Online Remote Backup for Small and Medium Sized Businesses
A Backup Article Contributed by M. Larose
Online Remote Backup for Small and Medium Sized Businesses
Online remote backup can save small and medium sized businesses from disaster. Recent surveys show that only 64% of small and medium sized businesses use only onsite backup. This means that their backup data is subject to the same disasters that the original data is subject to which completely defeats the purpose of data backup.
The idea is to remove the backup from the network and make it available to recover should anything happen to the original data whether is be loss, damage, corruption or complete destruction. Backup data should be error free, accurate and safe from network mishaps. Why are small and medium sized businesses not going the extra step?
Online Remote Backup Alternatives
It is probably true that most of these companies know they aren't backing up safely so why wouldn't they correct the problem? Limited staff and money seem to be the general answer. Even thought the price of storage media keeps dropping and has been for sometime now, it doesn't appear that is enough to entice a revision and review of backups strategies.
Most companies are leery of handing their data over to an online remote backup service and so they stick with what is in place, a disaster waiting to happen. Poor planning and lack of trained staff are sited as the top reasons not to bother. And so data grows and the backup process gets more unwieldy.
Online Remote Backup Gains Ground
The good news is that 36% of small and medium sized businesses tracked are possibly using online remote backup. Online remote backup can take the issue of untrained staff and restrained finances and throw them right out the window. Online remote backup service companies report steady increases in business. With the restore process, 24/7 access to the data, authentication and encryption, and software thrown in to the basic service costs, why wouldn't a small or medium sized business consider online remote backup?
Online remote backup shouldn't necessarily be your only backup choice. A multi platform option with a staggered backup schedule and varied data backup can piece together nicely for a safe and secure backup routine. A full system backup kept as the original backup either online or onsite can dovetail with continual incremental backups to the online remote backup service. This can cut the backup time frame down dramatically and a restore scheme can happen more smoothly and quickly.
With high availability of data a concern for more and more companies, 24 or 48 hour recovery times are just not acceptable any longer.
Online Remote Backup Questions
When shopping for an online remote backup service there are some things you will want answers to. You will want to know what type of Internet connection they have, how long they keep your data available before they archive, if their software is proprietary or licensed proprietary and the brand, can the service handle multiple users with different rights and privileges, what guarantees does the service provide? Your company will arrive at many more specific questions to ask.
Just remember, it's your data and you have the right to make sure it is secure and maintained by a trained and responsible staff.
