Backups are very important as they it provides a means for a website to recover if ever they are attacked or if updates or upgrades don’t go well. With a backup, you don’t have to start from scratch when something undesirable happens. And, with the Internet, you can never tell what could happen.
Website owners sometimes overlook the importance of backup services. Previous versions of their website are simply deleted. Also, the client may forget or intentionally neglect making a system backup because it takes time. Some simply do not know how to create backups. Those who don’t have the time or the necessary resources and manpower to manage the backup can opt to outsource managed backup services.
What is a managed backup service?
Managed backup service is a data management service which allows a third-party company to create and store backups of your data and your system securely and efficiently. With this service, you hand over the responsibilities of implementing and managing your backup system to the managed service provider. Backups are usually done at night when the computers are least used.
Why should you choose managed backup service?
Managed backup services have lots of advantages, and it is now becoming a popular solution for decision-makers and system owners. Here are some of the advantages of choosing managed backup services.
- You do not have to go through the process of hiring staff who will manage and implement your system backup.
- You can trust the backup service provider because this is the field of expertise of their teams.
- You don’t have to invest time and resources for backup management. The managed service provider (MSP) will already be in charge of that. Instead, you can concentrate on your business more.
- You get regular reports on the status of your backup systems. This makes it easier for you to keep track of the backups made so far. If ever anything happens to your system, you could easily refer to the report from your MSP to see what latest version has been stored. You also know the current state of data in that particular version. It would be much easier to determine the version to be restored.
- Managed backup services would already take care of the technicalities of making backups. This includes making integrity validations regularly to make certain that the backup system is recoverable.
- You don’t need to buy your own backup equipment and software which you would have to also maintain by yourself. Managed backup services already provide and take care of these.
As a client, expect that the people who would be taking care of your backup are professionals who are highly specialized in this field. Managed service providers may provide various managed services, but they usually employ experts for particular fields. This could give you the assurance that your backups are done regularly in an efficient and secure manner. The backups done would also be customized to fit your business model.
How much does managed backup services cost?
The average monthly cost of managed backup services would be $50 but prices vary from one MSP to another. The factors that may affect the price are:
- The subservices they offer, such as the amount of memory or the storage size allocated to you, licenses, servers, and computers.
- Additional costs per gigabyte that is added to the storage size.
- How long your contract lasts with the MSP.
When receiving your monthly bill, you should also be given general reports or executive summaries on how the backup system is doing. This would ensure that you are not overpaying for the services of the MSP and that they really are doing their tasks.
