Gen-i and FX Networks both launch back-up services
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UPDATE: Clear differences between Gen-i and FX Networks products, says Gen-i
By Randal Jackson | Wellington | Monday, 21 November, 2011 | 6 Comments
The Christchurch earthquakes were a stark reminder of the need for adequate back-up.
In broader terms, a confluence of factors - greater storage demands, the need for faster data recovery, and the availability of cloud-based back-up services - is spurring action.
In the past few weeks, Gen-i and FX Networks have launched new back-up services and online services.
Gen-i’s offering is called ReadyCloud Back-up, a private cloud back-up and restoraton service, which is part of its suite of ReadyCloud Services.
Leanne Buer, head of networked ICT products, says research shows that 30 percent of IT costs are associated with back-up, and up to 20 percent of on-premise restores from back-ups fail.
“Business data is constantly at risk of corruption from security threats such as viruses and of physical loss as a result of natural disasters or human error.
“With ReadyCloud Back-up, clients have access to a true end-to-end back-up and restore service that integrates security, monitoring and management with core back-up and restore capability, all from a single provider.”
She says ReadyCloud Back-up is delivered as a flexible, scalable pay-for-use service model, with charges beginning at $1.70 per GB, excluding GST.
The service is targeted at larger organisations, with a minimum requirement of around 500GB. It’s available only for New Zealand clients at this stage.
Buer says pricing is based on world research.
FX Networks has introduced what it terms its Cloud Data Container, based on EMC Atmos technology.
“We have the system installed in two locations in New Zealand,” says marketing manager John van Dinther. “They are 450km apart and all data is stored on both systems for only 60 cents GB per month. We feel that is competitive given New Zealand’s smaller scale.
“Many clients coming on to the system already have software that supports Atmos. For example, if a customer has CommVault, they can archive and back-up to Atmos straight away. Many EMC customers can also just plug and play.”
Atmos is designed to be accessed over the web and to be multi-tenanted. Each tenant’s data is stored and managed as objects according to policies for access, security and replication.
van Dinther says most clients already have the software to access the service. That appears to largely explain the difference in pricing to Gen-i’s service, which includes the software.
UPDATE: November 22
Following the original publication of this article Buer has asked for a clarification between services offered by Gen-i and FX Networks. Buer points out that these are not the same services (see comment below) and that it is not correct to directly compare prices of the two services.
“Online backup service price ($1.70 per GB per month) is contrasted with FX Network’s online storage service. Our pricing compares favourably to other online backup solutions in the market and includes all the additional online backup capabilities described above ie software client, encrypting data, automated backup and restore process, reporting, monitoring, end to end management,” Beur notes.
“We also offer an online storage option as part of our ReadyCloud Server service. This storage service is priced from 0.66c per GB (highest grade), down to 0.23c for SATA (lowest grade).
“Finally, your article states that ReadyCloud Backup has “a minimum requirement of around 500 GB”. Just to clarify, there is no minimum requirement. However, we have noticed that our average client is backing up around 500 GB each month”.
Comments
Backup Solution is essential to protect the data
PC data may crash anytime due to virus attack, mal ware &
hard disk attack. It is essential to protect the laptop with a good anti-virus software and backup solution. I am using SOS Online Backup (http://www.sosonlinebackup.com) to back up data from multiple PCs (Personal Computer / Laptop) in real time.
Posted by Randy at 3:14:39 on November 24, 2011
hard disk attack. It is essential to protect the laptop with a good anti-virus software and backup solution. I am using SOS Online Backup (http://www.sosonlinebackup.com) to back up data from multiple PCs (Personal Computer / Laptop) in real time.
Posted by Randy at 3:14:39 on November 24, 2011
Cloud Storage/Backup
Would have been interesting in your article if you were to compare these offerings with those from Amazon S3, Rackspace and perhaps AT&T. The offerings from these large providers are structured in a similar fashion. The underlying approach is to offer cloud storage for a set price of between $0.1 and $0.2 per GB per month and to overlay "value added" storage services like backup and archiving for an added cost. Their solutions also allow users of the storage service to point their existing backup software to "targets" in the cloud without having to change anything on the hosts/servers ( there is an extensive list of qualified products ). This results in users being able to use those storage services for backup without requiring any "added value" services. This is the result of EMC Atmos, Amazon and Rackspace presenting their via the REST protocol which is an open extension of HTTP.
This makes the line between backup and storage as a service rather blurry.
Posted by Anonymous at 18:57:12 on November 22, 2011
This makes the line between backup and storage as a service rather blurry.
Posted by Anonymous at 18:57:12 on November 22, 2011
Top Ranked Online Backup Service Providers
I personally recommend users to backup their data outside the country they live in. If you live in Australia, backup your data in Europe of North America.
Here are a recommended list I came across recently:
http://www.backupreview.info/category/top25/
Posted by Mary Anne at 8:34:40 on November 22, 2011
Here are a recommended list I came across recently:
http://www.backupreview.info/category/top25/
Posted by Mary Anne at 8:34:40 on November 22, 2011
Comment from Gen-i
I'm writing to make a few corrections to your online story published today titled "Gen-i and FX Networks both launch back-up services".
In the story, Randal compares Gen-i's new online backup service, ReadyCloud Backup, to a new online storage service from FX Networks based on EMC's Atmos techology.
Online storage and online backup are actually two different types of services that are often confused with each other. There are two main differences between an online storage service and an online backup service:
#*Firstly, online storage is just that, storage. It allows you to store files online so they are accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection. The majority of the services only have a web interface for you to upload files with and they do not offer much integration with your desktop or laptop computer. While there are exceptions to how you work with the services, they generally do not offer an automated process for uploading or syncing files between your computer and their service. Online storage services are often equated with having a cloud-based USB flash drive that you can access anywhere.
#*Online backup services also differ from online storage services because an online backup services' main goal is to back up the files on your computer/server and store them safely in a data centre. This is usually done with a software client that you need to download after signing up and have installed in your environment. The client software takes care of encrypting your files and uploading them. Once installed and configured the backup process is more or less automatic. Online backup services offer more features for backing up files online, such as backing up locked files, larger backup space and versioning (incremental backups).
Furthermore, in the story our online backup service price ($1.70 per GB per month) is contrasted with FX Network's online storage service. Our pricing compares favourably to other online backup solutions in the market and includes all the additional online backup capabilities described above ie software client, encrypting data, automated backup and restore process, reporting, monitoring, end to end management.
We also offer an online storage option as part of our ReadyCloud Server service. This storage service is priced from 0.66c per GB (highest grade), down to 0.23c for SATA (lowest grade).
Finally, your article states that ReadyCloud Backup has "a minimum requirement of around 500 GB". Just to clarify, there is no minimum requirement. However, we have noticed that our average client is backing up around 500 GB each month.
Leanne Buer
Gen-i Head of Networked ICT Products
Posted by Leanne Buer at 8:29:50 on November 22, 2011
In the story, Randal compares Gen-i's new online backup service, ReadyCloud Backup, to a new online storage service from FX Networks based on EMC's Atmos techology.
Online storage and online backup are actually two different types of services that are often confused with each other. There are two main differences between an online storage service and an online backup service:
#*Firstly, online storage is just that, storage. It allows you to store files online so they are accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection. The majority of the services only have a web interface for you to upload files with and they do not offer much integration with your desktop or laptop computer. While there are exceptions to how you work with the services, they generally do not offer an automated process for uploading or syncing files between your computer and their service. Online storage services are often equated with having a cloud-based USB flash drive that you can access anywhere.
#*Online backup services also differ from online storage services because an online backup services' main goal is to back up the files on your computer/server and store them safely in a data centre. This is usually done with a software client that you need to download after signing up and have installed in your environment. The client software takes care of encrypting your files and uploading them. Once installed and configured the backup process is more or less automatic. Online backup services offer more features for backing up files online, such as backing up locked files, larger backup space and versioning (incremental backups).
Furthermore, in the story our online backup service price ($1.70 per GB per month) is contrasted with FX Network's online storage service. Our pricing compares favourably to other online backup solutions in the market and includes all the additional online backup capabilities described above ie software client, encrypting data, automated backup and restore process, reporting, monitoring, end to end management.
We also offer an online storage option as part of our ReadyCloud Server service. This storage service is priced from 0.66c per GB (highest grade), down to 0.23c for SATA (lowest grade).
Finally, your article states that ReadyCloud Backup has "a minimum requirement of around 500 GB". Just to clarify, there is no minimum requirement. However, we have noticed that our average client is backing up around 500 GB each month.
Leanne Buer
Gen-i Head of Networked ICT Products
Posted by Leanne Buer at 8:29:50 on November 22, 2011
The true cost of Online Backup
Why all the hype around one service that starts at a $1.70 and a second service that is just selling online disk space when others like Black Box Backup (B3) offer a full service offering through its Reseller community on a subscriptiuon model with no hidden extra's. There is no minmums and all components including software are inclusive and it is hosted in the top data data centres in NZ with geogrpahic mirroring. All of this for around a $1.00 GB or less retail.
Posted by Anonymous at 16:56:24 on November 21, 2011
Posted by Anonymous at 16:56:24 on November 21, 2011
The true cost of Online Backup
Funnily enough FX are listed as a reseller on B3's website. Guess that shows what FX think of the B3 service!
Posted by Anonymous at 21:31:29 on November 21, 2011
Posted by Anonymous at 21:31:29 on November 21, 2011
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