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Protect your small or midsize business with a hybrid backup and recovery strategy

 

SMB McCabe Blog.jpgSMBs need a combination of on-premises and cloud backup and recovery solutions for the best protection against data loss. 

If you're like many small and midsize businesses, you're choosing to run more and more of your business applications in the cloud. It's also a good bet that your business uses online solutions for file syncing, sharing, and backup and recovery.

With so many of your applications and data in the cloud, it's easy to wonder if your business needs on-premises backup and recovery capabilities at all. However, choosing the right solution for your SMB likely means going hybrid by getting on-premises back into the mix.

Data is the new oil for business in the information age

"Data is the new oil" is a popular cliché in the tech industry—but a pertinent one. IDC forecasts that the amount of worldwide digital data will balloon to 163 zettabytes by 2025—ten times today's amount. Businesses are creating and managing the lion's share of this data, and storing it on PCs, laptops, phones, servers, and in the cloud.

In an age where customers expect that you're open for business 24/7, having fast, reliable, and secure access to this data is the fuel that keeps your business going and growing.

But many SMBs haven't protected their business against data loss. This can be a costly oversight, as losing that data can force you to shut down. Should your data be compromised—whether due to natural disasters, malicious attacks, or just plain old human error—having the right data backup and recovery solutions in place can make or break your business.

Cloud cover—necessary, but not necessarily enough

The cloud has provided businesses with a broader range of backup and recovery solutions. However, it has not eliminated the need for on-premises solutions. There are several reasons why your business should include on-premises solutions in your strategy, including:

  • Speed: How long can you afford to be without your data? Recovering data and applications from local, on-premises storage systems is usually faster than recovering them from the cloud.
  • Cloud outages and internet-connectivity issues: How, what, and where disaster strikes makes a difference. What if your internet connection fails, or your router dies? Everything has to work smoothly—from routers to your internet connection to cloud storage and server systems—to ensure that backup information in the cloud is available when you need it.
  • Regulatory compliance. Depending on the industry or geographical location, you may have to adhere to specific government regulations regarding data use and storage. Health care and financial services businesses, for instance, may not be able to store more sensitive data in the cloud.

The best approach is to deploy a mix of on-premises and cloud-based storage and recovery options. While each has its own strengths and weaknesses, a hybrid approach provides you with backups in both locations—greatly improving your odds of recovering from a disaster and making your business whole again.

HPE's backup and recovery solution for SMBs

HPE's SMB solutions for storage and backup can help you protect your business, save time, and reduce risk. The solutions store, back up, and share media and other large files and applications with a secure central server. They not only back up individual files and folders, but are also application aware. This means that you can specify what information needs to be backed up for a given application, simplifying application recovery.

The solutions provide backup capabilities for the mix of networked PCs, notebooks, mobile devices, and servers that most SMBs rely on. In addition to automating these chores, they also safeguard your data with virus protection and optional encryption capabilities.

HPE has further addressed some of the top challenges that SMBs face in implementing new technology solutions, including:

  • ROI: The solutions are offered in a subscription-based model, so you don't have to make a major upfront investment.
  • Simplicity: HPE preconfigures the hardware and software components, along with automated, intelligent deployment and management tools, into a single offering. This reduces the time and skill requirements necessary to get the system up and running and manage it.
  • Productivity: Employees can use HPE's SMB solutions for storage and backup to access, share, and organize files, email, and collaboration tools from any device.

The best protection is combining the best of both worlds

No one knows if, when, where, and how data will be at risk. But risks abound—and data loss has the potential to irreparably damage a company's finances, productivity, and reputation. While cloud backup and recovery solutions provide good coverage, relying on them alone can leave gaps in your data protection capabilities.

The best insurance against data loss is a hybrid solution. Combining cloud backup with a strong on-premises solution such as HPE's can provide you with more complete coverage and the peace of mind that your business is prepared for a wider scope of data-loss-and-recovery scenarios.

Learn more about HPE solutions for small and midsize businesses.


Meet Servers: The Right Compute blogger Laurie McCabe, SMB Analyst and Advocate.

Laurie McCabe.jpgLaurie brings more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry to her current role as co-founder & partner, SMB Group. Laurie has built widespread recognition for her insights in the small and medium business (SMB) technology market, cloud computing, mobile solutions, business solutions, social networking and collaboration, and managed services. Prior to SMB Group, Laurie worked in analyst roles as a partner at Hurwitz & Associates; vice president of SMB Insights & Solutions at AMI-Partners; and vice president at Summit Strategies, where her original research of the emerging cloud computing model earned her broad recognition as a thought leader in this area. Laurie's nine years at Digital Equipment Corporation, including her last role as director of market and competitive intelligence, provide her with critical experience from the vendor perspective. Laurie is a six-time Small Business Influencer Awards winner; has been recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Small Business Marketing by AllBusiness; and is a member of Dun & Bradstreet's B2B Expert Community. Laurie blogs often at http://lauriemccabe.com/, speaks regularly at industry events, and has over 17,000 followers on Twitter.

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