NextCloud is targeted as an alternative for companies that want to have high fidelity control over all of their data. This time I discovered NextCloud which is a spin-off of OwnCloud. The main capability at the time seemed to be uploading files to, storing files on, and downloading files from your own server and we didn’t have much extra storage on our VPS–none that we wanted to use for files not needed for our email or web sites.įlash forward a few years and I was called upon to do another technology demonstration for another startup. I was demonstrating specific objectives and after the demonstration, I deactivated it.

Several years ago as part of a technology demonstration for potential investors in a startup, I used a program called OwnCloud that enables you to host your own cloud services on your VPS. Discovering the Cloud with NextCloudĪs described before, we have a virtual private server (VPS) that we use for various services like email with push notification and hosting web sites.

Right now, for the first time, things have come together: there is a fantastic option that lets you host files on the cloud with NextCloud and Backblaze B2. Over that time, I have found numerous applications that do one or two things well, but what has been completely lacking is an integrated cloud environment that leverages the mutual benefits possible while also retaining data privacy.

For years, I have looked for ways to achieve the convenience of having those cloud-based services without the loss of privacy. Who doesn’t like convenient access to their photos, files, and music? Many companies that provide services where you can store and access your files also impact your privacy.

B2 storage