Among the many changes in the IT industry currently facing South African business, one of the most dramatic is unfolding in the electronic data storage or e-storage industry.
Off-site data storage practitioners, Backup Storage Facilities (BSF), established 14 years ago, have introduced a range of e-storage solutions into the mix of services they offer.
To meet the increased demand, BSF have developed an entire division called `e-Storage` specialising in e-storage, retrieval and management. "As a specialist in e-storage, online backup and recovery solutions, e-Storage is providing an additional level of solutions to backup and recover data," states Paul Muller, Special Projects Manager for e-Storage.
"We see our services as supplemental to BSF`s current services. We believe the timing is right now for online backup, e-storage, server mirroring or replication that are recovery options few companies would have considered even five years ago. With the increase in data stores and dangerous cost of business interruption, it has become imperative that we address the changing demands of today`s market." Muller also stated his concern with the increase in the number of operations whose core business is not data storage but are now offering solutions.
"Businesses are being targeted by a broad range of players in the IT world expanding into the area of online backup and storage. The risk we see is that a growing number of non-specialists, knowing little about disaster recovery are offering high-priced solutions to eager clients aware of the need for workable e-storage solutions," opines Muller. "There is more to professional online backup than the ability to provide bandwidth or storage space. We have found the biggest need amongst business continuity decision-makers, is for a partner that knows about electronic storage and retrieval and who will provide an answer that fits a specific environment.
The ultimate goal of what we offer is to provide a range of tailor-made solutions that address the specific needs of each client, offering a flexible product line-up that analyses the priorities of time versus cost trade-offs and then implements the right tools for the resumption of critical business processes."
Traditionally installed for only the high-end solutions, the concept of e-storage in the disaster recovery industry has become an increasingly important factor on the business survival agenda. Competitive pressures have called for reductions in downtime and smarter, more flexible methods of organising data across non-specific operating platforms.
The fundamental decision for most companies about the degree of sophistication required from online backup or e-storage will depend on an objective assessment of the value of the data that needs to be managed and preserved. E-Storage`s new initiative will highlight the dual requirement of a storage solution that protects information whilst reducing severe time frame limitations.
"We don`t believe in being all things to all people," states Walter Hex, Chairman of BSF. "We`ve created our e-data storage and retrieval undertaking as an extension of the business we know. Our knowledge of the off-site storage business has given us the know-how to make electronic backup and recovery a logical next step. An increasing number of our clients have expressed concern at the pace at which they have to maintain their data. Additionally there is continual pressure to ensure the integrity of their data when insufficient tools are available on which to base their storage solution decisions. We provide clients with five separate product levels to ensure that a solution is available for a small network through to large corporates. With our 14 year history in off-site storage, we believe we understand the nature of a data storage environment."
E-Storage has partnered with other storage solution leaders in the industry to offer the custom solutions required:
. First In Business Solutions - IT reseller and storage solution specialist].
. Veritas Software - premier supplier of enterprise-class application storage management solutions].
. DataPro - one of South Africa`s leading ISPs providing access to the Internet, virtual private networks, application & web hosting and specialised dial-up.
. Maxtec - JSE-listed industry leader in the provision of comprehensive IT storage-related services, including consulting, outsourcing, implementation, repair and maintenance, education and training].
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