Backup Tapes Heading for Waste Bin

One fifth (22%) of small to mid sized enterprises are now using online back-up software, more than double the figures for last year, according to a new research report published today by  Connect – the IT support company. A further 20% of companies expect to switch to an online backup service within 3 years. The research also found a 12% decrease in the use of traditional backup tapes over the past twelve months.  

The survey was conducted by an independent research company on behalf of Connect , consisting of in-depth interviews with IT Managers and Directors at 151 UK companies in a range of industry sectors.  

Mark MacGregor, CEO, Connect, comments:" The end of the backup tape has been predicted many times in the past. But the rapid switch to online backup providers by SMEs surely heralds the end of this distinctly dated technology. The three main drivers for companies ditching tapes are the dramatic falls in costs for offsite storage, improvements in technology and increasing internet line speeds. These research findings suggest that the tipping point for online backup has been reached and we expect tape users to be in a minority within 3 years." 

Other significant results from the research include:

• Back-up tapes are still the prevalent back-up technology used by UK SMEs
• 76% of UK firms use back-up tapes to store their data
• 5% of SMEs surveyed by Connect had suffered a major data loss as a direct result of back-up failure
• In the event of server failure or data loss 73% of UK firms who use backup tapes would take at least a day in order to restore their data and have their business back up and running.

The survey was conducted by The Survey Shop on behalf of Connect during September 2008.