Recent statistics show that an hour of downtime costs a small business on average around £5,000.
If disaster strikes, you need to be prepared. It’s no wonder why cloud backup has become the next big thing. After all, business data can be lost quickly, and it can cost you everything.
It seems that 51% of small businesses still use local hardware-based backup solutions for their data. That makes them vulnerable to data loss due to certain disasters (fire or floods, for instance).
Another recent survey found out that 44% of data loss is caused by accidental deletion, system crash or software corruption. These are unintentional mistakes that can happen to anyone. But true professionals do their best to avoid it.
An increased number of small and mid-sized businesses started to treat data backup more seriously. However, 54% of SMEs that suffered from data loss in the past say they can’t find the time for efficient data backup.
Could this happen because your customers don’t understand cloud backup yet?
What Is It and Why Is It Important?
Cloud backup is not a new technology. It’s been around for a while. It involves sending a copy of your data to an off-site vendor. Usually called cloud providers, they keep your data secure and available in exchange for a monthly fee.
With cloud backup solutions, your sensitive data is stored in a special facility. These data centres are specifically designed for storing data and have state-of-the-art security systems. We understand how vital security is for your business.
When it comes to companies, securing your data is even more important. That is because it doesn’t involve just you or your employees, but your clients as well. By performing regular backups, you ensure that sensitive information can be recovered and covered under any compliance requirements including GDPR. Especially in the case of a disaster.
Disaster recovery represents technology systems that support critical business functions. That means you are offered protection against natural and man-made disasters and can restore to an agreed previous point in time. Wind, floods, fires or IT viruses – they all fall into this category.
Business continuity is a completely separate discussion for another day.
Hopefully, you now understand why cloud backup is so important!
The Pros
1. Your Data is Accessible from Anywhere at Anytime
Having your valuable data in the cloud makes it available anytime as long as you have an internet connection. The device you’re using doesn’t really matter – it can be accessed from your mobile, laptop or desktop.
You can also grant different levels of access to your employees. This way, you’ll increase the security of valuable data and lower the chances of inconvenience.
2. Superior Efficiency and Reliability
Our preferred providers use state-of-the-art facilities. They utilise the latest innovations in hardware and software.
That is an important aspect. By outsourcing this service, you will no longer have to worry about the following:
- Hardware upgrades – it’s the provider’s responsibility
- Software upgrades – the provider must always update the software
- Maintenance costs – electricity and cooling costs, to be exact.
Affinity IT work with strategic partners whose responsibility it is to enhance their services – not yours. If something goes wrong, it’s their job to fix it. They do that by using state-of-the-art technology.
The latest innovations in hardware and software offer you increased efficiency. They also simplify complex processes and are tailored to offer improved user experience.
3. All-Around Security
When you give your valuable data to a specialized cloud backup company, security is a vital aspect. And it must be an all-around aspect.
That is why our strategic partners use data centres. They use a minimum of Tier 3 DC’s. A Tier 3 data centre (DC) is a location with redundant and dual-powered servers, storage, network links and other IT components.
It is one of the most commonly used data centre tiers, where IT components are powered with multiple, active and independent sources of power and cooling resources. They also have multiple levels of security at both data level and even to gain access to the building.
When it comes to your corporate data, no security method is “too much.”
4. Convenience for You and Your Team
Backing up your data in the cloud makes things easier for you and your team. You no longer need to hire people to take care of your backup infrastructure. You can even automate the backup process using a variety of software products.
This lets you and your team focus on the most important aspects of your business.
Cloud backup is also straightforward and user-friendly. It usually involves a browser window through which you can manage all your data. In case something is off, you just need to call our helpdesk, but we will already know about it using our own best of breed dedicated helpdesk.
We already have a team of experts in place using industry leading monitoring software to support our growing number of IT support customers. These are people that know their job very well. Any problems that may occur can be solved fast and easy.
A cloud solution will also help keep costs down. You no longer need to invest large sums of money. You simply pay a monthly fee and enjoy the efficient services.
The Cons of Cloud Backup
As with any service, there might be some problems. Here are the most significant cons of backing up your data in the cloud:
You can’t access your data if you don’t have internet access.
Bandwidth issues – You need the right amount of bandwidth to back up large chunks of data.
Full data recovery could take some time – It is fast and easy to recover small quantities of data. But full recoveries could eat up some time and stress the local systems.
However, if you’re working with Affinity IT and our recommended backup solutions, the last two cons will not be too noticeable.
Conclusions
As you can very well see, the pros outnumber the cons. Cloud backup may arguably be considered a necessity for an eCommerce website. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a must for other types of businesses.
Backing up data in the cloud can also be used as a competitive advantage. You let your customers know that their personal information is safe.
Granted, making the switch to cloud backup is a big decision. Our experienced team will be able to assist and advise in any queries that you may have.
If you have any questions about cloud backup, or indeed any other IT or Telecoms projects, on 0114 362 7000 or get in touch.
