The CWPS Blog

With 90% of leaders within the IT industry now transitioning their backup and recovery services to the cloud, it's time for many businesses to follow suit. Though cloud solutions are redundant, backups are still incredibly important -- and a cloud-to-cloud backup solution eliminates an organization's reliance upon a single cloud-service provider. Here are a few reasons why a cloud-to-cloud backup solution is likely the best option for your organization.

The Benefits of a Cloud-to-Cloud Backup Solution

Rapid deployment of your data. Through a cloud-to-cloud backup solution, data can be re-deployed after being damaged within a matter of minutes. Many cloud backup solutions feature one-click restoration so that your organization will be back in business nearly immediately. Downtime costs a business an average of $5,000 to $8,000 a minute, depending on size.

Off-server storage of data. What happens if your cloud service simply shuts down overnight? A business should never be too reliant on any single service. Having cloud backups available means that the business can continue its work elsewhere even if their cloud solutions disappear.

Cheaper costs. Storing data on a cloud server is far less expensive than having to maintain and store this data in on-premise equipment. Businesses can then funnel these costs into other areas where the business requires an investment. 

Protection against threats. Threats such as ransomware have become very popular -- it is the #1 security-related concern for many businesses, and nearly half of all businesses have been attacked by it. Having accessible backups is one of the few and most effective ways that ransomware can be mitigated. 

Automated services. Cloud backups will take backups automatically and can encrypt them through the use of the advanced system resources available. Otherwise, an organization will be responsible for backing up their data, which could potentially be saved with glitches or errors. 

For small businesses, cloud-to-cloud backup solutions are the most versatile and cost-effective options available. A small business can easily automate their backup system, taking advantage of a cloud solution's ability to encrypt and store redundant copies of their data. Though a cloud solution will theoretically be able to back itself up redundantly, there can still be issues that arise that require an organization to have additional backup copies -- such as ransomware or other cyber-attacks. In these situations, a cloud-to-cloud backup solution is necessary for peace of mind.

Just how protected is your cloud data? When you rely upon a cloud services provider, you're putting your
data in a third party's hands - and this may mean that your backups aren't always accessible to you when you need them. A cloud-to-cloud backup service gives you complete control over your data while still continuing to leverage the benefits of the cloud, such as always-on access.

What is a Cloud-to-Cloud Backup?

A cloud-to-cloud backup service will transfer your data from your cloud hosting service to a cloud backup server. A cloud-to-cloud backup — also known as “Backup as a Service” — will always be accessible, just like your cloud service and will thus be more reliable and more accessible. A cloud backup service can be accessed from anywhere and files can be restored and synced as necessary.

Cloud backup solutions also have the advantage of additional resources: you don't need to worry about running out of space, as you might need to with an on-premise backup solution. Granular backups can be taken depending on application and data source, and snapshots can be stored at certain intervals to ensure that data can be recovered from any time. Backups are not vulnerable to physical damage or theft because they are off-site, and most backup services will additionally keep redundant copies.

Why Should a Business Invest in a Cloud-to-Cloud Backup Service?

Not only is an appropriate backup solution necessary for regulatory compliance in many industries, but it also protects an organization from potential business disruption. Data can become lost, corrupted, or simply accidentally modified by an employee. A cloud-to-cloud backup solution empowers an organization with the ability to quickly revert back to prior snapshots and access their data as needed.

Further, a cloud-to-cloud backup service doesn't just backup data -- it also ensures that the data is kept in a high security environment with proper audit logging and tracking. Confidential, personal, and sensitive data backups need to be protected to the same rigorous standards as the original data.

A cloud-to-cloud backup will ensure that you can always access your data, whether or not your cloud hosting service is available or your Software-as-a-Service platform is operating as it should. However, it's still important to work with a trusted partner for your backup services, as they will be responsible for the security of all of your data. For more information about cloud-to-cloud backup services contact CWPS today.

Cloud computing services enable you to streamline and centralize system and network management tasks. If you lack the resources to do this yourself, CWPS provides a comprehensive suite of IT support services that will help you get the most out of your new cloud environment.

Two Different Types of Cloud IT Support

Our flexible offerings provide complete Turnkey Managed IT Service when you have no IT staff and Co-managed IT Service if your internal IT staff needs extra help on special occasions.

CWPS provides you with a powerful IT support team that is only a phone call away whenever you need assistance. CWPS tracks your IT assets, manages patches and updates, provides online reports, and alerts our experts when remote or on-site support is needed.

Get the peace of mind that comes from getting reliable IT support for your cloud environment when you need it! Contact CWPS today at: (877) 297-7472 or connect@cwps.com.

Regardless of your approach to data backup, you’ve likely encountered the following:

1. Damaged target media, including tape and disk, which requires a costly and time-consuming data recovery service
2. Corrupted backup data
3. Human error in proper formatting of the backup medium or overwriting backup data
4. Delayed recovery process due to backup tapes or disks being stored offsite
5. Accidental deletion of a file or software bug replicated to backup due to remote mirroring
6. Unavailability of IT staff required for recovery and/or restoration
7. Impaired connectivity hampering recovery of a file from the cloud
8. Self-service interface and process for file recovery from a cloud service was too complex for most users
9. Granular file recovery was unavailable—multiple files and applications or an entire snapshot had to be restored for to recover a small number of critical files
10. RTO or RPO could not be achieved

Each of these all-too-common challenges need to be proactively addressed by a backup system, whether it is deployed internally or in conjunction with an external service provider, like CWPS. Consistently reliable and cost-effective data backup must be paired with rapid recovery and restoration at a granular level without complex administration processes or requiring technical know-how.

To learn how to avoid these sins and find out more about our cloud backup services, contact CWPS today at: (877) 297-7472 or connect@cwps.com.