In today’s business landscape, there are a growing number of services that can be delivered through the cloud. Outsourcing these services to third parties who can deliver cloud-based solutions can be a fantastic way of saving businesses money and enabling them to access knowledge and infrastructure that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

Disaster recovery is one such service. In this article, we will take a look at exactly what disaster recovery is, who needs it and what you need to look for when you are deciding on a provider.

What is Disaster Recovery?

Disaster recovery is designed to provide a failsafe when a data storage system goes down. Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) is a cloud-based solution in which live backups of storage systems are stored on remote cloud servers. This ensures that backups are kept safe in the event of a serious natural disaster, or another major event such as a fire.

Even if the site of the main storage is completely destroyed, DRaaS ensures that data is not lost entirely. Given how data-driven many businesses are today, failure to take measures to protect corporate data can prove disastrous.

Who Needs Disaster Recovery?

Any business that stores valuable data on site can benefit from DraaS. Some businesses will be more prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, flooding and high winds. Even businesses in the UK that aren’t exposed to these natural threats can still face unexpected weather conditions, fire or any number of other potential disasters. Anything that can render your data storage unsalvageable through physical damage should be covered through a disaster recovery plan.

Disaster recovery is not just important for protecting data that is being stored in the long term, it is also vital for any businesses that utilize always-online components. For these businesses, any server downtime can equate to lost revenue and or productivity. Live backups allow these businesses to get their systems back up and running at the new location. Their customers shouldn’t notice much in the way of disruption; they will experience the same service delivered by a different server.

DRaaS is a valuable service for many businesses, although there are some potential drawbacks. For example, if the DRaaS provider doesn’t offer the best infrastructure, you might experience performance issues and slow data transfer. There are also sometimes issues during the migration process, which can leave some data vulnerable in the event of a systems failure.

How to Choose a DRaaS Provider

There are a lot of things that you need to consider when selecting a DRaaS provider. Different providers will offer different packages and features. You should look for a provider that offers you all the features and extras you want, but don’t pay for more advanced infrastructure than you need, a more expensive option isn’t necessarily going to bring tangible benefits to your business. Carefully vet any providers you are considering and make sure that they have a solid reputation online.

Check out UKCloud for an example of a UK-based provider of disaster recovery services. Their website details many of the features that they offer, and you will notice that they go far beyond just keeping data and systems safe. They also offer a range of configuration options that make their packages very flexible, enabling you to tailor them to your specific business.

With an ever-growing number of businesses relying on digital data to run their day to day operations and sustain their long-range growth, it has never been more important that businesses are able to keep data safe. Cloud-based DRaaS is perhaps the easiest, and one of the most effective, means of ensuring that all your systems remain safe and your customers can experience uninterrupted service.