Critical Importance of DRaaS for your Business for Now and the Future

<

It is a pattern which repeats itself year after year. From monsoons to floods to earthquakes, disasters are common to India. A 2018 UN report estimated that India has been among the top five countries with disaster-related economic losses of more than $79.5 billion in the last twenty years. India is also the 14th most vulnerable country in the world, according to the 2019 Global Climate Risk Index report.

Given this context, a robust disaster recovery process is absolutely vital, as the survival of the organization depends on it. In the current times, this is even more critical, as the Covid 19 crisis has enforced many more limitations with respect to physical access. Hence, irrespective of the size, every organization today needs a digital component. The cost of downtime in a digital age can be disastrous as it can shut down the ability of the business to deliver services to its end customers.

Traditional DR involves a huge number of steps, and is not only expensive, but also complex to execute. Firstly, setting up an alternate DR site requires enterprises to invest in acquiring the required space and the associated infrastructure (power, cooling, IT equipment) and manpower. Configuring the required infrastructure is also a complex process, as every component of the infrastructure has to be ready for deployment. This requires testing networks, software, hardware and applications. Data backup is also a tedious process. For example, if the backup medium is tape, then the tapes have to be delivered to the secondary DR site in the event of a disaster. Further, applications have to be patched with the latest updates and the network has to be configured to match the required specifications (firewall rules, authentication, DNS settings). Even if there is a small failure in one of the steps, then it stalls the entire recovery process. In the goal towards achieving DR compliance, organizations choose the DR strategy depending on the business risk. For example, the faster the recovery time needed, the more expensive is the solution. If the recovery time is slower, the cheaper is the solution. Hence, there is always a trade off between the benefit and the cost

How DRaaS can help?

Thanks to the cloud, DRaaS has emerged as a powerful option. DRaaS can help enterprises
overcome all the issues that are present with traditional DR.
Here is how

1. Faster recovery time: 

IT infrastructure components such as the operating system, application data and related patches can be quickly copied to the offsite DR site and be made live in a shorter period of time.

2. Efficient recovery: 

As every process is automated, replication is extremely efficient when compared to manual processes, which can have the probability of errors. Further, due to lower costs, organizations can test the reliability of their DR process more often, than they could have done using a traditional process. As the frequency of testing increases, it increases the accuracy, as organizations understand the gaps in their process, and can also determine the time taken for gauging how quickly critical workloads can be recovered in case of a disaster.

3. Lower TCO:

A pay-per-use model allows enterprises to pay only for actual usage. Enterprises only have to pay when data transfer takes place between the primary and

secondary site.

4. Lower upfront investment:

The cloud has levelled the playing field for even smaller organizations, as there is zero capital investment, and an enterprise has to only pay when the cloud option is used

5. Anywhere access:

The ability to access information from any part of the globe gives DRaaS a massive advantage. As the information is stored in the cloud, a DR process can be fired from anywhere in the world by just using a smartphone or a laptop. This is of huge advantage in the current situation, where organizations have been forced to cut down their manpower visiting their data centers. Today, DRaaS gives organizations the capability to shift the operations to a remote DR site quickly.

In an environment that demands an always-on infrastructure, DRaaS is a must have option today, as it gives enterprises the confidence and the ability to bounce back quickly in case of any disaster.

How Cloud Computing Helps You Run the Business Remotely

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, remote working has become our savior. Saving millions of jobs, remote working is gradually becoming a norm.

The concept of remote working is not new especially for small businesses. It has lurked in a threadbare cloak for ages. According to a recent study by Buffer, 99% of the employees are willing to work remotely at some point in their careers. Given the current scenarios, this concept is becoming the norm. But is that even possible? Is remote working a new work culture? If so how will the company grow? There are a plethora of questions that come along with remote work policy.

However, owing to the benefits it comes with, remote working is establishing itself as an effective business policy. Let’s gain some more insight regarding remote working and how cloud computing can aid in the new norm.

1. Why Do People Prefer Remote Working?
   We all have realized the value of time and prefer to be flexible in managing it. People wish to have a better handle on their personal and professional lives. They need some flexibility, be it a wish to go to the doctor or pick their kids from school along with managing their work hours.
   Entrepreneurs feel the need to access their data from any location. They can save a substantial amount of time and can be more productive if they don’t have to come to office. Not only businessmen but employers too can benefit from work from home policy. Employees have shown to be more productive when allowed to work remotely. Increased employee satisfaction rates mean better retaining rates. Keeping the fact in mind that new joiners take some time to reach the desired satisfaction rate, remote working policy proves itself to be useful.
2. Testing the Waters
   The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the waters across the globe with everyone working from their homes. This is the perfect opportunity for small businesses to introduce a remote working policy.
   Not only employers but it is also a great time for employers to ascertain whether they are cut out for remote working. Some employees may feel that they are more productive when they are in the office. Of course, this too shall pass and hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon.
3. How Cloud Computing Empowers Remote Working
   Ever wondered how MNCs function with teams scattered across different parts of the world? Thankfully cloud computing has allowed employees to access their data through their mobile phones, attend video conferences from the comfort of their homes, and manage their ongoing projects even from Timbuktoo. The days when employees had to be glued to their systems to be productive are behind us.

Cloud computing is becoming a valuable asset to increase employee productivity while not having to burn a hole in the pocket. Few entrepreneurs are aware of cloud computing and its benefits, the others may analyze its pros and cons before arriving at any conclusion.

Furthermore, the statistics by Gartner shows that cloud hosting is gaining popularity among businesses as they can have the best of bost worlds---cloud computing and have to work remotely with their favorite applications. Let’s have a look at the benefits of cloud computing.

• Enhanced Accessibility :
  Remote working is not a new concept for entrepreneurs. They have been at it for a long time since they spend more time with their clients than in the office. On the contrary, working from office would have resulted in loss of valuable office hours when traveling or out for a meeting with a client.
  With cloud computing here to save the day, entrepreneurs can access their data from any part of the globe and keep track of their business even while meeting a client.
• Save Space :
  Space can often be a problem especially small businesses that are often out of funds to deploy physical servers. And even those who do, face issues with finding adequate space for the server room. With cloud services, they can store their data and applications on the provider’s remote cloud infrastructure.
  Therefore, this saves the cost of deploying on-premise servers, air conditioning, bulky cables, and power supplies that are needed to ensure a smooth-running server room.
• Multiple Device Compatibility :
  Employees can work on any device for instance (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.) and operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS, etc.) if the business applications and data are hosted on the cloud. This allows employers to provide flexibility to their employees.
• Better Data Security :
  There have been multiple occasions where the local hardware has crashed with crucial information in it. But if the data is not stored on the on-premise hardware but is stored in a remote data center, the chances of data loss or theft are low.
  Furthermore, the risk of physical data breaches is also eliminated as the service providers have a dedicated cyber security team that looks over the factors like data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and the latest firewalls.
• Scalability :
  Small and medium enterprises are always in search of that one project that will boost the reputation of their firm. Regardless of the company scale, the current situation has affected each and every business to some extent. Let’s take an example where the sales team was on the verge of sealing the deal, and the whole country goes under a lockdown? If the company lacks a stable cloud computing platform they won’t have to struggle with their remote working employees.

Cloud computing enables companies to spread their operations and data storage with ease. So irrespective of the market conditions, they can move all their data to the cloud, and keep growing.

Conclusion :
Cloud computing is a great way to provide your employees with the flexibility to work from the comfort of their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are many companies that are trying their hands at remote working for the first time and are hesitant about this step; the cloud can prove to be their knight in shining armor in the current crisis.