Backup Direct SolutionsFor Public Services

Backup Direct can help public sector organisations save time and money when managing sensitive data. Our solutions portfolio includes a range of services that streamline data management processes and free up the IT administrator's time to focus on value-adding activities.

Online Backup

What is online backup?

Online backup is a method of backup which is fast being adopted by businesses throughout the UK. It involves the transfer of data from a host computer (PC, laptop, Mac or server) to secondary computer (a data centre) using the internet. The second computer is used to store copies of important data generated on the host computer. If anything bad were to happen to the host computer or the data stored on it, the backup copies of data exist in the secondary computer and can be recovered in their entirety.

How does online backup work?

To use online backup, you must install a piece of software onto the computer you wish to backup. With this software you will choose the individual files, folders or databases that you would like to protect. When the software performs a backup, it encrypts the selected data stored on the host machine and then transfers it over a secure internet portal to the data centre.

If you ever experience a problem with your host machine and lose some data, you simply login to the data centre and recover the files you need back. You can do this with the software itself, or through an online portal accessed through a standard web-browser.

What are the benefits of online backup?

• Online backup is automated. A user simply selects the files or folders they would like to regularly backup and sets a schedule for when their backups should run. It means that a backup will be carried out consistently everyday – and any data that is recovered will be recent.
• Online backup is secure. As a replacement for USB drives and external hard-disks, an online backup solution means that data is not carried around separately from the host machine. All data is encrypted to military-grade standards inside the data centres which removes risk of exposure and ensures data protection compliance.
• Online backup is simple. You manage your backups through easy-to-use software with 'point and click' functionality. With group backup policies, a single administrator can manage the backup of multiple computers in a community from a remote location. It means those responsible for the protection of data can remain in control of it and no longer worry about user non-compliance.