quite high of your coming across various international laws that you may not be aware of. Some countries may prohibit the sale of certain kind of products or may have distinctive business laws. Hence, not being aware of various international laws in this case might hamper your online business operations. Besides, the ignorance regarding the domestic business laws that govern the internet commerce could end up in bringing some unforeseen expenses to you.

Secondly, there is a very high risk of defrauded transactions over the internet. There are many online businesses which take the advantage of distance between customers to wrongfully lure them and sending them wrong products. Also, while making payments through credit cards, customers may have to face various security issues in terms of losing their card information as well as finances. However, it is not only the customers; the online vendors are at equal risk of being defrauded while accepting payments through personal checks or money orders. Hence, it is essential to do a thorough research before finalizing your business transactions online.

There also runs the risk of information in the online business. Online information can be damaged, stolen or released with unauthorized access to a website. Plus, there is also a high risk of several copyright infringements in regard of your online information which can prove to be really damaging.

Equally harmful is the technological risk in terms of your website or web business getting affected due to technical errors. There might be attack from computer viruses which can damage your website to a great extent. There might be some negligent errors or omissions in software design which can cause unauthorized access. Or there might be problems arising due to ISP server clashes.

Besides all these risks, e-commerce also has the disadvantage of lack of personal touch and interaction between buyers and sellers. As online business is done with machines and computers, there is no such thing as personalized customer relationships in it.

Although e-commerce development can certainly prove to be an eminent business prospect for both buyers and sellers; all that is needed is a proper understanding of all its pros and cons so as to avoid the various risks involved.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

What Should I Know Before Buying Commercial Real Estate?

Buying commercial property could be a risky undertaking if a potential buyer does not completely understand real estate market trends. A company owner doesn't want to spend money on commercial office space without considering all of its potential effects on the business' operation. Currently, a number of new commercial office space owners have fallen into the trap of buying a piece of land and later regretting that decision.

Purchasing real estate can be advantageous to a company. It is important to consider the possibility that investing in new property will not always bring more profit to recoup the purchase expense. So, always be cautious and take time to do research and analyze the risks compared to the benefits as well as how this decision will affect the cash flow of the business and what the return on investment will be.

Important Things to Consider

Available Cash Often times, buying commercial property involves a down payment of 20 to 25 percent of the total amount of the final price. This amount is usually required before the transaction can be finalized. If making a down payment is not financially justifiable, then it may not be the right time for the business to purchase new real estate.

Mortgage After paying the 20 to 25 percent down, the new property owner must begin making monthly payments towards the mortgage to pay off the remaining balance. The mortgage payment is approximately twenty-eight percent or less of the total income of the qualified borrower. It is critical to calculate the financial capability of the business before buying real estate to be sure a mortgage payment can be handled. If the company does not have enough income to cover this, then buying new property should not be done.

Additional Moving Costs Always examine the location of where the company would like to purchase property. Check the prices and the interest rates to see if they are comparable with the financial abilities of the business. Transferring an operation to a new location often means higher expenses because of the added cost of advertising that the business is moving to a new location so all clients will be aware of the move.

Ideal Investment Owning commercial property is a good investment; however, it is important to ascertain that a company is not spending money on a building that will not allow it to prosper. The owner should ask themselves if purchasing new space will bring in more business to justify this expense or will it cause the business to suffer because of the new large mortgage payment.

Potential Risk of Purchasing Commercial Real Estate

No Future Growth Potential - One risk of purchasing commercial property is that the location of the property may not be in the best area for future growth. The location may be desirable at the present time; however, in the long run it may lose commercial appeal and eventually could significantly impact cash flow and return on investment.

Financial Loss Potential - Another pitfall in purchasing real estate is the loss of liquidity for the company, failure to recoup the return on investment due to a default in payment by a tenant and a decrease in resale value due to a recession.

A business owner should know that before buying commercial real estate, in-depth research must be done to ensure that the company finds the best location for the entire corporate operation. Factors that can affect purchasing new property could be credit scores, company reputation and available cash. If unsure about the decision to purchase commercial real estate, a business owner should not hesitate to talk to a realtor for professional advice. Knowing what to do is vital to purchasing commercial real estate!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Securing Personal Loans With Bad Credit: How To Make It Happen

It is commonly known that people who have poor credit histories find it more difficult to secure a loan than those with excellent credit histories. The fact that low scores suggest poor money management skills and a failure to meet financial obligations means traditional lenders hesitate when considering their applications. But it is still possible to get personal loans with bad credit scores.

The fact is that the even lenders recognize that for many people, their score is not down to their own foolish money management. Often, it is a result of circumstances out of their control, and so securing loan approval is still possible. The trick is to convince the lender that this is the case.

The good news is that there are several ways to do this, and so a personal loan can be secured. But what are the specific steps to take?

Secured or Unsecured Loans

A lot depends on the type of loan that is being sought, and there are two basic types: secured and unsecured loans. The chief difference between the two is that secured loans come with collateral, from which lenders can get compensation should the borrower default. And when approving personal loans with bad credit, default is a real possibility.

Secured loans have definite advantages, with lower interest rates charged due to the lower perceived risk. This makes these loans more affordable, and with collateral provided, securing loan approval is much more straightforward. However, finding collateral to the value of the loan sum can be tricky. And if there is a default, then the item is lost.

Unsecured personal loans have higher interest rates, and are much more difficult to get approval on. There are compromises to make if the green light is to be secured, and this is where borrowers have to go the extra mile.

Show Signs of Improvement

The first productive step towards securing a loan without the benefit of collateral is to increase the credit score. When it comes to seeking personal loans with bad credit, having evidence that things are on the up is a very welcome sign for lenders. It also shows a commitment on the part of the applicant.

There is only one way to improve the credit score, and that is to reduce the existing debt. The most effective way to do this is to take out some small loans to clear individual debts, like an outstanding credit card debt or late bill payments. These payday loans are expensive so need to be budgeted carefully, but provided the paycheck is larger enough, securing loan approval is a formality.

A second option is to get a consolidation loan to clear all the existing debts. This should result in a reduction in monthly outgoings, with the debts replaced by one single loan repayment. Once a debt is cleared, regardless of how it is done, the credit score improves and personal loans become more accessible.

Where to Get One

The most plausible place to secure a personal loan with bad credit is online, where lenders offer better terms to bad credit borrowers. They are recognized bad credit lenders with loan packages designed for those who have low scores, or are in a tight financial situation.

As a result, securing loan approval is fairly easy too once the basic criteria are met. This criteria includes being over 18, being a US citizen and having full-time gainful employment. Of course, it is important to check out the reputation of online lenders, so take some time to visit the Better Business Bureau or Verify1st websites before committing to a personal loan.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Heliodisplay - Floating Free-space Interactive Display

Heliodisplay in action
Floating in midair, an image hovers above a seemingly ordinary table. This unique technology, developed by a former architect, creates one of the most convincing open-air holographic-like images in existence. This article will cover the technology and its future applications.

Princess Leia hologram (Credit: 20th Century Fox Studios)
In late 2003, a small company from the San Francisco Bay Area demonstrated a unique revolutionary display technology . The (then) prototype device projected an image in thin air just above it, creating an illusion of a floating hologram, reminiscent of the famous scene from 'Star Wars' in which R2-D2 projects a hologram of Princess Leia.

The development of this distinctive technology, dubbed Heliodisplay by its developer . Chad Dyner, began early this decade after Dyner decided to trade a promising career as an architect to become an inventor. Dyner bought an ordinary digital projector, took it apart, and spent entire days trying to figure out a way to stop in midair the light coming from the projector without engaging a traditional screen. Though the details are kept a closely-guarded secret, Dyner was willing to provide a general description of the way the Heliodisplay works.

Fogscreen display (Credit: Fogscreen.com)
Displaying an image using conventional projectors requires a non-transparent medium, typically screens, walls, or even water, but air, which is transparent, cannot be used. A more recent development is the FogScreen, which creates an image in midair by employing a large, non-turbulent airflow to protect the dry fog generated within from turbulence. The result is a thin, stable sheet of fog, sandwiched between two layers of air, on which an image can be projected and even walked through. The Heliodisplay creates a similar effect, but, instead of fog, it uses a cloud of microscopic particles whose specific nature is one of the secrets Dyner keeps close to the vest heliodisplay. In 2005, the U.S. Patent Office granted Dyner a patent for a "method and system for free-space imaging display and interface". Apparently, the Heliodisplay creates a particle cloud by passing the surrounding air through a heat pump, which in turn cools the air to a level below its dew point, where it condensates, and is then collected to create an artificial cloud. The particle cloud is composed of a vast number of individual micro droplets, between 1-10 microns in diameter, too small to be visible to the naked eye, held together by surface tension. The focus and illumination intensity of the projected image can be controlled by changing some of the cloud's properties, enabling a sharper and brighter image.

Since 2003, IO2 Technology, the California-based company Dyner founded to commercialize his invention, began selling his device under the brand name Heliodisplay M2 for just under ,000, out of reach of most consumers. IO2 Technology is actually marketing the M2 to corporate customers who would use the device as a novel way to display the company's logo or as a strikingly impressive advertising and promotional tool for exhibitions.

Heliocast - interactive Heliodisplay
The M2 projects its 76.2 cm (30'') diagonal floating image at a height of 71 cm (28") above the projector. The native resolution of the M2 is 800 x 600 though it can support up to 1280 x 1024, and the image can be viewed from as much as a 150 degrees angle. The M2i model includes a proprietary system, called Heliocast, for interactively controlling the displayed image. A sensor inside the M2 identifies the movement of the user's hand in the area of the projected image and the Heliocast software calculates the movement of the object projected.

Actuality Systems' Perspecta true 3D display
TFOT recently covered another unique display technology, called Perspecta, developed by Actuality Systems. Unlike the Perspecta, which is a true 3D display capable of showing a 3D object perceived when simply walking around the display, the M2 displays a 2D image in midair, creating the illusion of depth. While the Perspecta is currently used mainly for medical and research purposes, the M2 is intended primarily for corporate use as a promotional or advertising tool at this stage. Although it is possible to view movies or play games on the M2, Dyner admitted that the current device is not intended for serious applications such as CAD (computer-aided design). The Perspecta is an enclosed device with lower resolution but with the capability to display a full 3D image and video with almost no flickering or wavering effects. A future display might incorporate the best of both worlds: an open-air display with high resolution, clear 3D capability, along with an accurate interactive capability.

Take a look at The BMW Finance Choices Prior to you Chat with The seller

Vehicle finance may be a real mine field for you to navigate, particularly with the large choice of potential elaborate financial products on the current market. To help enable you to get one of the best you can start with going over one's own situation and determining your current objectives. Just what would you like to gain, more affordable monthly payments or lowest priced cost of credit for every 1 borrowed?, are generally just a few of the aims for you to set.

So let's start with your personalized circumstances first, you should think of the following points as it can certainly have an effect on who will lend to you and at what apr. In most cases, reduced risk you are for the loan company in defaulting, the lower your interest rate.

Are you employed or self-employed?

What exactly is your pay, per month or each year after tax?

What's the overall worth of your personal assets including the family home?

How many other loans, unsecured or secured have you got?

Have you got any bad credit history or prior defaults?

Have you ever been declared bankrupt?

In case any reason you can not borrow adequate funds to finance your BMW (most likely due to a low credit scores), you should look at obtaining a hire purchase agreement instead

A hire purchase agreement is a bit like a loan product and a lease combined, quite simply you are making a fixed payment amount for a set period, say five or ten years. At the finish of the fixed period you then have a few options. You can simply return the automobile to the lease company, therefore you owe practically nothing. Second of all you'll be able to shell out a lump sum to the lease company, the lump sum is usually a set amount of money predetermined at that time the lease is signed. After you pay the lump sum the auto will be legitimately your own property. Or finally, you possibly can part ex the automobile for another and start a new lease.

Hire purchase can be quite a wonderful means if you're looking for cheap BMW finance, giving you the chance to own your car you might in any other case be unable to afford, and when you're circumstances change at the finish of the hire purchase, you can always purchase the car by settling the lump sum payment.

An additional way to finance BMW can be a lease purchase, it is equivalent to a hire purchase in that you have set monthly repayments over a period of time as there are a lump sum you have to pay the finish of your lease purchase. However a lease purchase differs in many ways from a hire purchase. To begin with the lump sum and the monthly payments are dependant on the vehicle you choose to finance and it's depreciation. The worse the depreciation at the end of the term, the larger your lump sum and your repayments will likely be. Secondly, with a lease purchase you have no choice to send back the vehicle, you will need to pay the lump sum and purchase the vehicle.

Both a hire purchase and lease purchase signify excellent ways to obtain your BMW finance and to buy cars you will possibly not usually be capable of pay for from luxury BMWs, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and much more.

As I have emphasised during the entire article, the bmw finance product you decide on will probably be down to your personal circumstances and will depend also on your own objectives. There are lots of firms offering bmw finance this means you really should shop around for the best offers. If you don't desire the effort of ringing around or like the majority of busy people you do not have the time, you need to at least make the time and effort to find a specialist finance broker that can provide you with tailored bmw finance product.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Few Top Arguments Why Audi Leasing Is The Best Selling Selection Of Vehicle Leasing

Even years before, Audi car lease is one well-known option and a lot of individuals have wondered about this thing. Audi is obviously one of the car manufacturers offering a large variety of models for car leasing. Audi represents quality brand and because of the different options available, who would hesitate to opt for an Audi lease? In this manner, you can acquire the car of your dream in the best deal provided by the Audi car company. Take a look at some of these great reasons why Audi lease is getting well-known.Soon, you will be a happy owner of an Audi vehicle if you can get the best deal for it.

Audi lease offers a fantastic deal for car buyers. Any car shopper definitely understands the difference between buying a car and leasing a car. Obviously, when it comes to buying a car, the payment is made in an instant prior to the release of the car from the showroom. However, when you lease a car, you can pay in small fixed payments per month while you get to enjoy the benefits of driving a car. Moreover, what makes the Audi lease unique is not just the quality of the machines but also the wide array of model choices on the lease market.

Why is Audi preferred by a lot of people? One good reason for this is that the German auto manufacturers such as the Audi are well-known for making one of the top quality car brands in the world. Every Audi design is completely built with the top quality and latest car advancement and they are always enhanced to have the finest safety features. When it comes to luxury, Audi also represents style and excellence in the motor industry. This is why this is a preferred brand among many buyers and for the constant traveler who need to lease. When you are looking for comfort, Audi can surely provide that.

Audi includes an in-house finance company. By this, the car dealer could have an internal arrangement and provide the most attractive deal possible. The Audi lease options come in a wide range of options from SUVs to crossovers to wagons. Currently, you can select among these options: Q7, Q5, RS4, TT, TTS, A4, A3, A6, A8, S6, S8 and S4. All of these choices can be leased for a term of 36 months, 24 months or 42 months. Since most buyers are concerned with price, Audi offers a fantastic Audi lease pricing.You could possibly discuss the buying price of the automobile independently from the month-to-month car leasing repayment. You will get an incredible deal if you try to approach it this way. But, you also have to be aware of the many usual fees like the dealer's fees and turn-in fee.

You will not only get an excellent Audi lease for the car you choose, but Audi provides support and may help you with any requirement for your car.Audi also provides small services such as collection and deliver, dedicated customer support, MOT servicing, effective service on site, delivery and collection, etc and these are also the things that make Audi an excellent option when it comes car lease. Audi is the leader in the motor industry when talking of car leasing and obtaining great offerings.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Rent To Own Real Estate - Positive Or Negative?

Banks may not be lending but rent to own homes are booming! Rent to own homes are becoming pretty commonplace, owner financing also known as seller financing is a real estate financing technique where the buyer borrows from the seller as opposed to, or in addition to a bank.

Rent to own homes are becoming a typical way to sell a property due to the fact that it is problematic to sell properties in this economic crisis. Most of these rent to own homes are fsbo, for sale by owner. Frequently, finding a real estate agent who is willing to work with rent to own homes can be difficult for buyers and sellers. Occasionally, finding rent to own homes can be kind of hard to do.

There are various ways in which rent to own homes can come about. Generally, rent to own homes are seller financed by landlords or investors that seek to enhance their financial return by offering purchase choices to their tenants in exchange for a reasonable deposit and a rental rate premium. The majority of sellers of rent to own homes are considerably reasonable when it comes to the down payment. Sellers of rent to own homes will expect you to have bumpy credit and will know how to help. Usually, these owners with rent to own homes can compete and make the best home and terms available for you. Frequently, rent to own homes are in marvelous condition, most homes are less than 5-10 years old and at bare minimum have just been renovated. Any way you look at it, rent to own homes are an immediate answer and an intelligent alternative to traditional loans.

Due to the significant initial down payment and lease payment premium that are unique to lease option contracts, rent to own homes can be considerably risky. Common lease periods for this arrangement are three years long, though longer or shorter leases for rent to own homes are not altogether unheard of. Really, rent to own homes will allow you to finally begin earning equity in a home now. Again, if you are interested in a rent to own program then you can expect to put 5-10% of the loan amount down or if are interested in buying residential real estate properties that are selling below market value then leasing or doing rent to own with tenant buyers then rent to own is for you.

Rent to own homes can be a wonderful way to buy or sell a house in the current economic environment. Rent to own homes are a certain way to increase the financial stability of a person, and help him repair his credit. Rent to own homes are long-term rental agreement that can allow a person to buy a home with minimal financial stress. Rent to own homes are a great way for people to give home ownership a shot without actually having to get a loan. The negotiation routine of rent to own homes will be different from normal home bargaining.

Rent to own homes can potentially be a great or poor deal, depending on the contract obtained at the very beginning of the agreement. Rent to own homes can help the seller still acquire some income from the home when otherwise it may be a constant drain on the seller's finances. Rent to own homes are a trial run for the tenant as they learn the responsibilities that come with the house. Individuals living in the rent to own homes will be expected to take care of the lawn as if it is their own and pay utilities. Rent to own homes are also a good way for you to build equity before you even own the home.

Rent to own homes can be found advertised online, in newspapers, or on street signs. Besides that, rent to own homes are available in almost any neighborhood or subdivision across the United States, but there could be a hidden risk to your arrangement, and the money you put up for a down payment. Commonly, rent to own homes can also be the perfect solution for those who have gone through bankruptcy, divorce or any other types of financial hardships that may prohibit them from meeting stringent requirements put fourth by banks and other lenders. Rent to own homes can essentially help you get into a house without having to go through all the hassles that are regularly involved.

Friday, April 20, 2012

How to Create Your Own Cloud Backup Service

Whether you are a service provider, software vendor, IT consultant or a small company wanting to start your own cloud backup service, the process is not always an easy one. Backing up data is not a small task and starting a backup service can be very complex. There are many services in the market claiming to be number one, but how do you choose the right one? Before you start this venture you should consider the following aspects; there are many tricks in this business, so you must know exactly what you are doing and how to choose the right solution for you. First you will need to decide on a cloud backup solution provider, there are many in the market, each offering a variety of solutions and technologies.

One of the initial steps should be deciding where you would like to store your data. You can break this option down into three categories:

1- Start your own data center: This can prove to be costly, requires a lot of bandwidth, and demands management of hardware and replicating the backups among a number of locations. This direction will require a large investment of time and money. It is not recommended unless you have a large, experienced team and a lot of finance.

2- Trust the solution provider's storage facility: This can sometimes require a lot of unknowns; it usually contains RAID 5 or RAID 6 disks. It is impossible to be 100% sure about how your data will be treated; will it be stored on an offsite location in case a natural disaster hit the facility? Service providers can sometimes use a public cloud infrastructure such as Amazon S3, Rackspace, or Microsoft Azura, this is a better solution since it provides a lot more safety and better treatment of the data.

3- Public cloud location: If the solution provider permits this, it is the best option. You can choose to use a top class public, pure cloud infrastructure such as Amazon S3 which will eliminate the need to invest in costly hardware and bandwidth. They will take the hassle and stress out of the cloud by automatically handling the replication of data throughout several locations and controlling and managing everything. Many come backed with an SLA (service level agreement) which will guarantee 99.9999% uptime and data safety.

Many backup solutions are not in fact that; a real cloud solution is a lot more than just uploading files to the cloud. A real cloud backup solution should be managed completely from the cloud and offer an ease of mind when it comes to your customers. It should work without intervention so that you are not constantly hassled with problems such as speed issues and bugs.

Things to look for when you select your solution:

- Complete cloud management is a must. You should be able to manage, control, and handle everything straight from the cloud.

- Speed is one of the major things to look for in a backup solution. Many well known products have many features but are very slow. Read comparisons and benchmarks to make sure you are getting a feature rich yet fast solution. It usually helps to look for a variety of performance modes that are used to help speed up the backup and restore process.

- The software should run silently in the background with no manual settings and no performance impact.

- Deployment and installation should be done from the cloud in as few steps as possible. NEVER look at a solution that requires manually installing and defining jobs on individual computers.

- One of the benefits of the cloud is mobility. The solution you choose should integrate with all major mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc)

- Restore is just as crucial in a backup solution as the backup itself. Make sure there are a variety of restore options that include way more than just dragging and dropping a file off the cloud onto your computer. It should be straight forward, fast, and easy.

- Block level technology is a must when backing up. You do not want a solution that does not support this. Block Level means that large files are broken up into "blocks" and only modified or changed portions are backed up. This saves a lot of time and space.

- Cloud Disaster Recovery is something that is rare to find in a cloud backup solution but it should be a REQUIREMENT! It will help give you the advantage because you can gain more profit by offering it to your customers. It will help them stay completely safe at all times. Make sure that the Cloud Disaster Recovery supports both Real and Global deduplication, otherwise it is worthless.

- Deduplication on different levels will also save a lot of time and space. Deduplication reduces the amount of data throughout your entire client list that is replicated. The backup solution should be intelligent enough to only backup one instance of a file and use pointers to determine who else uses this file.

- Security is crucial when deciding on a solution provider. Make sure to do your research and read white papers produced by the company regarding their security. A white paper is a must because if it does not exist than that usually indicates that security was not a high priority; you will run into many problems in the long run.

- One of the biggest benefits of the cloud is scalability. It should be a requirement so that you are able to expand whenever necessary, so make sure that the solution provider has thought this through and provides for easy expandability and scalability.

It is no secret that the technological world is moving to the cloud. Offering a cloud solution can be a very profitable business but creating one can be complex, scary, and confusing. There are many things to look out for and many players in the market, the key is to do your research and choose wisely after spending a lot of time learning about the different solutions. The key is to plan ahead and not only think of what you need at the moment, but try and predict what problems or concerns may arise in the future.