The decision to use a cloud-based data backup service could easily be one of the best decisions you ever make. Data is the basic currency of information exchange, and information is power, which gives you the ability to run your business. Sadly, your capability, your power, and your data are at risk. For starters, cybercriminals are looking for an opening to steal your data and hold it for ransom. Then, there are internal threats such as a maintenance operation gone wrong, an employee inadvertently spoiling a machine, or equipment breakdown in your server room. The cost of downtime runs into several thousands of dollars per hour. That’s why businesses need reliable data backup solutions that can help them restore data in a jiffy. Should you consider signing on with a data Backup as a Service provider?
Why data Backup as a Service?
Data Backup as a Service (BaaS) works by backing up your business data automatically on an offsite cloud-based data repository. The BaaS provider offers public, private, or hybrid cloud data storage to create a backup for the client’s data. Backup as a Service is a better alternative as compared to other offsite data storage solutions such as archival on tape, or using flash drives. The BaaS provider bundles the backup service with data restoration applications, automated backup creation software, and regular maintenance and upgrade services, offering a truly turnkey solution to businesses. A backup service is better than a cloud storage solution because it offers you reliable restoration capabilities. In the unfortunate case of data theft or data corruption, you want to be able to recover your data up to a very recent version, very quickly. Data Backup as a Service brings this benefit to you.
In the next sections of this guide, we’ll explore some of the benefits of Data Backup as a Service solutions.
Supreme convenience of automated data backup
Imagine a situation where the inevitable data loss occurs and you realize that the last backup your company took is a year old! With a cloud-powered data Backup as a Service solution, you’ll never be left high and dry.
Data Backup as a Service solutions automate the process of data backup. You can create folders whose data will be backed up to the cloud repository every few minutes. Then, with these services, you can easily provision additional resources for peak load management.
Most BaaS solution providers offer highly flexible and convenient subscription plans that let businesses avail advanced data backup capabilities without the initial capital expense. Important settings such as frequency of backup, priorities of data formats and directories can be conveniently managed from dashboards.
Scalability like never before
The biggest challenge that a decision maker faces while commissioning a backup service is in estimating the storage required for the data. The general trend in business data indicates that organizations are producing more and more data every year. The volume, velocity, and variety of data are expanding, making it all the more difficult for anyone to estimate as to what amount of storage will suffice for data backup for the coming year.
Here, Backup as a Service offers a remarkable advantage. You don’t have to go for unlimited storage plans until it becomes necessary for your business. Instead, you pay for what you need and can expand your subscription’s scope once the business data volumes justify it. Based on the pace at which your business adds more employees, computers, and business units, you can keep on buying incremental resources, without having to pay for space you don’t need.
Quality of Tier 4 service, made affordable
Traditionally, a Tier 1 cloud backup service offers 99.671 percent uptime, whereas a Tier 4 service offers 99.995 percent uptime guarantee. Though the difference in percentages looks negligible, note that cost of downtime makes the potential financial impact of your choice very significant. Also, the core technologies deployed by Tier 4 services are a lot better than anything that Tier 1 services do.
In the form of cloud-based backup service, you get the best of technologies working toward securing your business data. From redundancy (creating backups of your backups) to cutting-edge cooling systems, you get the best of all worlds. The best part, you don’t have the pay the hefty price tags that accompany these technologies when you opt for a cloud-based data backup solution.
Secure backups
A lesser-known risk associated with data backups is that you create more attack surface area for cybercriminals to target. Of course, you need to ensure the complete security of the backed up data. Thankfully, cloud-based data Backup as a Service vendors offer you state of the art technology to secure your date.
In the very least, these vendors offer 256-bit encryption of data at rest and in transit. Also, the data backup is stored on several offsite servers, which means not all of it is exposed to the same risks. Plus, redundancy ensures that even if one backed up dataset is spoiled, there are others left intact.
Lower costs of ownership of data backup and restoration capabilities
Traditional data backup and restoration applications and services cost a lot. These costs often come as a surprise for organizations, primarily because they’re not able to estimate all the components of the cost of ownership. Some of these are:
- Cost of media on which the data is stored.
- Safekeeping and storage of this media.
- Transportation of media from point A to B.
- The IT capabilities required to manage regular data backup and restoration operations.
Because Backup as a Service essentially eliminates all these costs and replaces them with a known monthly cost, the total cost of ownership becomes a lot clearer and affordable for organizations.
Easy, convenient, affordable, secure
Data is a business’ lifeline. You don’t want ransomware, a careless employee, an scheming competitor, or a cybercriminal to disrupt your business. Backup as a service is the easy, convenient, affordable, and secure solution. Look for a data Backup as a Service vendor, look for a subscription plan that provides for your business’ must-haves, and safeguard your business’ future.
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