Key Questions to Ask Your Online Data Backup and Recovery Provider

Ten years ago, it would have been difficult to find a business that understood what online data backup was, let alone one that trusted this method enough to bet their data on it. Today, backing up to the cloud is more the rule than the exception for businesses seeking a streamlined, secure and reliable business continuity or disaster recovery solution.

With so many online backup solutions on the market today, how can you be sure you are choosing the right one for your business?  How can you ensure that your data is really secure?

In addition to data backup and security, it is equally important to select a provider that has experience developing a recovery strategy based on your specific needs. Backup aside, it is essential to focus on the restore process first and implement a strategy where you determine which business-critical files and applications will be needed immediately should an outage or disaster take place.

In polling online data backup customers, it was found that 10 percent of an organization’s data is business-critical whereas the remaining 90 percent is somewhat static and can be recovered at a later date. While all data is arguably important, organizations need a structured approach to ensure critical applications and systems are operational first. Once these systems are up and running and accessible, the static, non-critical files can be restored.

Enterprises should look for a provider that will analyze their IT environment and business needs, and then deliver a plan on how to best restore your data. An ideal provider will configure custom retention rules, coordinate proactive disaster recovery drills and ensure that all data is being properly backed up.

It is important to remember that “the cloud” is not a happy data heaven where nothing can go wrong. When you back up online, your data goes somewhere.  Before you send it off, it is imperative to make sure you cover the who, what, where, when, why and how of each option.  When exploring your options, get the answers to the below questions, and you’ll quickly find out that all solutions are NOT the same.

Who is Taking Care of Us and Our Data?

While the idea of an online backup service may mean that you, as a client, are able to “set it and forget it”, the reality is that there is a lot of work to be done at all times to ensure that your data is backing up properly. As with any technology, there are things that can go wrong. You can lose your connection to the Internet and be unable to back up. Your backup may be incomplete for some reason. Your backups may unexpectedly grow, which could increase costs. In any of these situations, you are going to want someone to a) notice and b) contact you immediately to resolve the problem.

Conversely, it is equally as important that you know someone will be there for you when you reach out to your provider. Whether you need to restore data, want to make changes to your backup configuration, or simply have a question, you want to be able to reach a knowledgeable, experienced support person who knows what your company’s backup situation entails and can address any needs you may have.  

What is the Real Cost of the Service?  

This is not simply a matter of $X/GB versus $Y/GB. The real cost of a service includes factors such as whether or not the provider charges for support calls, how much it costs to recover your data, and whether or not you’ll be billed per user.