Traditionally users have had no control over the regularity or granularity of the backups performed by their Cloud service providers, retention rules, or how many generations of data are protected; nor could they ensure that their backup data is encrypted. In the event of a disruption or deletion of data, most Cloud users do not know how long it will take to restore their data and applications, unless they have negotiated a premium contract with their provider. Meanwhile the minimum cost for data recovery is estimated at US$10,000. In spite of this, 44 per cent of Cloud users rely on their vendors to back up data, and a further 12 per cent currently have no backup protection for their Cloud-based data.
By contrast Phoenix – with its long pedigree in secure hosting and business continuity – can now take responsibility for backing up Salesforce.com’s customers’ Cloud data to its own secure data store, and enable them to dictate the precise terms and conditions of their backup. Phoenix Cloud-to-Cloud Data Backup accesses users’ Cloud-stored data through an Application Programming Interface (API) and enables Salesforce’s customers to choose the granularity, regularity, retention rules and encryption of backups.
“End users must understand that it is always their responsibility to back up their own data that is stored in the Cloud, from both compliance and a business perspectives,” said Phoenix’s Managing Director of Business Continuity, Mike Osborne. “Even if a Cloud service features backup capability, that doesn’t mean that you can recover your data and applications quickly. They won’t necessarily be backed up to the time immediately before the outage, either.”
“That’s because the Cloud model does not lend itself to individual contracts and variable terms and conditions, so end users have previously had to sacrifice the option of flexible and fast backups. That’s fine for non-core business systems, but it presents a major problem for hosting critical line-of-business applications in the Cloud.
“Phoenix Cloud-to-Cloud data backup has been designed to overcome this specific issue, by giving Salesforce.com’s customers the option of dictating their own terms over how often backups are performed, what level of data is backed up, and time limits for full restoration,” said Osborne. “Phoenix has a long and enviable pedigree in business continuity, and providing this service to Cloud providers is a natural extension of our capabilities and expertise – which is the only current way of making individually tailored, quickly-restored back up economical to service providers and to their customers.”