As data creation continues to accelerate, the associated storage and backup needs continue to skyrocket. But where is all that data being stored and protected? Increasingly, the answer involves cloud-based systems, according to a recent survey and report from Unitrends, the backup and disaster recovery company that Kaseya acquired earlier this year.
Among the findings from the State of Cloud and Data Protection 2018 report:
1. Data growth is climbing at exponential rates.
Not only are we collecting more data through IoT devices and other collectors, but the size of our data files is also increasing. This year, 27% of the respondents reported having over 100TB of data, which is more than double the percentage from 2016.
2. Data loss is still a problem: Although we have a plethora of technology available to prevent this problem, over the last three years the survey has shown that the percentage of companies that have experienced data loss has not changed at all. For each of the three years the survey has been conducted, 30% of the respondents reported they had some form of data loss in that year. Causes for the data loss can range from ransomware, natural disasters, and more.
3. More businesses are testing their disaster recovery solutions: With so many ransomware attacks and other forms of data loss, companies are learning that just putting a disaster recovery plan in place will not ensure the ability to recover from a disaster. Frequent testing of disaster recovery solutions is important, and businesses are getting on board.
According to the report, there was a 46% increase in companies reporting that they test every month and 7% increase in companies testing every quarter. Today a full 75% report at least annual DR testing vs. just 64% in 2016.
4. The cloud is changing backup solutions: As many companies move their entire infrastructure to the cloud, it is obvious that the backup solutions would also move to the cloud. The survey showed that even businesses that still have onsite infrastructure are relying less on physical media for their backups, and hosting backups in the cloud. The cost of physical storage, storing the physical media, and transportation to offsite locations is fueling this shift. The survey reports that more organizations are storing backups in the cloud (36%) than using physical media (disk to tape, removable, tape) combined (31%). The cost of cloud storage has declined over the last few years and organizations are taking advantage of it to make cloud the most widely used long-term retention option in 2018.
5. Cloud use for disaster recovery increased: Since more companies are relying on the cloud for backups, they are also now trusting cloud solutions for further data protection and business continuity. The survey says 22% more companies use the cloud for DR /BC now than they did in 2016.
6. Acceptance of the cloud has increased: Anyone who has been paying attention lately should be able to predict that the survey found that even those who are not currently using the cloud are planning to do so in the near future. In 2016, 55% of respondents said they had no plans to use the cloud, and that number has dropped significantly to less than 35%.
7. Cost is the main reason people are still avoiding the cloud: While several years ago, most were concerned with the technology behind the cloud services and were not ready to trust it with critical business data. Most of those concerns have diminished as the technology becomes more mainstream. In 2018 the main reason companies are not utilizing the cloud is cost, according to 19% of the respondents, followed by security concerns (13% percent).
Overall, as storage requirements climb, cloud solutions appear to be attracting more interest and adoption.
