Corporate IT leaders have always had at least one eye on data center transformation. When you have a constant focus on streamlining the way you manage data, it makes everything easier for your employees. They have better access to files, they can complete projects more efficiently, and they can collaborate more smoothly – it’s a win, win, win.
But when it comes to managing data, one area that often goes overlooked is backing up files. Backup is not glamorous, nor is it exciting – but it’s nonetheless crucial. If a data security incident were ever to befall your business, you must have backup copies available for all of your essential files. Otherwise, you risk lengthy interruptions to your business and, likely, a devastating impact on your bottom line.
The process for backing up corporate data has changed a lot in recent years. It wasn’t long ago that companies were still relying heavily on physical backup processes focused solely on on-prem data – for example, they’d use tape- or disk-based backup appliances. Nowadays, that won’t be sufficient. Especially not in 2020, as we’ve seen such a sharp increase in employees working remotely. For many companies today, the vast majority of essential files don’t live on-prem – they live in the cloud, thanks to platforms like Microsoft Office 365.
A lot of people assume when they use O365 that backup is already included. There’s perhaps a small kernel of truth to this, but it’s largely a myth. One thing O365 can do is recover deleted items – if you delete something by accident and try to get it back within 14 days, you can. But this is just a small sliver of the capability you need. What if you want to find a file that’s no longer in your system? What if you’re looking from something that’s been deleted entirely, both from its original location and your Deleted Items folder – what then?
This is why so many businesses turn to a third party that can act as their business partner, guiding them through the whole data backup process. These third-party solutions often include role-based access control and audits that make it easy to check in on security and compliance. Additionally, many companies seek help with creating offline copies of their O365 data, which give them an extra line of defense against potential data loss.
At Zones, we have what it takes to be that partner. We’ve always understood the inherent challenges in data management, and we’ve had a finger on the pulse in 2020, so we know exactly how those challenges are evolving as we speak. We have the knowledge and experience needed to mentor you as you step up your data backup efforts.
We also have the right partners of our own. For example, we have a strong strategic relationship with Metallic, which offers scalable, flexible, secure, enterprise-grade data protection. If you work with Metallic and Zones, you’ll have the capability to be backing up your files constantly, around the clock, ensuring that you always have what you need to recover from any data loss incident. This is just another way we can deliver Data Center Transformation for your business.
Don’t wait to take your data backup capabilities to the next level. Explore our website, and find out how you can take action today.