Finding the Right Cloud-Based Backup Solution: Top 3 Questions

If there’s anyone who doesn’t need to be made more aware of how critical backups are, it’s the folks in IT. After all, one of IT’s chief responsibilities is securing the company’s second most valuable asset (after its people): namely, its data. And then there’s dealing with the clean up when security efforts go awry.

However, a growing number of IT leaders are realizing their legacy backup solutions aren’t providing them with enough security or scalability to meet their continuity needs. This realization has led them to explore other backup options, including sending backups to the cloud.

Must-have answers

There is certainly no shortage of cloud-based backup solutions out there, most of which tout similar upsides. Once you dig beneath the surface, however, a solution’s true value can become more evident.

Here are three questions that can help you dive in deeper and find the right cloud-based backup solution for your company – giving you the peace of mind your company is fully protected.

1. How transparent is it?
Some providers are content to keep their backup and restore activities to themselves as much as possible. On the other hand, Arraya believes a true best-of-breed provider would rather keep customers in the loop and empower them to take a more active role in data security.

It’s in this spirit of transparency that Arraya developed the customer web portal for Protect, our cloud-based backup service. This portal is a custom-built tool which is browser-agnostic and runs on a lightning fast platform.

Customers can use the portal to:

• see a graphical interpretation of the status of their backup activities – both recent and over their history – to gain a better understanding of how they’re using the Protect service
• validate that Protect is continuing to keep their business compliant with industry regulations
• gain a level of control by launching their own restores. A customer’s end users can see activities specific to their sphere of influence, potentially allowing them to back up (only) their own work station and restore it themselves

2. Does it offer flexibility?
Backup solutions shouldn’t hem customers in or limit their options. Elite solutions empower customers by providing them with the flexibility and freedom to make choices around their backups and restores. That’s a principle feature of Arraya’s Protect service.

Protect allows customers to back up their business critical data securely over the WAN without the need for a dedicated, on-premises appliance. This gives them the efficiency of an on-premises solution without the cost of actually maintaining one. However, if they want more flexibility around restores and the peace of mind that comes with replicating data offsite, Protect also supports hybrid deployment options. So if customers are looking to invest in a physical grid to complement their WAN-based solution, they could replicate that data and it would still be covered.

The flexibility of Protect fits in perfectly with Arraya’s ideal of working with customers to find and support the right solutions for data security and availability, instead of dictating what should be used.

3. What’s the actual cost of the service?
Does a cloud-based backup provider’s price tag look too good to be true? Chances are, it might be. Many providers will keep their backup rates low, but will offset that with charges for restores, deletions or long-term retention. This can obscure the solution’s actual cost.

With Protect, customers only pay for what they use and never for restores. Our payment scale is based off of a one-to-one correlation to consumption model. Customers pay a single monthly cost which covers all required licensing, maintenance, administration, retention and unlimited systems, file and application data restoration. Customers don’t pay for extra services they may never need and they won’t get hit with any surprise charges.

Protect delivers a premium backup solution at a cost-effective sticker price. To learn more about Protect, Arraya’s cloud-based backup service, or to get in touch with an Arraya Account Executive, visit www.ArrayaSolutions.com.

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