Iron Mountain today released a study noting that almost all (or plan to) use magnetic tape cartridges as part of their BDR strategy.
Titled “Perception Versus Reality: The Role of Tape Backup in SMB,” the survey asked more than 400 North American IT professionals in March 2013 to assess the role tape backup. With 91 percent of the survey respondents coming from organizations with fewer than 250 employees, the results offer a unique glimpse into the IT landscape of today’s small and mid-size business. The survey was conducted by Spiceworks, the network for more than 2.5 million IT professionals.
Key findings from the survey point to a continued bright future for tape backup in the SMB market:· One solution doesn’t fit all – Ninety-four percent of survey respondents using or planning to use tape are using it as part of a hybrid solution. The majority of those (67 percent) are using tape backup in conjunction with shared storage, while 44 percent are using it in conjunction with direct-attached storage or external hard drives. A quarter of respondents are currently using or plan to use cloud-based or online backup services.
· Tape is a valuable asset – When asked why IT professionals use or plan to use tape as a backup and recovery solution, 43 percent of respondents cited the cost-effectiveness of the solution, 24 percent noted the longevity of the technology and 20 percent commended tape’s superior storage capabilities.
· Tape is a multi-purpose solution – IT professionals using tape backup feel it is either “very effective” or “extremely effective” at addressing organizational challenges in data retention policies (61 percent), data archiving (60 percent), data recovery (58 percent) and disaster recovery (54 percent).
Additionally, the survey confirms that as the complexity of tape backup and hybrid systems increases, the role of third-party storage vendors becomes increasingly important. Third-party vendors can help organizations manage their overall backup and recovery strategy by providing optimal storage facilities, expertise and sophisticated managed services. Over one-third of respondents who use tape are either currently using or planning to use a third-party vendor to store and secure their tape backups. The majority of these respondents (70 percent) state that security is the top concern. This is followed by ease of retrieving backups (54 percent). Cost comes in as the third most important criteria (51 percent).
How often do you use tape (as opposed to cloud, hybrid, etc.) backup within your business? Were you surprised by the findings of this survey? Let us know, and also what type of backup that you use for your clients.