Can online backup open the SaaS door?

Canadian businesses of all sizes are relying on digital data more than ever, but while large enterprises have the requisite budget for redundant data storage and backup, SMBs often are without a safety net when it comes to their critical business information.

With the country’s corporate landscape dominated by SMBs, there is an excellent opportunity for VARs to deliver backup technologies through a Software-as-a-Service (Saas) model, and online storage and backup is an excellent first choice for VARs wishing to dip their toes in the SaaS pool: It has a very clear value proposition.

SaaS isn’t new, but it can be complex to deliver and it can be difficult to demonstrate the value of online applications to companies who are used to having applications in-house and completely within their control. By partnering with an online backup service provider, VARs can position themselves as an expert and help companies with their backup concerns.

VARs can also help educate businesses on the needs for offsite backup: Not only is safeguarding data essential to keeping a business running, but regulatory pressures are also making business continuity more imperative than ever before.

Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), a group of data protection directives that limit trade with nations not providing privacy protection, creates data management and security obligations for any organization.

The law gives individuals the right to know why an organization collects, uses or discloses personal information as well as the right to expect an organization to collect, use or disclose personal information reasonably and appropriately, and not use the information for any purpose other than that to which the individual has consented.

Ultimately, from a data storage point of view, this means organizations that collect third party data must know where it is stored and protect it from being lost.

Online backup can enable any organization to reliably back up data within its budget and staff constraints. It’s also an ideal solution for many firms because it optimizes on-site data storage by archiving old data off-site; helps them meet regulatory requirements and adhere to internal policies; enables small branch offices to back up easily and reliably with no on-site IT support required; and, most importantly, it enables data to be retrieved and restored quickly and reliably to minimize downtime without impact on obligations to customers in a world where everything must run in real time.

The best approach for a VAR who wants to start selling and delivering managed services is to partner with an online backup provider to deliver the service to its customers rather than making the capital investments into technology and equipment.

Any VAR looking to partner with an online backup provider should take a number of things into account, both in terms of technical capabilities and business management:

Any online backup provider should be offering a solution on a technology platform that has a strong reputation in the marketplace, particularly in terms of reliability and scalability.

The platform should take into consideration types of end-users that will be supported (i.e. is it consumers who want to safeguard personal files such as photos or tax documents, or enterprises backing up a large amount of corporate data?)

Your partner should be storing data in a secure world-class facility with adequate safeguards and security measures. Your customers will want answers to key security questions to be sure their information is well protected.

The technology platform should also go beyond Microsoft Windows – can they support multiple operating systems including less common ones such as different flavors of Unix and Linux? Can they support both desktop applications such as Outlook and enterprise applications such as Exchange, DB2 and Oracle?

Does their offering go beyond simple backup? Do they have additional service offerings such as e-mail archiving for compliance and a focus on high-quality data protection solutions for future needs of your customers?

Will you and your customers get great customer service 24x7x365 when you need it? Customer problems don’t always happen between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Any online backup provider should provide both technical and sales training, as well as channel representatives and marketing support to assist you directly to help secure deals and work with you in special situations. Look for partners who create win-win relationships.

Of course, before entering any new partnership, you should make a point of getting references and speaking to other partners of the vendor as well as some direct customers.

Ultimately, your online backup partner should be able to address both your needs and those of your customers, both in the short term and strategically over the long term.

Steven Rodin is president and CEO of Toronto-based Storagepipe Solutions, which provides data protection services, including online backup and recovery, data and e-mail archiving and business continuity. For more information, visit www.storagepipe.com.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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