EVault Blog

Featured Job: Channel Relationship Manager

May 22nd, 2013

If you’ve always wanted to be a Hollywood star – a channel sales star - this week’s featured job is made for you! EVault talent scouts are on the hunt for a Channel Relationship Manager for our Sales team for the Los Angeles region. This rising star will manage enterprise channel accounts, work with sales reps, drive sales growth through those accounts, and help develop and implement sales strategies for increasing sales production and efficiencies. If you’ve got a history of success in Channel Sales and are excited by the idea of meeting (and exceeding) quotas in your assigned area, now picture yourself:

-Developing relationships with key partners for the growth of our products and services within their markets and customer base
-Contacting, visiting, training, and maintaining targeted VAR partners
-Initiating marketing programs
-Ensuring complete reseller and vertical coverage in your assigned geographic area
-Assessing and improving performance of the channel, developing sales and technical capabilities, creating sales pipeline, and improving the
accuracy of forecasting opportunities within the channel
-Providing Product Management/Marketing customer feedback on pricing, sales tools and resources to maximize channel revenue success.

Examples may include:
-On-site events
-Webinars to prospects and channel
-Co-marketing programs and mailings
-Territory/business planning with top tier partners
-Trade shows when appropriate
-Providing on-site and web-based training to increase sales effectiveness and competitive market analysis
-Providing recommendations on product improvements from Channel into Product Management organization
-Traveling as necessary within the territory (about 30% of the time)

If this sounds like your dream come true and you have over 7 years of software sales experience, excellent industry knowledge and background, the ability to work independently and with a team and a killer drive to succeed, we’d love to hear from you.

Contact us through our career page – we’re excited to hear from you!

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The Last Tape v. Disk Narrative You’ll Ever Need

May 22nd, 2013

What’s Cheaper Candles or Light Bulbs?

By David A. Chapa, Chief Technology Evangelist, office of the CTO, EVault

I recently read a commentary published on the Computerworld website entitled “Tape versus disk: The backup war exposed” (Apr 29, 2013), which caused me to shake my head and mumble to myself, “here we go again”.

You see, at the beginning of this piece, the author makes a point that most CFOs view backup and disaster recovery programs as just insurance policies, so the least expensive one is what they select. For this reason I believe the writer wrote from the perspective of cost/performance comparison of disk and tape.

I think his supposition regarding CFOs may have been true in the 1980s but not now.  Today’s CFOs are more technologically savvy and increasingly engaged with their CIO colleagues.  CFOs, good ones, know the difference between price and value, price is what you pay whereas value is what you get.

For this reason and others I stopped mumbling to myself and put pen to paper, which led to this response because I’m as tired as the next person at hearing, reading or listening to blogs, articles and lectures that compare tape to disk. So to begin the last narrative you’ll ever need about this subject I’ve collated my nearly 30 years of industry experience and know-how to offer the reader a perspective that I’m confident you’ve not heard before – a comparison of tape and disk from the perspective of candles and light bulbs.

Is tape cheaper? Probably.  Are candles cheaper than light bulbs and electricity? Again from an acquisition perspective, probably but I don’t see a mad rush of folks running out to stockpile big candles to light their homes, offices and restaurants.

Have candles died or lost their usefulness?  Absolutely NOT!  Where would birthdays or romantic dinners be without them?  And what about creating that special ambiance when the power goes out? My point, here, is that comparing these two mediums, purely on price alone makes for a ridiculous argument.

It is not just about cost, it’s also about application and what makes the most sense from an efficiency perspective.  Before going further let me provide a little background, since I did spend a good part of my career in IT as a backup admin.

In my experience, disk has for a long, long time been used as a backup medium – maybe as long as tape itself.

  • In a role I had back in the late-80s I managed backup operations writing to 288MB disk packs and a series of 9-track tapes on a reel to reel drive, both disk and tape.
  • In the mid-90s I worked for a market leader in backup and recovery software targeting the UNIX market. We sold two flavors of the solution, a basic config that backed up to disk or an advanced configuration that supported both disk and tape.
  • Enter Y2K and the need for speed. Tape drives could not keep up and backup windows were being missed, so we multiplexed or interleaved data onto tape from multiple sources to take advantage of streaming.  Where we failed was on the recovery side.  It took 2-5x as long to recover a system when its backup was intermixed with other client data.

It was about this time that I started to see a shift happen in IT environments.  Tape was being moved further to the right of the technology timeline, making room for disk.

Disk, being a random access medium was quite versatile for the backup admin.  She could backup the required data to disk then begin making copies of that data to tape for offsite storage.  If during this copy process a restore request came in for data within the same set being copied to tape it was no problem.  Again a random access medium is just that – random.  She could satisfy both requests simultaneously.  You cannot do that with tape – a sequential medium.

The problem with using disk for 100% of your backup is the need to have enough storage to protect your active data. This presented a big budgetary problem for IT until deduplication entered the fray and offered IT an opportunity to backup to disk without needing to purchase 1:1 storage.  Deduplication would advertise 10:1, 15:1 or 20:1 in capacity optimized storage.

Between 1997 and 2003 I worked as a data protection consultant working with end users, solution providers, and vendors, to help identify where the market was heading and what features were needed to stay ahead of it.  I always stressed the importance of using the right technology for the right purpose; hence my aforementioned candles v. light bulb and defense of today’s CFOs references.

According to Jason Buffington, a Senior Analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, (ESG) and author of “Data Protection for Virtual Data Centers”, the best piece of advice he received around this topic was at a Gartner CFO conference from someone who had attended the ROI breakout.  “…if a significant proposal was submitted for review and it had a TCO projection and ROI analysis on its first submission, it would be approved over 40% more often than those that did not have those calculations.”

He makes very good points in his book around TCO and ROI.  In particular is his methodology for calculating ROI, which I have used, myself, for many years. Very simply, as Buffington states, ROI is a comparison of one’s BIA (business impact analysis – what does it COST to do nothing to problem X) to TCO (what it costs to solve problem X).

According to a 2013 CW Forecast Survey, 64% of the respondents expect to make a major IT investment in the next 12 months, so I would suppose these IT executives won’t be looking for the most inexpensive solution but rather one with the greatest value to the organization.

Through its ‘Research Report: 2013 IT Spending Intentions Survey’, ESG also reveals the top three business initiatives to impact IT spend in the next 12 months:

  1. Cost Reduction Initiatives: 43%
  2. Business Process Improvement: 31%
  3. Security/Risk Management Initiatives: 31%

Admittedly, this is the long-way of saying that I disagree with the (Computerworld) author’s depiction of CFOs today.  This “backup war” that he refers to is much greater than the most inexpensive solution; it is about real solution value.

Question: So, what is the value you need/expect from your solution?
Answer this and I believe you will be well on your way to identifying the best fit for your organization.

I could spend a lot time addressing this issue with charts and graphs illustrating how disk compares to tape but to accelerate the process one needs only to ask themselves the “price v. value” question, which is the very same question CFOs will ask when a proposal, to upgrade the data protection solution, lands on her desk.

Most customers I talk to, today, express the need for fast recovery in the event a file is deleted or corrupted. The other expressed need is for a Disaster Recovery (DR) copy to be sent offsite as soon as possible.   I suggest you follow up, as I always do, by asking the customer to define what ‘fast’ and ‘as soon as possible’ mean.  Having this additional information will allow you to better understand the value expectations.

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, ‘as soon as possible’ meant the next day, morning preferably, whereas ‘fast’ meant within an hour or two. At that time, many ROI decisions were based on the methodology, referenced earlier in this piece.  I suggest you follow up, as I always do, by asking the customer to define what ‘fast’ and ‘as soon as possible’ mean.  Having this additional information will allow you to better understand the value expectations. In some cases, based on the ROI, some customers resolved to a 24 hour offsite window for the DR copy and a one or two hour recovery time objective with a 24 hour recovery point objective.

Today, however, it makes perfectly good financial sense to look at capacity optimized disk based backup solutions with replication to solve problems that most customers are facing with fast recovery and offsite copy as soon as possible.  In fact, many customers are now looking at cloud services to help offset costs and handling for its data protection strategy and solution.  ESG reports 71% of customers in a recent survey indicated an increase in budget spend on cloud services for 2013.

What I don’t understand in this Computerworld commentary is why the author’s comparison of Tape to Virtual Tape Libraries (VTL – disk presented as tape drives, cartridges and tape library automation). This is not a good comparison if you take the title of the piece seriously.

When you choose backup to disk you eliminate many of the additional costs associated with tape, (virtual or physical), such as licenses needed to pay to your favorite backup vendor.  When you choose a capacity optimized disk solution that is also Cloud Connected you eliminate the additional power and cooling required onsite (smaller onsite disk repository for the most recent data required for recovery).  You further reduce the management overhead and increase overall operational efficiency.  For growing businesses, a software as a service, (SaaS) model for data protection may be a better overall option.

In his closing remarks the author of the Computerworld piece makes another point regarding standalone drives. He’s “sure the CFO will not care that someone needs to be onsite all weekend managing tapes”, to which I reply bullocks!  Based on my first hand experience with C-level executives, the research from ESG and the survey cited from Computerworld, I conclude that CFOs do care. Having someone spend a weekend flipping tapes does not make for an improved business process for IT.

In the end don’t take my word for it – take a serious look at the price v. value of disk and tape to see if the solution will meet your expectations, because ultimately it is about what is best for you, your organization and your requirements.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a storm heading my way so I need to flip on the light switch and find those candles I put away in case we lose power.

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EVault is a Storage Awards 2013 Finalist

May 21st, 2013

About a month ago EVault’s Andy Brewerton blogged about our nomination for a Data Centre Solutions Award. For 2nd time in about a month we’ve learned about yet another nomination – this time as a finalist in this year’s Storage Awards. Specifically, thanks to the voters’ support for EVault Endpoint Protection, EVault has made it to the final round in the Cloud Enabler of the Year category. We are obviously thrilled as our best in class technology and services gain further, rightful recognition within the backup and Disaster Recovery, DR, community.

The title ‘Cloud Enabler’ suits our Endpoint Protection product perfectly. As those of you who voted will know, this is a product that offers businesses a comprehensive solution for integrated backup, recovery and data security in laptops and desktops. It empowers the mobile workforce, gives businesses data security confidence, and ensures data’s recoverable. In a world where the use of endpoint devices are the rise, and laptops and tablets are frequently lost and stolen, our Endpoint Protection is essential for preventing data loss and its associated costs. Read More »

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Oklahoma

May 21st, 2013

As a business EVault exists to safeguard and recover data but first and foremost we are a company of people. When the level of devastation reaches that being witnessed this morning in Oklahoma our focus turns to compassion for those effected.

#oklahoma #tornado

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EVault’s Plug-n-Protect All-in-One Backup Appliance – Discounted Until June 30th

May 20th, 2013

The next-generation version of the industry-leading all-in-one backup appliance is here—and you can get it at a terrific discount through June 30.

EVault’s Plug-n-Protect all-in-one backup appliance is already your fastest on-ramp to the cloud, and now it has been completely redesigned to give you:

- Unlimited agent and plug-in licensing for streamlined management
- Easy scalability; many models come with additional hard drives—up to 24 TB
- A significantly smaller and neater footprint
- 30 percent lower power consumption Read More »

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Like EVault’s Blog? Then You’ll Love Our Newsletter

May 17th, 2013

Over the past year EVault has become a prolific content developer and publisher – but what would you expect from a company that has, over its 16 years, worked with 43,000 customers and had 150+ Petabytes (PB) of data under management?

Our blog hosts insight from our industry as well as from various departments within our ever-expanding and diversifying organization. We especially like sharing thoughts and opinions from and about our partners and customers . Despite this we recognize that each of you likes to get content your own way – while some like reading detailed data sheets and case studies others prefer 500 word blogs. Still, others are partial to our YouTube videos and/or regular newsletters.

EVault aims to please so this blog installment is a mashup with our newsletter….kind of like a ‘blewsletter’ or a ‘newsog’. No matter what you call it, make sure you’re getting your EVault content your way by visiting our Subscription Center.

Now, here’s what’s going on… Read More »

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EVault Increases US Reach Through Partnership with Unitiv

May 16th, 2013

In the northern suburbs of Atlanta, GA is Alpharetta, which plays host to a who’s who list of tech-based organizations. Among its ranks is Unitiv, Inc. a provider of enterprise IT solutions, which, from its Alpharetta base, delivers its services across the US.

Unitiv differentiates itself through an approach that focuses on three core components: People, Products, and Processes. The People to advise and support customers. The Products to design and build solutions. The Processes to govern and manage post-implementation operations.

Supporting these of attributes is a new partnership with EVault. Read More »

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EVault Expands Asia Pac Presence Through Partnership with TVC in Singapore

May 15th, 2013

Situated less than 100 miles north of the equator is the Southeast Asian island city-state of Singapore.  With a population of over 5 million Singapore has been named, by The World Bank, the easiest place in the world to do business, which may explain why it hosts the world’s fourth leading financial center.

Being a technically advanced country Singapore is a great hub for developers, sellers and users of a wide variety of information technology (IT) infrastructure and solutions.

Since 1995, TVC Pte Ltd, TVC, has established itself as a provider of such solutions. Serving all of Singapore, TVC focuses on IT process improvement and business process outsourcing. Among its specialties are the infrastructure needs of the region’s legal community as well as Interactive Voice Response Systems (IVR) and SMS systems and solutions.

Now, we are very pleased to announce TVC is broadening its portfolio through a partnership with EVault. Read More »

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EVault Survey – In France Backup Testing in the Cloud Era: Still As Useful As Ever

May 14th, 2013

As part of our series from EVault’s Second Annual Cloud-Connected Backup and Recovery Survey this post dives deeper into the French research findings.

EVault’s Second Annual Cloud-Connected Backup and Recovery Survey reveals that the French are the most likely to test backup environments on a regular basis.

Organizations understand the impact of data loss to their overall business: 40% of French companies admit to having lost revenue due to data loss. However, it appears investing in recovering data that was lost during a disaster is not yet an instinct for some markets.

Although 78% of French businesses invest in disaster recovery plans, the figure falls short compared to Germany at 89% or the US at 91%. Like the other countries in our survey, choosing a data recovery plan in France relies on two core issues: reliability in recovering data, 46% and recovering it quickly once a disaster has occurred, 23%, a growing trend discussed in a separate blog post. Read More »

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The Data Storm Is Coming – Get Your Umbrella

May 13th, 2013

By Brenda Caine, EVault Marketing Programs Manager


How complicated can life get before we all just throw up our hands and say, “I just can’t do this anymore”?

For me, if I get all the pressing things done like paying the bills, going to the dentist, or doing the laundry, I still seem to have a long list of all those little things that I know need to get done, but I just can’t figure out when or how. Like going through the pile of papers that keeps growing in the corner. Or really cleaning the refrigerator. Or emptying my toaster’s crumb tray. As for that last item, I know there’s a kitchen fire in my future. Read More »

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