Backup, Storage, and Recovery as a Service for SMBs

Introduction

Information is the lifeblood of every Small and Medium-sized Business. It is no surprise, then, that improving data availability, recovery, and storage utilization are among the top concerns of most SMBs. However, SMBs are often challenged with limited resources, and time to handle the rapidly increasing amounts of data being created. This often leads to increased data security risks, more downtime, and less regulatory compliance. Luckily, the advent of "Software as a Service" is opening SMBs up to a whole new level of IT services that are affordable and easy to manage.

Data keeps coming

While growth of a business is a positive sign of success, it also means there is more to protect... and more to lose. According to the IDC Worldwide Data Protection and Recovery Software 2007-2011 Forecast*, "external disk storage capacity, which will increase on average by 50% annually, will require a corresponding data protection capacity." Data growth means SMBs must seek out ways to improve their IT infrastructure and recovery processes, or they run the following risks:

• Inability to retrieve data in the event of a disaster
• Non-compliance by not retaining data that is secured for a specified amount of time
• Exposure to business outages
• Exposure to hardware failure

Choosing SaaS

Software as a service (SaaS) offerings have emerged as a way for SMBs to enjoy vital IT services in an on-demand fashion. SaaS offerings are hosted by the vendor, and leverage the Web to deliver a service that is priced on a subscription basis. With SaaS, there is not up front investment, and SMBs enjoy improved reliability and lower staff support requirements. Widely known SaaS offerings include ADP for payroll services and Salesforce.com for customer relationship management solutions. New SaaS solutions are extending to the IT infrastructure, going beyond applications to offer complete IT infrastructure protection that includes not only storage, but backup and recovery services.

Handling data is challenging and fraught with risk, and concerns about service reliability, data security, and recovery constantly loom in the minds of IT managers. Symantec recognizes that SMBs often require enterprise-class technology but don't have the resources or capital to address enterprise complexity. That is why Symantec has developed SaaS offerings for data backup, recovery, and storage that are managed, maintained, and upgraded by Symantec.

Symantec offerings

Symantec Protection Network is a new SaaS platform that delivers complete IT protection via an array of security and availability services that Symantec offers as software. Symantec Protection Network offerings have been designed especially for SMBs and are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis – which means businesses pay only for the services and capacity used.

Symantec Online Backup and Symantec Online Storage for Backup Exec are the first offerings from Symantec Protection Network:

• Symantec Online Backup: Symantec Online Backup provides reliable, secure, and cost-effective online backup and restoration of critical data for small and medium-sized businesses. It addresses the data protection challenges experienced by businesses that do not currently have a backup solution or that prefer to outsource backup responsibilities. In addition, the service can extend an existing online backup strategy. Symantec Online Backup is accessible from anywhere and offers always-on protection, version history, and various recovery options.
• Symantec Online Storage for Backup Exec: SMBs using Backup Exec 12 for Windows Server for backup and recovery can now also enjoy the flexibility and additional protection that Symantec Online Storage services offer. Symantec Online Storage provides scalable, off-site storage for disaster recovery and long-term retention that can be tailored to meet existing needs and can grow with the business. Symantec Online Storage extends the value of a Backup Exec investment by addressing storage and disaster recovery needs quickly and easily, so vital IT staff can focus on running your business. This Web-based offering is completely integrated with Backup Exec and can be used as a complement to or a replacement for onsite storage media.

In the future, there will be more Symantec Protection Network offerings delivering availability and security technologies designed for SMBs. Businesses will be able to choose among bundles of Symantec Protection Network services, each created and integrated for specific needs. In addition to a single common portal and framework, the Symantec Protection Network offers the convenience of a single bill and a common support model.

Conclusion

SMBs increasingly rely on information and technology to run their business. Businesses that do not protect their IT infrastructure put themselves at risk by being unable to retrieve data in the event of system downtime or major catastrophic incident, failing to comply with industry and government regulations, and jeopardizing productivity. Software as a Service is coming to the rescue for many SMBs, offering enterprise-level capability at a consistent, affordable price. Symantec's SaaS offerings deliver proven technologies that enable SMBs to enjoy critical backup, recovery, and disaster recovery technologies at a time when they need them the most.