Businesses that rely on data are at risk when it comes to disaster preparedness, and really, that pretty much sums up all businesses today. Whether it’s healthcare, finances, government, or just retail, no business is invulnerable to tragedy, no matter the size. Given that, what can businesses do to protect their most important asset – their data? Regardless of the size, the cloud can preserve what companies need most to continue on, business as usual, after disaster strikes.
How safe is your data? Sage North America examined this in a study and discovered that most businesses, despite having performed a routine backup, only backed up to a local device, usually the same as the one that was holding the information the first place. This presents a problem for one obvious reason: if disaster strikes, the information is still susceptible to destruction because it is in the same location.
Gartner (News - Alert) estimates that a single data loss incident can cost a company an average of $10,000. How can companies avoid such a loss? Cloud computing, of course.
Cloud Computing means being up and running after a disaster just by being able to access the Internet. The ability to deploy a workforce away from the geographic location of the event and have operations running in a remote location can be the difference for any company surviving the event or losing it all. Cloud computing is the answer for most business continuity plans. Being able to focus on just a few variables, such as Internet access, is a less daunting task then traditional planning that involves an on-site data center.
"Today's SMBs are in a unique position to embrace new technologies that not only provide a competitive edge, but also allow them to improve their ability to recover from a disaster while protecting the information that their businesses depend on," said Steve Cullen, Symantec’s (News - Alert) vice president of worldwide marketing for SMB and Cloud, according to Technorati.
Hurricane Sandy highlighted for many businesses the need for continuity planning. Storms do not discriminate; no matter the size, any and all information can be affected by one storm. We are used to a world where business is going on 24 hours a day, but that only works if the networks and computers that support that business stay online.
TechTarget's 2012 Cloud Pulse survey of 926 firms found that a majority are currently using the cloud in some capacity. One in five are utilizing the technology as a disaster recovery solution and 31 percent plan to implement such initiatives in the next six months.
Disaster recovery is not limited to files and databases that are backed up, but operating systems, too. The most important aspect of any effective plan is to ensure businesses can continue operating during a disruption.
Businesses searching for effective cloud backup systems to improve their disaster recovery have a number of cost-effective options at their disposal. Many incidents can place a company in a precarious position if it is not prepared. Cloud computing is perhaps the most effective solution when it comes to recovering in a rapid fashion.
Want to learn more about cloud computing solutions geared specifically towards small to medium-sized businesses? Don’t miss the Cloud4SMB Expo, collocated with ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida. Stay in touch with everything happening at Cloud4SMB Expo. Follow us on Twitter.
Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli