Cloud backup is increasingly important for SMBs and where there is an opportunity for the channel Giacom Product Manager, Carl Oliver, said.
Oliver said that digitalisation accelerated by around five to eight years because of Covid19 and transitioning towards the use of cloud-based technologies has formed a key component of this transformation.
However, as organisations shift from using on-premise solutions to the cloud, many will not have considered that data – despite being located in the cloud – still needs to be backed up. This is particularly true of the SMB market.
“The channel, therefore, needs to educate and support SMB organisations as they develop and deploy their cloud strategies. But, it also means that ITCs need to work with their CSP partners to capitalise on the potential recurring revenue-generating opportunities that backup provisioning can offer”, Oliver said.
He said that it was a common misconception that just because you shift your applications and workloads into the cloud, that all of your data is completely secure. While the cloud offers many benefits, including the availability of data, it doesn’t entirely protect organisations from data loss or corruption alone.
A recent study found that 32 percent of companies using the cloud had experienced data loss in the cloud across numerous threats. It points out that 64 percent of this data loss was accidental and that 20 percent was down to malicious intent, he said.
“The average cost of this data loss without a backup solution in place equates to almost $4,000 – not counting the potential reputational damage and fines from regulators. So, while the cloud has enabled businesses to evolve and thrive, especially through the current pandemic, it’s clear that data stored in the cloud still needs to be backed up via a dedicated method”, he said.
This is why it is important for organisations to factor cloud back-up solutions into their long-term cloud and data protection strategies. They are crucial and help address this growing risk of data loss that takes place, be that through accidental or malicious means, Oliver said.
Using cloud backup solutions offers organisations a host of benefits. Many modern backup tools include enhanced security features and the ability to scale backups as required. They also generally offer quicker recovery times if and when backed up data is needed. Further, better security protocols, encryption, software patches and updates mean that there are more effective security options for ITCs to provide to their end-user customers in the cloud too.
Using the cloud, organisations can scale more easily too. They have the option and capability to move their data efficiently and quickly across the world. However, as with all technology there are security risks to consider, which ITCs need to advise clients on.
“This is where the relationship between CSP and ITC is important. Modern and effective CSPs work with their ITCs to support them with cloud deployment consultancy and execution to customers. This usually includes providing collaborative insights about managing data privacy, security and infrastructure maintenance. Equally, this is an area where the SMB market requires more support – since 37 percent of SMBs, according to Forrester, are not adopting cloud due to security concerns”, Oliver concluded.
