IBM Data Protection Package (Hard+Soft) for Mid-Size Companies

Responding to the needs of the mid-sized customer for more robust and affordable information protection tools, IBM Corp. made available a new package of data protection products backed by financing from IBM Global Financing, its lending and leasing business segment.

The IBM Comprehensive Data Protection Solution Express (CDPS) includes Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack Center software, a System x Express x3550 server featuring a quad-core Intel Xeon processor, and a System Storage DS3200. Additionally, IBM offers optional support services that provide planning, implementation, installation, configuration and basic skills instruction for IBM disk systems.

The IBM Comprehensive Data Protection Solution Express helps provide continuous data protection and recovery management for Microsoft Windows operating system-supported data and applications, both in server rooms and in remote offices, from virtually any previous point in time, almost regardless of what occurred to cause the data loss. Applications and user data are restored within minutes following just about any data loss while full data recovery is performed in the background.

"More and more companies understand the downside of not having sufficient data protection. Especially with many companies reducing staff, the ability to monitor and ensure critical customer information is backed up becomes a greater challenge," said Mark Wyllie, CEO of Flagship Solutions Group, an Advanced IBM Business Partner. "This offering from IBM provides that ‘safety net’ for midsized customers."

A recent survey of mid-market companies found that 72 percent cite security as a critical IT solution priority, second only to information management. The IBM Comprehensive Data Protection Solution Express package is now available at a promotional price through the end of November of $9,500, a $6,000, or 39 percent savings. The solution can also be financed over 36 months for $298 a month through IBM Global Financing for qualified mid-market customers.

"This announcement reflects the focus IBM has on helping small- and medium-sized businesses protect their information by leveraging industry leading tools and methodologies, while still reducing operational costs and complexity," said Surjit Chana, vice president of Marketing for IBM General Business.

A second option, called the IBM ServicePac services for Remote Technical Support Services, provides virtually unlimited hardware and software phone support for System x servers, BladeCenter servers and storage devices.

"We’re seeing a widening gap between the growing need for data availability and the ability to protect and recover that data using traditional methods," Chana said. "The first step in developing a cost-effective backup and recovery plan is understanding what data is most important, and where it resides."

One area demanding close scrutiny is remote and branch offices. At many companies branch offices often store critical data about customers, suppliers and partners.

Many small and mid-size companies do not have sophisticated data management processes. This often means critical data may not be as well protected as it should be. In addition, relying on non-IT people to perform backup and recovery operations can lead to errors, and it often results in improper, ultimately futile, backups. The bottom line is that if the data isn’t correctly backed up, it can’t be recovered when something goes wrong.

Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack software is one of the only comprehensive, cost-effective solutions that helps protect and quickly recover critical business data and maintain operations following almost any type of data loss including lost or deleted files or folders, a virus attack or corrupted databases, disk or server crashes, and local or regional disasters.