In the current era, no business can deny the importance of data. Data offers businesses with critical information related to clients, the latest market trends, and financial insights. It also helps businesses make critical decisions and predict growth rates.
The business can require any piece of data at any time. Therefore, every organization makes it a priority to backup its data. However, taking data backup on the local premises means an additional burden on your IT team as well as your pocket.
A better option for you is to opt for Backup as a Service (BaaS). As the name suggests, BaaS is a service where a third-party provider takes responsibility for backing-up your data. Everything from data backup to recovery is a part of their services. You just have to pay them a monthly or annual fee.
The BaaS market has been experiencing exponential growth from the last couple of years. Following this trend, the global BaaS market is estimated to grow by $7.07 billion during 2020-2024 (source: BusinessWire).
Let us see some benefits of BaaS that are accelerating this worldwide adoption.
1. Saves a Lot of Time and Efforts
Taking the backup of business data is one thing; managing it is another. When you deploy backup servers in your office premises, you are also responsible for maintaining the IT setup that can keep the servers in the optimal state. This calls for employing a dedicated IT team, constant server monitoring, and defining procedures for recovery.
Whereas, when you opt for Backup as a Service, the provider is responsible for maintaining the hardware in which your backup is stored. They take full responsibility for preserving the integrity of your data, so it can be recovered whenever required.
2. Eliminates Cost of Ownership
Creating an on-premise backup solution means that you need to buy expensive hardware, along with the supporting equipment, such as cooling and cabling. Add to that the electricity required to keep the servers up and running. The entire backup process takes a huge chunk out of your annual budget.
BaaS reduces your cost of ownership significantly as the backup servers are owned by the service providers. They store your data on their servers that are hosted in state-of-the-art data centers. As you do not need to deploy servers in your location, the cost of maintaining them is also nil.
3. Offers Access from Remote Locations
Your data, when stored on the local backup servers, can be accessed from the office only. Consider the situation where you need to access some old data but are out of town. You will have to call your colleague to mail the data to you.
By opting for BaaS, your data can be accessed whenever and wherever you want. As the data is stored in a remote location, it does not matter whether you are in the office or not. All you need is an internet-connected device like your smartphone, laptop, or tablet, and you can login to the backup server to access your data.
4. Ensures Continuous Business Operations
In this day and age, every business has gone digital by adopting the latest technological trends. However, this also means that the business process can be affected by various internal and external events related to the IT infrastructure hosting it. For instance, there can be mishaps, such as the server room can catch fire or the hardware can malfunction.
BaaS ensures business continuity for your business operations. Your critical data, if lost in any disruptive events like ransomware attack, is safe in a remote location and be recovered easily to restore business operations.
5. Offers Easy Scaling
Data Backup is a continuous process. As your business process grows, so does the amount of data. Hence, you need to upgrade your IT infrastructure regularly by adding new servers or /and upgrading their storage. Adding extra hardware not only adds to the costs but also requires extra office space.
However, in the case of Backup as a Service, there is no such issue. The BaaS providers offer cloud backup, which means that the solution is highly scalable. Hence, you can get the desired amount of storage from the provider. Moreover, if you want to add or remove the storage, it can be done instantly.
What are the features of a good BaaS provider?
Undoubtedly, Backup as a Service offers various perks to businesses and takes a load off their already hectic schedule. However, to reap the benefits of BaaS fully, it is imperative to find the right BaaS provider. Here are a few points that you can take into consideration.
1. Recovery Support
While considering a BaaS provider, ask about the customer support that they offer. In the case of an accident or disruptive event, the support executives should be able to provide speedy recovery of your data from the offsite location. The BaaS providers should be able to offer round-the-clock recovery support through call, chat, or email.
2. Security
As data gets stored on the BaaS provider’s servers, the security methods they deploy should be top-notch. Ask for the security protocols followed in the data center in which your data is kept. BaaS providers should also be able to implement advanced security safeguards like data encryption and network firewalls.
3. Recovery SLA (RTO/RPO)
The BaaS provider should have an SLA (Service Level Agreement) with a clearly defined RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective). RTO defines the time within which the BaaS provider ensures recovery. RPO, on the other hand, defines how frequently the data backup is taken. See that both these parameters have a low value.
4. Customized Services
Your business requirements change with time and market conditions. Hence, you should make sure that the BaaS provider is flexible in its services. For instance, the BaaS provider should be willing to alter the frequency of backup and extend the retention period as per your request.
5. Disaster Recovery
When you opt for Backup as a Service, your data is secure from all the internal and external threats that happen on the local premises. However, what if the data center storing your data fall victim to a natural disaster or a cyberattack?
To overcome such situations, the BaaS provider should deploy a disaster recovery plan, under which your data is stored in multiple data centers spread geographically. Hence, your data is safe even if one data center falls victim to an accident.
Backup as a Service: The New Normal
Backup as a Service is being welcomed by businesses of all types and sizes due to the convenience and cost benefits it offers. However, while opting for BaaS, it is important to choose a competent provider. It will ensure that you get the best feature at the best prices.
Want to know more about Backup as a Service? Get in touch with our Solutions Consultant at 855-223-4887.
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