We live in a time where organizations are constantly looking for practical business solutions. Robotic process automation for example, has been proven to save time and money, adding tremendous value to enterprises. Meanwhile, disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) has demonstrated its potential and many benefits that support a safe digital transformation. More than a backup solution, every company must develop an emergency plan and follow procedures and measures to maintain normal operations in the event of a calamity.
What is DRaaS?—Disaster recovery as a service helps understand possible risks a company could encounter if unforeseen events occur. Think of the COVID-19 global crisis or any natural hazard that could endanger a company’s infrastructure and data. DRaaS becomes a valuable tool to prevent any outages, financial losses, and tarnished brand reputation.
What is disaster recovery as a service?
Disaster recovery as a service consists of a cloud-based solution and backup service model employing cloud resources to protect applications and data from any disturbance. It provides an organization with a system backup that allows immediate business continuity if operations fail. According to a survey, 25 percent of respondents worldwide reported the average hourly downtime cost of their servers ranges between $301,000 and $400,000. Additionally, natural disasters could damage your entire data center and delete all files. To prevent that from happening, DRaaS takes your stored information to a virtual and physically separated location wherein you can run the business as usual in case of disruptions.
DRaaS offers plenty of advantages and should be considered a vital component of every business’s IT strategy. The pandemic has shown us that the outcome of a crisis can be devastating when not handled correctly. Since many companies embrace digital transformation processes, they need to understand the risks and employ a DRaaS plan to avoid jeopardizing the entire operation. Disaster recovery as a service has gained immense value since it presupposes the help of third-party providers. As such, you don’t need to invest in or manage your own DR (disaster recovery) centers, only paying for cloud services when needed.
Among the many advantages companies are experiencing, we’ll explain some fundamental reasons why you should consider DRaaS for your business continuity.
1. Guaranteed back-ups
Disaster recovery as a service providers work hand in hand with your IT and management teams to ensure timely and complete backups. As DRaaS employs virtual machines, applications, and servers, you will be able to guarantee the safety of all your backups. Moreover, DRaaS providers use the most advanced security measures and rely on infinite digital advances to protect their stored data. DRaaS solutions mitigate nearly every threat possible.
2. Regular testing of your DRaaS plan
Once you implement DRaaS solutions, a group of experts will oversee the maintenance of an efficient DR procedure. With their knowledge, they can create a customized process to test solutions regularly and help troubleshoot any issues. The expertise of DRaaS solution providers offers assurance that all elements have been considered, ensuring cost benefits, access to resources, and regular testing of your planned solutions. Since your provider will handle all the administrative requirements, you won’t have to worry about staff training to maintain your DR system. As your employees will have one less thing to manage, their productivity in more relevant matters will increase.
3. Better reliability and lower costs
When companies decide whether to invest in an in-house disaster recovery center or partner with an external provider, there are many factors to consider. Undoubtedly, cost becomes a vital matter to determine what’s best for your company. Since building and maintaining your own DR center require large investments, ready-made DRaaS solutions provide monthly or yearly plans that help you avoid extra expenses. If you’re looking to make the most out of your resources, employing a provider can be the best way to save money and still be protected from any complications.
4. Access to resources
A disaster recovery as a service provider becomes greatly beneficial when outages or calamities demand new facilities or communications assistance. DRaaS appliance solutions can also provide the necessary staff and resources to ensure the company keeps running even in severe circumstances. When disturbances occur, your provider will be responsible for ensuring that all processes are effective, giving you time and energy to focus on other matters. Having a partner to rely on in tough times is always beneficial and practical.
5. Faster and easier recovery
It may take one or two days (sometimes even more) for you to recover data from an in-house DR solution center. Meanwhile, with an external provider, an outage may last only a few minutes. DRaaS partners employ different tools for automation and data replication to reestablish backups more quickly. Since your business will be back online faster, recovery times will help you resume business as usual within minutes. If we consider how expensive each minute of downtime is for a company, it’s easy to see the vast benefits of using DRaaS.
6. 24/7 availability
What can happen if your business faces a crisis outside of business hours? Do you wait until morning to fix it? How many hours of downtime can your business afford? These are the questions that you won’t have to worry about when you count on a provider. Since DRaaS services are cloud based, you and your team can download the information from anywhere and anytime. Availability not only makes things easier but faster, and when disruptions hit, we need fast and accurate solutions to help businesses overcome challenges and thrive.
Disaster recovery as a service can be the best financially viable choice
Using a DRaaS provider is far less expensive than having an in-house DR center. Owning your center requires a significant investment that presupposes hiring experts, developing a proper infrastructure, and ensuring safe connectivity. The operating costs for such components are extensive and ongoing. If we consider future upgrades or emerging solutions, that implies a more significant purchase that could easily double the initial cost. In comparison, partnering with a DRaaS provider has proved to be less costly and the best financial choice for many companies.
Now, to save your company from the burden of excessive costs and management, you could have a monthly DRaaS service subscription. The agreement releases your company from many capital and labor-intensive costs by having a third-party manage operations in full. You can use their services whenever you need to ensure the security and updates of your data, generating returning value on your investment. The math shows that employing a DRaaS provider can cost three times less than having a DR center in-house.
Afford to be prepared for anything
With the pandemic and continuing crisis that has come from it, companies are more aware of the many challenges to preventing future disruptions. As many businesses understand, remote work is here to stay, and data must always remain available. Being prepared for any coming obstacles is no longer an option, and DRaaS has become the most affordable and intelligent solution. At TEAM, we have partnered with diverse companies and provided them with our expertise to ensure business continuity and safety. Contact us to get more details about how our services can benefit your organization.
FAQ
How do I choose the right DRaaS provider?
First, know what your disaster recovery requirements are. As you look for providers, ensure that they can satisfy your specific needs. Ask questions regarding the use of technology designated for your data, be aware of how their staff works, and ask for references to find out more about their previous experiences. Choosing the right provider doesn’t have to be overwhelming; understanding your needs and asking the right questions will help you make the right choice.
Is all data worth storing in the cloud?
It’s usually recommended to migrate everything to the cloud, to ensure consistency, security, and stable software performance.
How can you know if your company is well prepared for a disaster?
The best way to be prepared is to have a plan. Once you have a plan, test it, and find out if it satisfies your organization’s needs. Run a business-impact analysis, look for ways to solve your deficiencies, and improve your plan accordingly.
