4 Benefits of Disaster Recovery Planning

4 benefits of disaster recovery planning

40 percent of businesses do not reopen after a disaster, FEMA reports. There are a number of benefits that can be realized by implementing a disaster recovery plan for business data; allow us to share four of them with you today.

1. Peace of mind in an emergency – Sure, emergencies are stressful no matter their nature. Yet having a disaster recovery plan in place, and knowing that data is backed up in a safe place, may help you connect to an inner sense of calm and control in an emergency. Not only can it lower your stress in the moment, but it can help you to be a strong leader and ensure that all employees follow the plan.

2. Prevent data loss – Data backup and data management can prevent data loss. Not only will this help the business return to operations after an emergency, it can prevent minor data loss as well by ensuring that legacy equipment is replaced or that employees are versed in best practices.

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Disaster Recovery Planning

3. Save money – Disaster recovery planning ensures that you have invested in the tools, assets, and infrastructure needed to preserve your business data. Emergency data forensics can be quite expensive, as can the unforeseen and total loss of data. In the event that you do experience a business disaster and you need to file an insurance claim, your insurer may ask to see evidence of backups. It can thus be very helpful to have a detailed, timely plan to point to when going through the claims process.

4. Ensure continuity – Elementally, planning for disaster recovery can ensure business continuity. By instilling plans to retain your data, you will ensure that you maintain all client and customer information, work files, and historical documentation. This can help ensure that the return to work goes smoothly.

To talk more about this, or anything else, please contact us. Thanks.

Who is the Typical DRaaS Client?

who is the typical draas client

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IT Disaster Recovery as a Service

There’s no doubt that the benefits of disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) are geared toward small businesses. By using DRaaS instead of managing their own data center, small businesses can enjoy the same benefits while paying a fraction of the cost. This allows them to reduce expenses while simultaneously ensuring the future of their business operations. The question now is if small businesses are actually signing up for the service that’s designed for them?

According to recent research, the answer is yes. A recent Cloud Wedge article provides data about small businesses using DRaaS:

“As many as 90% of DRaaS set-ups are for organizations running just 3 to 6 enterprise applications, with between 2 and 5 terabytes of associated data storage. While it’s better to think out your own solution rather than just copying what other SMBs are doing, statistics like these suggest it’s worth taking a look at DRaaS.”

According to the article, the typical DRaaS user is a small business, based on their equipment and hardware. This is a good indicator that small businesses are learning about the benefits of the service and spreading the word.

But the article makes another good point as well. Just because other small businesses are signing up for the service, doesn’t mean that you should too. There are different factors at play that will determine whether DRaaS would be beneficial to your business. For example, if your business already has purchased a data center, chances are it’ll be cheaper for you to stick with it unless you can recover most of that cost.

In most cases, however, small businesses benefit from DRaaS. It ensures the continuity of their business operations without requiring a large upfront investment or monthly expenses. This is why thousands of other small businesses have already signed up for the service and many intend on doing so in the foreseeable future.

If you would like more information about disaster recovery, contact us.

Why All Businesses Need A Disaster Recovery Plan

why businesses of all sizes need a disaster recovery plan

The unexpected can happen at any time. Unfortunately for businesses, this often means the temporary loss of IT functionality and the permanent loss of important data. Thus, this is one of the many reasons why having a good disaster recovery plan is vital. With these plans in place, businesses can often continue to satisfy the needs of their customers and get their systems up and running again in a swift and hassle-free fashion. backup

Storing Data In A Secure And Accessible Space

Digital data storage is one of the best disaster recovery services that companies can secure. In areas of severe weather where flooding and natural disasters are imminent, data can be protected from these events. Not only does digital data storage allow companies to cut their costs by eliminating archaic filing systems and the need to maintain these, but it also ensures that important company and customer information is always available, even when office systems go out. Furthermore, with cloud-based document management systems, entire desktops can be moved into virtual space. They can then be accessed from any device with Internet connectivity, including a mobile phone or tablet.

Preventing Customer Loss Resulting in Legal And Financial Hardship

People love working with companies that are always one step ahead of the game. If a business can continue providing customer support and services while its competitors are floundering, this will give it increased goodwill and a lasting competitive edge. More importantly, this will allow businesses to maintain more of their loyal customers by meeting urgent needs when clients need this assistance the most.

Data loss can be just as devastating for a small, home-based business as it can for a major firm. The need for regulatory compliance and adequate client and financial records management can cause huge problems for companies that do not have disaster recovery plans in place. Fortunately, an effective contingency plan can be secured by businesses of all sizes. This can be a stand alone service or come as part of a comprehensive IT support plan. Each business can choose service plans that fit their budgets and can still get optimal protection. Contact us for help in creating a disaster plan for your business.

Focus on Support When Choosing a Backup and Disaster Recovery Service Provider

why you should focus on support when choosing a backup and disaster recovery service provider

computer-supportNowadays there are several cloud computing companies that can offer you a disaster recovery service provider.

With so many different providers to choose from, oftentimes businesses are not sure which one to pick. Some factors, such as location and price, are intuitive and self-explanatory, while other factors, such as slight differences in plans and technology, require more research.

Is a Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan worth It?

One factor that businesses cannot overlook by any means is support. Typically, when a business opts for managed IT services, they are admitting that they don’t have a professional knowledge of them. Therefore, they should select a service provider that is willing to walk them through everything and assist them through any troubleshooting.

A recent LinkedIn article discusses the factors that businesses should consider when selected a disaster recovery service provider. The article explains that the best service providers offer support at anytime and are willing to assist their clients through times of trouble:

“The best DRaaS providers deliver service around-the-clock. They bring experience and expertise to the table and allow you to choose from a full suite of support options like designing and testing the DR plan, notifying you of any problems and restoring your environment after a disaster.”

When searching for disaster recovery service providers, it’s important to note the level of support they promise. If it’s important to your business, then be sure to only select a service provider that is willing to go above and beyond in terms of assisting your business.

At 4 Corner IT, we are proud of our excellent technology and our resources, but we believe that we differentiate ourselves in terms of the support we provide for our clients. We’re willing to adapt to your company’s workflow so that our assistance is efficient and effective. We focus on your business as much as we focus on our technology, and are dedicated to helping your business grow and prosper.

If you would like more information about disaster recovery, contact us.

Why Cloud Services are a Good Long Term Investment for Backup and Disaster Recovery

why cloud services are a good long term investment for backup and disaster recovery
Clouds

Typically new technological advancements and innovations are more expensive than the older technology. In terms of backup and disaster recovery, however, the opposite is true.

There are numerous cloud backup plans that are designed to accommodate any business, no matter what their price range is or what kind of technological resources they have.

In addition, the old data backup method of using hardware is expensive because it’s not scalable like cloud backup. If a company uses hardware to back up its data, the only way to upgrade and have access to more data is to purchase more hardware. Hardware is expensive and it doesn’t get any cheaper as businesses buy more and more of it.

A recent Channel Web article discusses the differences between old and new data backup methods. According to the article, virtualised systems are cheaper because they are scalable and do not require physical space.

“Virtualised systems are also often cheaper, partly because companies do not have to invest in their own physical space and hardware to store data. They can simply rent cheaper space in someone else’s cloud.”

When backing up data with hardware, there are no special trade in deals that brings the cost of your investment down over time. Purchasing hardware remains expensive and there are no breaks along the way.

Cloud services, on the other hand, are scalable. This means that when a firm wants to back up more data, a company representative just needs to get in touch with the cloud service provider and discuss changing their plan.

This process is simple so that even with short notice, businesses can back up their data relatively soon. Cloud service providers also price their plans accordingly so that businesses can continue to afford their services. This important distinction between cloud backup and old data back up method saves businesses money over a long period of time.

If you would like more information about backup and disaster recovery, contact us.