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1 White Paper Making the Upgrade: From Backup Vendor to Data Protection Platform nfrascaletm

2 Simplify Your Business and Offer Customers Complete Data Protection Your customers are ready to explore data protection in the cloud. At the same time, the amount of vendors offering different types of cloud data protection has grown concurrently. Within each segment of data protection services (backup, archiving, file sharing, disaster recovery), there are dozens of vendors to choose from, few of which bundle them all together the solution you really need to grow your business. In this white paper, you ll learn why it is risky and inefficient to utilize multiple cloud backup vendors and why you should move to a Data Protection Platform offered by one provider. Think that sounds risky too? We ll guide you through the key criteria you should consider when selecting a Data Protection Platform provider. Backup Archiving File Sharing Disaster Recovery What is a Data Protection Platform? A Data Protection Platform provider offers all segments of data protection: backup, archiving, file sharing and disaster recovery, all manageable from a single dashboard. Data protection runs across all servers and devices (premise and remote) and includes the option to host and protect data in the cloud, on premise (private cloud) or a hybrid of the two. More importantly, it s easy to manage and gives you the flexibility to choose and recommend the best solution for your customer. The Present Scenario for MSP s You are using a different vendor for each of the cloud-based backup services you offer. You have four different relationships to manage, invoices to reconcile and management dashboards to learn. With this model, there may be gaps in your service offering and your customers may not know what they are missing until a crisis arises. What is endpoint protection? Endpoint protection refers to the protection and recovery of data created, consumed and collaborated on at the endpoint (laptops, smartphones and tablets). It does not refer to the device itself, but the business critical data that resides on it. For example, your backup vendor doesn t provide endpoint protection to mobile devices (smartphones, tablets or laptops) utilized by traveling or remote employees. Imagine that an executive returns from a business trip and reports that their computer has crashed and they need a file they were working on the previous evening while at their hotel. The laptop cannot be recovered and the business critical document they needed is forever lost. You have no solution and you ve lost the customer. 2

3 Risks and Inefficiencies in Managing Multiple Backup Vendors Management Overload Because you are using different vendors for each data protection segment, there are four management interfaces to learn and log in to daily. Instead of wasting time jumping back and forth between management interfaces, imagine using just one dashboard for all of your data protection needs and customers. As a result, the time to setup, manage and monitor your customer s activity decreases significantly. Now, you have more time to analyze usage trends and look for opportunities to upsell other data protection services to your own customer base and grow the business. You might even find time to generate new business, something you never thought you would have time to do. Service Overlaps In the event you re using multiple cloud backup vendors to address your customer s varying needs, you may find that some data protection services overlap. For example, you purchase archiving from one vendor and disaster recovery from another. Each vendor bundles endpoint protection in with their product offering. As a result, you re paying for a feature or service multiple times when those dollars could serve you better elsewhere. Service Gaps You re using many vendors in an attempt to piece together what you really need for your customers - a complete data protection platform. By doing so, you re also putting your customer s data at risk. For example, you are using one vendor for cloud backup and another for file sharing. You are unsure the two services will work together or how security is handled between them, if at all. Now, your relationship with the customer and their data is at risk in the event a crisis arises. Advantages of Moving to a Data Protection Platform Management Simplicity Let s imagine that you ve released all your data protection vendors and moved to a provider that offers a complete Data Protection Platform. Now, you have only one dashboard to learn and manage. More importantly, you can easily and quickly view the progress, activity and data usage of all your customers in one place. Additionally, you can extract and analyze data easily by scheduling reports that are delivered directly to your inbox. Complete Data Protection You now offer everything your customers need whether its backup, archiving, file sharing or disaster recovery. You can address the concerns and needs of every customer, small or large, by offering a scalable solution that is completely cloud-based, on premise or a hybrid of both. Now that you re working with one vendor for all your data protection needs, you know and understand their data protection policies and capabilities. You don t have multiple contracts to review or revisit in the event a data protection crisis occurs with a customer. You know exactly where you stand and who to contact when it counts. $ $ Low Cost of Entry: Affordable for the MSP Rather than invest in hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment or services up front, your Data Protection Platform provider should require an investment for as little as hundreds of dollars a month to get started. You should be able to start small and test the waters, so to speak, with a small subset of customers. Your provider should allow you to buy as you and your customers grow, not the other way around. 3

4 TM nfrascale Key Criteria When Selecting a Data Protection Platform Provider Vendor History and Experience While it s easy and tempting to select a provider based only on their feature set and capabilities, it s equally important to review your vendor s company history. This is important for several reasons. First, you don t want to be the beta tester for a young provider with little experience. In the event your provider fails or goes out of business, you might lose numerous customers something you simply can t afford to happen. Also, ask for references (current customers) that you can call to learn about their customer experience with the provider. Or, request case studies or testimonials (a quote) from customers who have been with the vendor at least 90 days. Lastly, many providers will offer a free trial, during which you can review the solution for free. Basic Elements Required: Backup, Archiving, File Sharing and Disaster Recovery In order to offer your clients complete data protection, there are four critical segments of data protection that your provider should offer: backup, archiving, file sharing and disaster recovery. However, this isn t where the service offering should end. A true Data Protection Platform provider provides all of the aforementioned services and the option to either host these services in the cloud, on premise or a hybrid of the two. By having all of these options, this allows you to customize a solution that best suits your clients. Now, if your Data Protection Platform provider has the four aforementioned capabilities, you are on the right path to offering your customers complete data protection and growing your business. There are other key factors to look for and consider when selecting the right provider. Let s review those now. Does the provider offer a robust dashboard? Next to offering the four elements of data protection that we ve outlined here, perhaps the most attractive and important feature in a Data Protection Platform for MSP s is an easy-to-use, robust dashboard. Your provider s dashboard should allow you to remotely manage your customer base, including software downloads, activity reporting and account and device management. Dashboard features should include at a minimum: Remote account management Remote activity monitoring Ability to create backup and retention policies, schedules and file type preferences Conduct a mass deployment across multiple devices Ability to customize and download reports Ability to rebrand with your company logo You can access the full suite of data protection services from your Data Protection Platform provider from a dashboard, accessible anywhere you have internet access. Will the solution grow with my business (as my customers grow)? As an MSP, your Data Protection Platform provider should require a minimal (compared to a large, capital upfront) monthly investment to get started. In contrast, the provider should be able to scale with you as you and your customers grow. For example, you should be able to easily add data storage space for a customer with a quick phone call or click of a mouse. 4

5 Does the provider include endpoint protection as a feature? Since your customer s data is likely no longer centralized on a single device, your provider s Data Protection Platform should include endpoint protection as a backup feature. Why is endpoint protection important? More than 60% of critical business data resides on endpoints. And, endpoint devices are commonly the most fragile and frequently lost. In fact, the most popular application used on endpoint devices is typically , which can increase the risk of data breaches, intrusions or malware incidents if the device is lost or stolen. To further complicate the situation, endpoint data protection should also apply to employees that bring their own device, otherwise known as BYOD. Leading industry analyst firm Gartner forecasts that BYOD will grow from 65 percent in 2013 to 72 percent in Endpoint protection is a must have in your backup arsenal and an issue that will continue to gain relevancy and importance over time. Does the provider offer a high-level of security while data is in transit? The obvious is that data should be protected while at rest. However, you ll want to confirm that your provider also protects data when it is in transit. Your Data Protection Platform provider should boast strict security practices, including military-grade security standards. In some cases, your customers may demand that while you protect their data, you cannot view or access it. In industries such as healthcare and finance, there are specific standards you must be able to meet to comply with regulations within their industry. Where is my customer s data and how safe is it? A reliable Data Protection Platform provider isn t secretive about where the data resides. Some of your customers may demand that their data reside in country. Look for a provider with a worldwide presence to address this need. Additionally, ask your provider what tier their data center falls within. Why is this important? Data centers are rated from Tier 1 to Tier 4, with the latter being the most desirable. More robust and prone to fewer failures, a tier 4 data center also has fully redundant subsystems (cooling, power, network links and storage) security zones and guaranteed uptime. What support is offered? Now that you have all your data protection services under one roof, support is more critical than ever. Look for a provider that offers US-based, 24/7 support. Often, providers have an online forum or knowledge base that offers troubleshooting tips and tricks to try out before reaching out to support. Lastly, the provider has multiple ways you can reach out for help, whether it s a support hotline or a ticketed system that allows you to track your issue. You want to be able to address and fix any problem that arises from anywhere, anytime. Summary In summary, do your research. Choosing the right Data Protection Platform provider can be critical to your business, especially for customer retention a key element to maintaining and more importantly, growing your business. Remember, your selection is somewhat like that of a relationship. You are entering into a contract and will need to understand how your provider will perform in the good times and in bad. nfrascaletm About Infrascale: Designed for MSP s, Infrascale provides the most complete data protection platform, including backup, disaster recovery, archive as well as file sharing and collaboration services. Managed from a single dashboard, this full range of data protection solutions covers any mobile device, tablet, operating system, file or application server with the option to protect data in the cloud, on premise (private cloud) or a hybrid of the two. With 12 data centers worldwide and military-grade security, Infrascale simplifies engagement by reducing complexity and the initial investment needed to offer data protection. 5