Backup and Recovery Tip: Choose the Right Backup Vendor

June 25, 2015

Every company or organization has its own set of backup and recovery requirements. That is why, when considering a backup vendor or appliance, you should pursue an option that suits your company’s needs rather than the most popular one on the market. The wide range of backup techniques and appliances available today may make the decision process more overwhelming than it actually needs to be. The key is to analyze the requirements of your organization and always keep them at the forefront. Once you know what you need, it is easier to narrow down the list of specific solutions.

Are you considering implementing a new backup software for your organization, but not sure where to start? Here are five things to consider when choosing a backup vendor: 

1. What devices does the backup software support? Does it also support all the operating system environments you have and virtualized environments such as VMware?
2. Does the backup software include a snapshot capability? Snapshot backups shouldn’t be considered a replacement for regularly scheduled backups, but they can supplement your backup process with short-term volumes. If a snapshot feature is available, you should find out how snapshots can be stored.
3. What kind of disaster recovery plan do they provide? Your backup vendor should have both the product mix and professional services team to help you prepare for a worst-case scenario. You want a vendor that can train you to deal with disasters confidently, but that also will be there to support you through a disaster when it occurs.
4. What kind of support is available with you backup software? Determine if they offer phone support, customer-service-by-phone availability, and who will be assisting you when you call their help line.
5. What kind of reputation does the potential vendor have? When you consider selecting a partner, look for an organization with the same business values as yours, with a solid business plan and the ability to be in business as long as your customers’ data needs to be stored. 

Choosing the backup vendor is not an easy decision but it is a critical one. It’s important to do as much research as possible and make an educated decision that support not only your current business model but also where you want to be two or three years down the road.

Is your business prepared to recover from disaster? Dewpoint can help to develop a disaster recovery plan that will meet your organizational goals, by working with technology that will enable the isolation of critical applications. The first consultation is free! Click the button below to learn more.