The costs of data storage have never been cheaper. At the same time, for most businesses the price of failing to protect and preserve data has never been higher. Reasons for the enlarged importance of data security include: 1) the fact that many businesses now accept, handle, process, and store the credit card information of their customers; 2) information has become an asset of extraordinary value, determining how well a business serves its customers, outmaneuvers its competitors, targets and executes its print and electronic marketing strategies, keeps it shelves stocked with viable merchandise, etc.; 3) even companies without market-based incentives have been forced by recent industry and government regulations (mainly related to privacy concerns and disclosure requirements) to improve their data security. Organizations have several options to choose from when it comes to company-wide data backup. All of the backup methods have their advantages, but only integrated cloud-based data backup has the reliability, ease-of-use, and cost-efficiency demanded by the business world’s IT security requirements.
With the integrated method, a hosting provider will combine a cloud-based solution such as an infrastructure, platform, application, or desktop with automatic data backup. The user does not have to set up anything or perform any actions. At the same time, companies can still customize the data backup process in coordination with the hosting provider. Common alterations to the backup process include: minimizing the effect on the performance of the cloud-based solution by delaying backups until the business’s after-hours; using higher encryption levels when transferring sensitive data (credit card info, financial records) to storage; and halting the backup of unimportant data (spam emails, rarely-accessed files) to preserve bandwidth and reduce costs. In addition to simplicity and flexibility, integrated data backup also benefits from the dedicated technical support and maximum reliability of private cloud hosting providers. However, companies should be careful about selecting their hosting providers based upon data backup. Not all hosting companies provide automated backups; only a small number offer the service for free; and even fewer have the necessary skill and experience to be fully trusted with preserving a company’s important files.
In contrast, on-site and non-integrated cloud backup are less simple, flexible, cost-effective, and reliable. With on-site backup, companies have to purchase and manage their own data storage hardware. They also have to coordinate the backup process itself. Large enterprises that already have a lot of on-hand IT hardware and personnel resources may prefer this backup method. But it’s safe to say that most companies do not have high-capacity data storage hardware and senior-level IT experts just lying around. Most businesses could probably not afford to install and maintain a rudimentary on-site backup system, much less one that matched the flexibility and reliability of most cloud-based backup services. And because on-site solutions and backups reside in the same location, this method does not protect against power outages, physical theft, and natural disasters (earthquakes, fires, and flooding).
Meanwhile, non-integrated (or standalone) cloud backup services are much more cost-efficient than on-site backups. Like with the integrated cloud backups, companies do not have to purchase any additional hardware or hire any new personnel. However, many non-integrated online backup services lack the flexibility and reliability of their integrated counterparts. Companies cannot customize the scheduling, encryption, and the inclusionary/exclusionary aspects of the backup process. And like with any public cloud-based service, standalone cloud backups do not include advanced security features, are more vulnerable to hacking attempts, and are not maintained and monitored by a dedicated technical staff.
IronOrbit provides integrated data backups with all of our cloud-based infrastructures, platforms, applications, and virtual desktops. With our solutions, any data not beyond the last recovery point (the user-determined duration of time between backups) that gets lost or destroyed can be restored. And with our patented Atomic Speed Technology, we can provide complete data backups with AES-256 encryption and an ambitious Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 4 hours without raising costs or affecting the performance of our solutions. IronOrbit’s dedicated personnel will oversee the data backup process and, with 24x7x365 availability, will work to restore critical files no matter when an incident of data loss occurs. We can also customize the backups according the exact IT requirements and preferences of the customer. With the speed, security, and reliability of fully-supported solutions, our customers don’t worry about data loss—they’re confident that IronOrbit has their back.