Cox Business Expands Data Portfolio with Online Backup

Cox Business offers cost-conscious companies in Roanoke and Hampton Roads regions of Virginia an online backup service, with a planned service expansion in 2010.

Cox Business, a division of broadband communications giant Cox Communications, announced that it is extending its data services portfolio to include online backup capabilities in the Roanoke and Hampton Roads regions of Virginia. Cox Business Online Backup service automatically backs up business files to secure data centers in order to help small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) be protected in the event of PC file corruption, accidental deletion or hardware failure caused by human error or unforeseen disaster.

Cox Business is teaming with Mozy, a service from Decho Corporation, an EMC company, to provide business-class, secure, online backup capabilities at no additional charge to Cox Business Internet subscribers. Businesses will receive between 2 GB and 10 GB of online backup storage space, based on their speed of Internet service and can purchase additional capacity if needed. Cox Business Online Backup is also available a la carte for businesses that are not currently Cox Business Internet subscribers. Cox Business Online Backup is available starting this month in Roanoke and Hampton Roads, and will launch in additional Cox markets in 2010.

To activate Cox Business Online Backup, Cox Business Internet customers login to MyAccount, the Cox Business account management portal, to download software and select backup files and frequency preferences. Online Backup automatically saves duplicate copies of files hourly, daily, monthly and/or manually, providing businesses peace of mind that their data is secure. The new feature also allows businesses to view and download their files from any location with PC and Internet access.

"Cox Business Online Backup powered by Mozy provides the security and flexibility indicative of a business solution and is a compelling alternative to external hard drives and stacks of CDs cluttering the desktop," said Michael Braham, vice president Cox Business. "Cox Business is taking another important step in combining business-class broadband speed and applications."

Cox Business Online Backup includes 448-bit Blowfish local file encryption and copies are moved to the online backup servers using 128-bit SSL encryption, the industry standard for safe and secure data transfer. Backed-up files are stored in Mozy data centers with 24/7/365 onsite monitoring and security, fire detection and suppression systems, redundant power distribution units and seismic safeguards that are designed to withstanda 7.5 magnitude earthquake.

"According to IDC research, about two thirds of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) either currently use or plan to use online backup services -- and online storage is the number one area where these businesses indicate they will increase investment over the next two years," said Matt Davis, director of consumer and SMB telecom services for research firm IDC. "Cox is offering this service as a value added feature on its already competitive high-speed business Internet products, a combination we believe these companies will find extremely attractive."