The Benefits of Offsite Data Backups

The most valuable assets of any business organization regardless of it size is its data!  Operator can make mistakes, a hard disk failure, a virus,  natural disasters, theft or loss of a laptop - can all too easily put this data and therefore the business at risk.

Storing backup data offsite is a secure, simple and affordable alternative to a traditional tape backup solution.

Tape backup can offer a possible solution, but it also comes with many draw backs.  They need upfront investment, maintenance, and internal staff to maintain and operate them. All these come at a cost. Tape backups can be a hassle - especially during a crisis when key data is to be recovered without delay.

Keeping backups offsite with a trusted third party is a modern proven solution to this critical process.

Offsite Backups – The Benefits

Offsite backup is cost effective, efficient and more reliable process than tape backup.

Cost Effective

* No capital outlay, you usually just pay a fixed monthly fee* No setup fees* No operating costs* No tape storage costs

Efficient

* Installation is complete within minutes - even for non-technical staff* No waiting to find the right tape* No waiting for someone to recover lost data

Reliability

* Automated daily backup provides comprehensive protection and zero hassle* Take as many backups as you need, ensuring protection* Less down-time and reduced lost productivity - files can be recovered instantly* Web access to backed up files for when travelling or at home* Works with individual PCs / laptops and file servers / network shares* Secure technology

The Offsite Backup Process

Software installed on the computer helps select the data to be backed up, manages the connection to the internet and the encryption / compression of the data - prior to transferring it to the data centers.   Data can be accessed via the software agent at any time.

Backups can be scheduled or started manually and can be performed at any time with a single click or be set for hassle-free daily backup.

Security is provided through secure-sockets connections to the data centers, 128-bit encryption and account passwords.  Data Compression ensures regular backups are very efficient and non-intrusive.

Who uses offsite backup?

Offsite Backup is used by most industries throughout the world including: law firms, accountants, consultants, financial intermediaries, manufacturers, education and research, retail outlets, distributors, and not-for-profit organizations.  Organizations of all sizes with an internet connection can benefit.

What are the limitations of offsite backup?

Offsite Backup needs an internet connection to work.  This can be traditional dial-up or ISDN for smaller data volumes, or ideally a broadband connection such as ADSL, Cable, DSL and Leased Line. These have the advantage of faster transmission rates, no usage call charges and the ability to handle large volumes of data.

The initial backup process can take some time because a full copy of the data must be encrypted, compressed and copied to the data centers. Additional daily backups are significantly faster because file changes only are transmitted.  These changes are typically at a 'block' level within a file i.e. if a change is made to a previously backed up document, only the change to that document is sent, not the whole document.

Is offsite backup secure?

Offsite backup is secure. Only secure socket connections are made to the offsite data centers and data is encrypted.  Data never travels un-encrypted, including during a restore process.

A password, an account number and an encryption key all ensure that only the authorized user has access to the data.

How much does offsite backup cost?

Offsite backup is charged on a per computer per month basis, although companies with multiple computers can probably negotiate a fixed fee with their provider.

There is not usually a setup fee and no software license fee, nor are there additional charges for data transfer and recovery.

For detailed pricing it is best to speak directly to your supplier. A general rule is the more space you need, the higher the price; although the price increase is generally not in proportion to the size increase, you can benefit from economies of scale.

** About the author text:Tape backup is the traditional method of data storage. Tapes need upfront investment, ongoing maintenance and staff to maintain and operate. Offsite data backup benefits are clear. Global Data Vault at http://www.globaldatavault.com offers a secure, simple, affordable alternative to tape backups.