ANTenna Blog -- Storage

Data here, data there, data, data, everywhere. That has become the mantra in many small and medium enterprises. Consequently, tracking and backing up important information has become a problem for many companies, one online backup suppliers are trying to address.

The volume of information that small and medium businesses generate and need to track continues to rise. New laws, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, require that enterprises protect their information. As a result, many companies are struggling to oversee their data requirements adequately. Larger enterprises have typically hired data storage specialists who oversee expensive Storage Area Networks or Network Attached Storage systems. Many small and medium businesses have not been able to justify such deployments.

Recently, vendors, such as Backup.com, Mozy, Remote Backup Systems, and Theta Backup Solutions, have tried to fill the void. These vendors rely on the Internet to ease the backup process. Customers sign up for the service, decide which files need to be backed up, establish a schedule, and then watch these vendors back up their files automatically. The services are inexpensive, ranging in price from as little as $50 to tens of few thousand dollars per year, depending on the amount of information that needs to be tracked.

Because of the ease of use and low prices, the market for these services is growing rapidly. International Data Corp. (IDC) projects that annual revenue from these services will reach $715 million by 2011, representing a 33.3% compound annual growth (CAGR) from 2006. Small and medium businesses represent the bulk of the customers, according to IDC. The high growth rates have started to attract established storage suppliers. In October, EMC purchased Mozy, and Symantec has also moved into the market.

Data protection has grown in importance and complexity. These new services offer small and medium businesses a potential solution to a perplexing problem. Consequently, IT departments should take a close look at them.

How much data is your company generating? What checks do you have in place to ensure that important information is protected? How much interest would you have in these new services?