Archive for year: 2011

Today I got an email from Mozy cancelling my contract:

Dear Peter Kay,

Thanks for being a valued Mozy subscriber. For the first time since 2006, we’re adjusting the price of our MozyHome service and wanted to give you a heads up. As part of this change, we’re replacing our MozyHome Unlimited backup plan and introducing the following tiered storage plans:

50 GB for $5.99 per month (includes backup for 1 computer)
125 GB for $9.99 per month (includes backup for up to 3 computers)

You may add additional computers (up to 5 in total) or 20 GB increments of storage to either of the plans, each for a monthly cost of $2.00.

While this policy takes effect for new MozyHome customers starting today, your MozyHome Unlimited subscription is still valid for the duration of your current monthly term. In order to ensure uninterrupted service, you’ll need to select a new renewal plan.

As the leader in online backup, we’re committed to continually providing the highest levels of service and protection that you’ve come to expect from us as well as delivering those innovations you’ve been asking for. For more information on the factors that led to this change, please read my note or visit our FAQ.

Be safe,
Harel Kodesh
President

IMO: huge mistake. First, there’s Carbonite who still offers unlimited backup for less then Mozy. I’m going to probably move there immediately. Though frankly I’m pissed because I’ve made a 600gb backup investment with Mozy (do you know how long it takes to upload 600gb?).

While I certainly recognize Mozy’s need to be profitable and respect their decision, I’m surprised and disappointed that they never had the brains (well, maybe they did but they didn’t talk about it) to come up with a simple yet elegant method of paying for the backup storage:

Charge for retrieval.

Let me back up all the stuff I want for the nominal price but if/when I want to retrieve it, charge me enough for it that covers the potential losses that you’ve taken so far. Certainly, people must be losing their data or there wouldn’t be a market for backups in the first place. The value is not really in the backing, but in the retrieving. Create a model that reflects that.

Now perhaps I’ve really got all this wrong. Mozy may just want to get rid of “hog” customers like me and just keep the little guys under 50gb because they are far more profitable. The wisdom of that strategy will remain to be seen. If the little guys are very profitable, then by definition they are probably being charged above real market value which then leaves Mozy to vulnerable to other, smarter companies (hopefully like Carbonite).

So, good luck Mozy. You did a good job while I was your customer and now it’s time to say good bye. I think it was very low class to make the change so abruptly. You either knew this was coming or you didn’t. If you didn’t know this was coming, then I question the intelligence of your organization. If you knew this was coming and then waited to the last minute to give your customers a no-wait boot, then I certainly question your business sense if not your ethics.

I’m done with you. While I respect the fact that you had to make a business decision, the method by which you executed the decision indicates either poor planning or poor judgement, either of which is inexcusable in today’s market. Good luck and good riddance.

Readers: if you find other services similar to Carbonite or competitive to Mozy (i.e. unlimited backup for relatively low monthly cost) please post them here for all to share.