More and more small businesses are considering offsite backups – with good reason! Our data backup best practices indicate that you should have both an onsite and offsite data backup. Mozy Pro is an offsite only solution. Several small business customers have asked me about the popular Mozy Pro service from EMC. So here’s my take on it in terms of suitability.
I think Mozy has a good offering, but due to the fact that there is no onsite backup, I can’t recommend it. Trying to download large amounts of data over the Internet in the midst of a disaster just isn’t my cup of tea. Further, I think it’s too complex for most small businesses.
You see, many small businesses underestimate the complexity of data backup. The majority of non-technical business owners feel that backing up is as simple as copying data from one place to another. Most marketing campaigns are geared toward convincing small business owners that “anyone can do it”.
Backing up servers a very different from backing up some documents stored on a PC. Backing up servers involves the precise and specialized backup of files that need to be in use 24-hours a day. Server backup also entails backing up your user database (Windows Active Directory) and several other live databases such as SQL and Microsoft Exchange Server (e-mail). Does Mozy Pro support Active Directory, SQL and Microsoft Exchange backups? Yes, they do. Is a small business owner or his/her delegate best suited to implement, monitor, maintain and restore these backups? Probably not.
But don’t take my word for it. Picture yourself in the midst of a data loss crisis, and click on the following links below to see some of the documentation from the Mozy Pro. If any of it makes you uncomfortable or appears complicated, you should probably trust your backups to a local, trusted IT advisor.
Daniel Haurey Jr. is the president and founder of managed IT services provider Exigent Technologies, which he founded in 1997. Under his leadership, the MSP has earned accolades ranging from Channel Futures MSP 501 to being named SonicWall’s 2024 MSP Growth Partner of the Year. Dan is a true entrepreneur, dedicated to growing, investing in, and mentoring small businesses. You can find him on LinkedIn, where he regularly posts about technology, business, leadership, and community.