How to Choose the Best Enterprise Backup Solutions

No matter the size of your business, threats to business continuity can happen at any time. These threats come in the form of ransomware attacks or unexpected disasters that interfere with onsite data storage centers. 

Businesses must invest in enterprise data backup solutions. That being said, selecting an enterprise cloud backup option can be challenging because of the abundance of available solutions. 

What Are Enterprise Backup Solutions?

Enterprise backup solutions are designed to serve as a security measure in the event an organization experiences extensive data loss. Cloud-based enterprise recovery solutions provide better protection than storing backup files in onsite data centers. 

Put simply, these solutions use a combination of software and hardware to transfer data from an organization’s primary storage medium to a secondary device. This secondary device will allow organizations to recover mission-critical files if they are victims of a ransomware attack, natural disaster, or some other event. 

A dedicated enterprise backup solution will facilitate a faster infrastructure rebuild than other data storage practices, which allows businesses to resume normal operations more rapidly. 

What Are Cloud Enterprise Backup Solutions

Cloud backup solutions are offsite data storage solutions that can be accessed via the internet. Cloud backup leverages the following:  

• Encryption to protect data  
• Automatic backups to ensure the most recent data is saved  
• Data compliance to ensure all data is compliant with privacy and governance laws  
• Scalability to ensure you have the storage bandwidth needed to safely store data 

Seagate Lyve Cloud is an object storage option that, when partnered with backup solutions like Cohesity or Commvault, can deliver safe, scalable, backup for your vital data.  

Why Companies Need Enterprise Backup Solutions: Common Backup Challenges

Enterprise backup solutions have become a necessity for businesses across virtually every industry. These dynamic data protection solutions resolve many common backup challenges, including: 

Data Silos

Data silos are created when an organization’s suite of programs does not effectively communicate.  

A data silo, alternatively referred to as an information silo, is a collection of files accessible by one application but either partially or completely inaccessible by another. Data silos create inconsistencies in an enterprise’s files and lead to a lack of information transparency.

The information inconsistencies created by data silos make generating accurate backups more challenging. If an organization backs the files up on a specific server or platform but not the data from another application, then their backup server may house incomplete data. 

Data Deluge

Businesses today accumulate massive amounts of information. This data deluge can cause companies to bring in more digitized information than their systems can store. 

To overcome this hurdle, businesses must deploy enterprise backup solutions that are easy to scale. Otherwise, they will face ongoing data backup challenges and constantly find themselves clamoring for more storage space.

Data Sprawl 

Data sprawl occurs when an organization’s data is spread across multiple offsite and cloud-based servers. This data sprawl makes it difficult, if not impossible, to keep track of and organize company data.

Enterprise backup solutions remedy this challenge by providing multi-protocol support. These technologies give businesses the tools and oversight necessary to rein in their disorganized data across all locations.   

Ransomware Threats

While cloud-based technologies and software offer distinct advantages over on-premises alternatives, businesses’ increased dependency on cloud solutions has emboldened hackers. These malicious groups and individuals are targeting key enterprise data via ransomware or other tactics. 

Therefore, businesses must invest in enterprise data backup solutions. These technologies will serve as a lifeline in the event of a successful cyberattack. Best practices recommend utilizing cloud backup alongside a ransomware or business disaster recovery plan to ensure business continuity. 

How Does Business Size Impact the Enterprise Backup Solutions It Needs? 

While businesses of all sizes will encounter a unique set of data management and file backup challenges, each of these threats to business continuity can be mitigated with enterprise backup solutions.

For instance, large teams that are spread across various locations are more likely to encounter challenges such as data sprawl or data silos.  

These teams often use a broad suite of applications to not only carry out core work responsibilities but to collaborate as well. Large businesses should focus on enterprise backup solutions that can accommodate multicloud environments.

Conversely, small or medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will find that data deluge is one of their most significant challenges. While these businesses may not be relying on multiple data storage mediums, they are almost certainly taking in more information than they can manage.  

As such, SMBs will more likely need cloud backup solutions that offer optimal scalability—especially if the organization is in a season of rapid growth. 

Qualities to Look for in Enterprise Backup Solutions 

When searching for enterprise cloud backup solutions, organizations should seek out options that are:

Scalable to Continuously Back Up New Data 

Scalability is one of the most appealing attributes of cloud-based enterprise backup solutions. While on-premises backups have their merits, cloud alternatives offer better value and agility for organizations. 

As a company's data storage needs evolve, a cloud-based option can grow with them. Conversely, businesses that rely exclusively on onsite data backup hardware must invest in costly equipment every time they exceed their storage capacity. 

Versatile to Protect Multicloud Environments

The top enterprise cloud backup solutions are capable of merging multiple computing services into a single architecture. A multicloud storage option combines various resources from several different cloud providers/infrastructures to optimize data protection and offer better organizational agility.   

Multicloud storage solutions address two of the most common challenges associated with creating reliable data backups. These technologies resolve the issue of data sprawl, which is a dilemma encountered by many businesses that have experienced rapid expansion. 

In addition, multicloud solutions shatter data silos and facilitate information consistency between otherwise disconnected storage mediums.   

Compatible with On-Premises Solutions

There is a common misconception that deploying enterprise backup solutions requires businesses to part ways with their on-premises storage hardware. This is simply not the case. 

Robust enterprise backup frameworks can be seamlessly integrated with on-premises hardware. Many businesses elect to leverage a combination of onsite hardware and cloud-based solutions.

Available with Added Ransomware Protection 

Enterprise backup solutions are an integral component of an overarching data protection strategy. While these solutions do not provide ransomware protection, they can and should be paired with an enterprise’s existing antivirus and threat mitigation software. 

Together, these digital assets will deliver optimal defense against ransomware and other forms of malicious software. 

When exploring which ransomware solutions to integrate into their cybersecurity strategy, businesses must carefully research each available option. The most effective solutions provide proactive threat detection and monitoring, not just reactive capabilities.  

Best Enterprise Cloud Backup Solutions for Your Organization 

While there are many enterprise data backup solutions on the market today, Seagate Lyve Cloud provides unparalleled scalability and value. 

If you are searching for the premier backup solution for your enterprise, you will not find a better option than Seagate’s object storage paired with validated disaster recovery software from industry-leading partners. 

To learn more about our enterprise cloud solutions, connect with our team or explore our applications and data management hardware.