Free Ebook Released by Connections

Although most business owners know they need to backup their data, about 70% have experienced or will experience data loss due to accidental deletion, disk or system failure, viruses, fire or some other disaster. A free ebook released today by Connections for Business, provider of technology solutions and managed IT services for local businesses, reveals the causes and consequences of inadequate data backup, sounding the alarm for companies that continue to rely on in-house tape backups.

A recent Connections study of 2,100 small- and medium-sized South Florida businesses indicates that 60% should expect to experience a major network or technology disaster that incurs costs of between $9,000 and $60,000 for repairs and restoration costs alone. The National Archives & Records Administration in Washington, D.C., cites more dire consequences, noting that 93% of companies that lost their data center for ten days or more due to a disaster filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster.

"The problems caused by inadequate data backup are much more severe than most business owners realize," said David Bennett, CEO of Connections and lead author of the free ebook. "In working with our clients, we identified many common misconceptions and we felt it was important to get this information out and into the open."

The 14-page report, 12 Little-Known Facts and Insider Secrets Every Business Owner Should Know About Backing Up Their Data and Choosing a Remote Backup Service, defines remote, offsite, and managed backups and then describes seven key criteria for evaluating remote backup service providers. The ebook also addresses how tape backups give business owners a false sense of security and examines recent trends in data security.

"Too many of our clients believe that having in-house tape backups will protect them from data loss," said Mr. Bennet. "But what about natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or simple tape failure?" He notes that all tape backups inevitably fail at some point. "Unless a business is using a good remote backup service, it’s just a matter of time before it loses the critical data it needs to have in order to stay in business."

Small business owner Karen Henderson of Miami, Florida said she appreciates the book because it’s a "fast read that has compiled a lot of the information I need, all in one place. I had no idea we were making such costly, common mistakes." She reports that her management team is already following the guidelines in the book to select a remote backup service provider.

"This new ebook is a natural extension of our managed IT services," explained Mr. Bennett. "It’s our way of reaching out to small- and medium-sized businesses, especially here in South Florida, giving them the knowledge they need to protect their proprietary data."

A limited number of readers who download the ebook will be invited to sign up for a free, no-obligation Data Security Audit. "Obviously we’re hoping that a good percentage of the readers will show an interest in our ConnectCare Datasafe protection plan," said Mr. Bennett, "but the main idea is just to share the information and make sure companies get the data backup services they need, regardless of who they select as their service provider."

To download the ebook (you need to register)