Advantages of cloud-based business continuity planning

Business continuity has moved to the cloud. Compared with manual backup systems and conventional disaster recovery methods, a cloud-based business continuity plan (BCP) offers a more efficient and cheaper solution to getting your business up and running quickly while reducing potential liabilities in the event of a data breach or other kinds of disaster.

Here are some elements that make a cloud-based business continuity solution stand out from traditional methods.

Scalable and flexible

Some cloud services are usually offered on pay-as-you-go rates, an option that’s more affordable and more scalable. This means that even small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) should be able to customize a business continuity solution by selecting only services for their current needs and scaling up or down as business needs change.

Compared to on-site alternatives, cloud services are also more flexible in terms of letting you choose which data to move to the cloud. For instance, you can choose to store only the most critical applications in the cloud, which tends to have better security, while less critical data can be stored on in-house servers.

You can also configure cloud architecture to suit your business. Do you need the high-level security and greater control that comes with a private cloud deployment? Or do you need the cost-effectiveness and ease of use of a public cloud? Perhaps a hybrid solution that combines the best of both worlds is the best option. Whatever it is, the cloud allows you to explore the most efficient and agile option for your organization.

Cost-effectiveness

Cloud-based business continuity eliminates expenses tied to on-premises solutions such as on-site hardware and building costs, physical security, and server technicians required for storage, backup, and disaster recovery. Any organization that attempts to develop a BCP without the cloud faces not only these large upfront investments, but high monthly bills as well.

Moreover, cloud-based business continuity allows more efficient use of your assets by reallocating critical resources toward core competencies. For instance, your highly paid IT personnel tasked with business continuity can pass the burden to a cloud services provider like Netquest. Your in-house IT can then focus on tasks that give the company a competitive advantage, like improving customer service systems.

Seamless backup

You can’t have a business continuity solution without proper data backup. Cloud-based data backup features 99% reliability, meaning the chance of backup failure and data loss is minimal to none. Your data is stored in multiple places via the cloud so that there is no single point of failure. This is better than conventional backup options such as tapes, disks, or flash drives.

Cloud-based backup gives you multiple data centers in the cloud. Data is seamlessly and automatically backed up to those data centers at all hours of the day, without ever disrupting your business. Backup of your data and critical applications is not limited by location and geography. All your organization needs is an internet connection.

Minimized downtime

Compared to conventional methods, cloud-based DR achieves more aggressive recovery point objectives and recovery time objectives with the help of data replication technologies and automated recovery. In other words, the cloud-based DR allows you to set quicker recovery times to minimize the amount of downtime like never before.

Quicker recovery

Since the cloud makes replicating data to many locations easy, it should be just as easy to retrieve that data and restore business in the event of a cyberattack or other kinds of disaster.

Your employees can simply connect to the cloud from anywhere, using any device, to access and retrieve backed-up business data. Whether it’s from home, hotels, or convention centers, the cloud will restore business bata even if offices are out of commission.

Secure DR

Easily accessible data must also be secure. Security protocols include keeping access limited through proper authentication procedures and encrypting data while it’s in storage or while it’s being transferred to an employee’s device.

Simplified DR testing

The only way to be certain that your organization’s DR resources are going to work correctly is to perform regular testing. This is so much easier because the cloud completely eliminates the need to have dedicated standby hardware for the testing process. Instead of investing in testing resources, your organization can rely on the cloud provider’s network, computer, and storage resources with a few clicks. It reduces complexity and amount of time in the process by completely automating it.

Whatever your business continuity needs, cloud-based options should factor into the answer. At Netquest, we can act as a strategic technology partner to help you choose the best cloud services and customize a solution to your IT plan and business needs. Get in touch with us today.