How Online Backup Saves Your Business Money
Online backup has come a long way since its inception. The cost has gone down dramatically while the technology continuously improves. Leveraging the power of the cloud for your business saves time and money in a variety of ways that benefit small to medium sized businesses as well as some larger corporations as well.
Equipment costs are a concern for any business. As companies rely more heavily on information for daily tasks, these equipment costs continue to rise. Even a small company of 20 employees or less could be looking at $20,000 or more in computer hardware and software just to install a basic system capable of backing up data. In addition to the physical equipment costs, the cost of peripheral expenses is also increasing. Energy required to operate data storage equipment, software licensing, and IT support are just some of the costs associated with backing up data efficiently.
Online backup eliminates this concern. For a nominal monthly fee, businesses can store vast amounts of data securely without having to purchase expensive machines or software licenses. Online backup companies have their own IT staff capable of handling issues as they arise. Without having to operate large equipment, energy costs are also reduced by using the cloud for storage needs. Even a small company would need to employ at least a basic IT staff to manage all the equipment necessary for proper data storage. Imagine what could be done with the money saved by not having to hire even one additional employee to manage IT related concerns?
Time is a valuable asset to any business but it is arguably more important in the small to medium sized sector. An on-site backup solution could take months to install and configure properly and it may take years to see a measurable ROI. Configuring online backup can be completed in hours because the infrastructure is already in place and trained professionals are available to assist with any setup questions you may have.
Recent statistics report that data loss has cost businesses over $188 billion in just the last few years. For some business models, the cost of data loss is almost immeasurable. Data loss can occur as a result of malicious attack, hardware failure, or natural disaster among others. None of these events are predictable and could leave your business in shambles if your data is not properly protected. Using online backup services is a very secure way to store data. Typically, providers have redundant copies of your data in various locations making complete data loss nearly impossible. Compared to a local backup system that could be rendered useless by a single event, online backup solutions are a sensible alternative that ensures data security and integrity.
Considering the recent increases in cybercrime and rising costs of conducting business, moving your data online is practical, affordable, and much easier to administer than locally stored data. When you also consider the number of businesses adopting at least a partial BYOD policy and that cloud storage grants access to these individuals from anywhere in the global marketplace, there are few viable arguments against using online backup; if any at all.
