Backup-as-a-Service Is The Key To A Globalized Business' Success

By Lex Boost, Leaseweb USA

Companies are still looking to expand in 2021, despite the ongoing pandemic. The market demand for connectivity and bandwidth will lead enterprises that already had expansion on the mind to move to regions that have prioritized connectivity - such as China, other Asian-Pacific countries, and parts of Europe. 

With spending under scrutiny, many organizations might be hesitant to make the jump into new territory. However, globalization offers several benefits such as increased capital flow, access to more diverse markets, better products at lower prices, and a more diverse workforce. These factors could be the key competitive advantage for companies looking to stand out in aggressive markets. 

For enterprises considering expansion, hybrid cloud is a crucial component of the infrastructure needed because it enables companies to procure flexible capacity when developing in a new region. Once revenue begins to come in, organizations can then begin to evaluate what the best solution is for their long-term needs. Selecting an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) provider to assist in your needs can greatly reduce the anxiety of expanding into new territory. When looking for the right partner, it’s crucial to find someone that offers an easy transition from hybrid cloud orchestration to various combinations of infrastructure setups. This will allow your organization to meet long term needs as you expand. It is also crucial to choose a vendor that provides backup-as-a-service (BaaS). 

According to Spiceworks’ annual State of IT report, backup solutions are expected to hold one of the top spots in hosted and cloud services spend in 2021 — and for good reason. Organizations with an integrated backup solution can ensure long-term viability. 

Below, we outline the role IaaS providers who have BaaS as part of their offerings plays in business continuity for globalized organizations, as well as some considerations to take when evaluating a backup service. 

The Role Backup Plays In The Success Of Globalized Businesses 

The transition from a single-region shop to a global enterprise can be daunting. While core processes and protocols remain the same, brand new staff and IT infrastructure can lead to an increase in stress for an organization. Business leaders should not have to worry about a natural disaster or other unplanned events—such as a cyberattack or employee mistake—wiping out mission-critical data. 

Backup plays a key role in ensuring business continuity in the beginning stages of a new office or operation center. Having on-premise backup solutions may help alleviate the risk of a disruption halting business, but utilizing the cloud can provide even greater protection for an organization going global. It is imperative to have a plan that is fluid and can grow as the organization does, which is why more and more organizations are turning to cloud-based BaaS solutions. The cloud-based systems create another layer of protection in the event of a disaster, ensuring globalization plans can go smoothly. 

Considerations When Evaluating An IaaS Provider With BaaS Offerings 

Organizations need to guarantee the protection and proper management of their data now more than ever before. With companies expected to continue their digital transformation initiatives and deploy cloud services in new locations in 2021, businesses must know the qualities to look for when seeking out an IaaS provider with backup offerings. As the organization expands, it is important for IT teams to partner with an IaaS provider’s BaaS offering that has the following features: 

1. Visibility. The provider should have a comprehensive dashboard and ongoing monitoring and alerts so that IT teams have a complete insight into all of an organization’s data. With this awareness, IT teams can make more informed decisions on which data needs to be where to guarantee business continuity. 
2. Data Protection. The cyberthreat landscape has grown exponentially as threat actors have taken advantage of scattered security teams in the age of remote work. The IaaS provider should continually test data in backup areas to ensure uncompromised recoverability if needed for all workloads. 
3. Active Directory Support. Day-to-day operations require all users, networks, and systems to be running adequately at all times. Active Directory support allows IT teams a window into users, groups, computer accounts, and contacts, which can allow for user and computer password recovery. 
4. Flexibility. The BaaS offering should be able to scale as the organization does. Balance of resources and performance for varying types of data is key. 
5. Transparent Pricing. Securing data should not come with a guessing game for pricing. Look for a provider who can offer clear pricing information and who is not known for hiding fees on solutions. 
6. Reliability. In a crisis, an organization needs to be able to rely on their BaaS offering to make sure business is happening as usual. The IaaS provider needs to make it easy by providing an extensive range of solutions for any of the organizations’ needs as it grows. 

Digital transformation is the driving force behind some of today’s top global enterprises. To keep up with the demands and potential downfalls of digitalization, organizations must consider BaaS offerings in their strategy when looking to conquer new markets. The BaaS market has a lot of options, so it is important that businesses properly evaluate providers by looking at their success in visibility, data protection, Active Directory support, flexibility, pricing, and reliability. The right provider can drive organizations in the direction it is looking: forward. 

About The Author

Lex Boost is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Leaseweb USA. He is responsible for the development and execution of Leaseweb’s core vision and strategy across the United States. With over 20 years’ experience in the digital industry, he has gained leadership experience from a broad range of organizations and cultures, including both B2B and B2C markets, in startups, as well as large corporations.