How to Ensure SAAS Providers Are Truly Protecting Your Data

Infrastructure requirements

It's one thing to talk the talk about data protection but it's the sturdiness of the infrastructure that ultimately walks the walk. We've already discussed the importance of inquiring about the number of active data centers, but businesses need to take the next step and request specifics on the bandwidth providers that connect each data center to the Internet. Why?

Because, by maintaining relationships with multiple telcos for bandwidth, SAAS providers are better equipped to manage service availability and performance. Additionally, utilizing different providers for each data center enables optimum routing to client endpoints and the ability to route around unexpected service issues that can occur within the Internet cloud.

In addition, businesses should seek out SAAS providers that utilize database snapshot technology. This technology compliments the benefits of having multiple data centers by automatically creating a copy of the database every hour. What’s important about this service is that in the event of a data loss, it enables the restoration of data in minutes versus the hours or days it would take from a traditional tape backup infrastructure.

Returning to business as usual

Although it's hard to accept, businesses should understand that the infrastructure of SAAS providers is not yet robust enough to guard against all security breaches and technological outages. In fact, any SAAS provider claiming immunity from such instances should automatically raise a red flag. Thus, businesses must not decide on one provider over another based on unfounded guarantees; rather, they should inquire about services that provide the most complete protection enabling a speedy return to business as usual.

With the right infrastructure and security protocols in place, a SAAS provider should be able to place a guarantee around the protection of your critical business data. All business data—whether it's one year's worth of e-mail messages or hundreds of megabytes' worth of documents—should be protected by appropriate technologies.

If proper technologies are in place, then the provider should be able to place a guarantee around the ability to restore your data after a catastrophic event. Businesses should not formulate partnerships with any SAAS providers who cannot tangibly demonstrate their ability to provide this guarantee of data protection.

Jonathan McCormick is Chief Operating Officer at Intermedia. Jonathan manages all of Intermedia's hosting operations and all operations staff. Prior to joining the Intermedia team, Jonathan was the senior vice president of operations and client services for SAVVIS, a global provider of managed hosting, network and collocation facilities. In this capacity, Jonathan was responsible for the management of all operations and customer service organizations globally. He can be reached at jmccormick@intermedia.net.