SME disaster preparedness linked to cloud

Disaster Preparedness Survey, run by Symantec, has discovered that disaster preparedness for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is closely linked with the adoption of technologies like virtualisation, cloud computing and mobility, MicroScope.co.uk reports.

The survey indicates that 40% are deploying public clouds and 43% are implementing private clouds, while over a third are using mobile devices and virtualising servers.

The survey indicated that SMEs are keen to adopt these technologies, with 37% saying that improved disaster readiness influenced their decision to migrate to cloud, with very similar numbers citing the same decision-making process for their mobility and virtualisation implementation.

Symantec senior VP of worldwide marketing for SME and cloud, Steve Cullen, says SMEs cannot afford lengthy downtimes, so the ability to quickly recover from a disaster is critical, Computer Business Review writes.

“Technologies such as virtualisation, cloud computing and mobility, combined with a sound plan and comprehensive security and data protection solutions, enable SMEs to better prepare for and quickly recover from potential disasters such as floods or fires, as well as lost or stolen mobile devices and laptops,” Cullen adds.

Among the SMEs surveyed, 34% are either currently deploying or already benefiting from server virtualisation, while 40% are deploying public clouds and 43% are implementing private clouds.

Chennelnomics quotes Monica Girolami, Symantec's director of SMB product marketing, as saying: “We wanted to see how trends, virtualisation, cloud and mobility were affecting the perception and need for disaster preparedness in the SME.

“SMEs have a reputation for being less vigilant,” she continues. “But what Symantec found shows that this trend is clearly changing. SMEs are seeing the importance in complementing these technologies with the proper backup needed to support the company infrastructure.”