As businesses have worked this year to adapt to the “new normal,” with many employees now working from home rather than convening in an office, they’ve had to put some serious thought into data center transformation. When you have people working in an entirely new environment, you’re inevitably going to need a new approach to managing data. How will people store files, access files, share files, and ultimately get their work done? And how will they stay secure all the while? These are the key questions of our time.
Increasingly, we’re seeing businesses rely on a trusted solution from a trusted provider – Microsoft Office 365. O365 gives users a way to store their data securely and collaborate on projects with ease, which has made it a wildly popular choice for companies looking to adapt quickly to the changing times. In fact, some IT leaders have such confidence in O365 that you’ll often hear them voice a common refrain: “This solution works so well, it doesn’t even need to be backed up.”
Sadly, this is not true.
The reality is that while O365 is a great solution for managing your data, and it does offer some basic protection against data loss, it’s no substitute for having a complete solution for data backup. If you don’t have such a solution, numerous issues can arise. Say, for example, a user accidentally deletes a file and is trying to get it back. It’s true that O365 has mechanisms for data recovery, such as digging files out of the Recycle Bin. But what if the bin has recently been emptied – or, worse yet, what if it’s been wiped out by a malware attack? Clearly, you need another layer of protection.
For many organizations, the best way to manage data is by following what’s known as the “3-2-1 rule.” This means, for all of your employees’ data, you should have at least three copies, at least two should be on different pieces of media, and at least one should be offsite. This last part is key. If your organization controls all copies of your data yourselves, it’s conceivable that a malware attack could destroy all of them at once. When you add a third party to the mix, you’ll be far better off.
At Zones, we can be that third party. We have many years of experience working with clients to help them tackle data management challenges. And in 2020, we’ve been on the front lines, helping organizations of all sizes adapt to the “new normal” and build secure data infrastructures for their remote workers. When it comes to backup, we can help by implementing solutions like role-based access control and audits for security and compliance.
It’s not just our experience that makes us stand out – it’s our strong partnerships as well. For instance, when it comes to data backup, we’ve partnered with Metallic to elevate our game. With Zones and Metallic, you can have access to backup solutions that are scalable, flexible, secure, and enterprise-grade.
If you’re ready to back up your O365 data in a way that’s comprehensively and highly efficient, all you’ve got to do is connect with us. We’ll help you take Data Center Transformation to the next level.