Questions to ask of a potential data backup vendor

With hundreds of data backup and business continuity solutions on the market how do you choose the right one for your business?

Here are some important questions you should be asking of your current or potential IT vendor:

1. How does billing work?

Before you agree to a data backup or business continuity program you should understand how the billing works. Most vendors charge a flat monthly fee based on the amount of data they backup for your business. However, the charges are usually not that simple. Does the vendor bill on compressed data or uncompressed? Is there a charge per device backed up or are you only charged for storage? Are there extra charges for replication of the data at multiple sites? Will the vendor alert me when my charges increase as my data storage needs grow? Knowing the answers to these questions means that there will be no surprises when you receive your bill.

2. What are the supported platforms?

Learning the supported operating systems and configurations will help you determine quickly if the solution matches your needs. What operating systems does the vendor support? What versions of these operating systems do they support? If your you run a specific type of operating system or have unique configurations, you want to know right off the bat if your vendor supports it.

3. What type of backup are they actually performing?

Some solutions only backup data at the file level. This means that individual files and folders are backed up but not programs or operating systems. Depending on the size of your backups restores could take hours or even days. At least your data is secure but some serious downtime to your business could occur. More robust solutions perform block level or entire system visualization meaning that in the event of a disaster your business can be back up and running in minutes and users can often access their data from anywhere.

4. Where is the support team located and what are their hours?

When you need assistance from your vendor, you should know where the support team is located and how long it will take for them to respond to a request for help. Where specifically is the support team located? Do you really want to be dealing with an Indian or offshore call center during a data loss which can be stressful enough as it is? If your business doesn't keep regular 9-5 business hours, either should your vendor.

5. Where is your data actually stored?

Many vendors don't disclose where their data centers are located or the security measures they take to protect your data. Is my data in the United States? In a data center abroad where laws may not protect my companies privacy? If your vendor is local, ask if you can tour their data center and see the security measures and equipment firsthand.

6. When an emergency happens will my data actually be there?

Nothing could be worse then having a backup plan only to find out your data is corrupt or can't be restored in an emergency. Will the vendor do test restores for you? How often? Do they charge extra for that service? A good data backup and business continuity plan is one that can be tested and proven.

Armed with these six key questions, you’ll be ready to choose a strong and solid data backup vendor to protect your valuable business data.