Perhaps you’re a US vendor looking to contract with a backup provider in Europe. Or, maybe you’re a UK company considering a backup solution based in Canada or Asia. What do you need to know? There are both pros and cons of choosing a vendor outside your country. For one, your backup data is not likely to be hit with any natural disasters or terrorist attacks that hit your home nation. But there are security and regulations considerations. Before you decide, take some time to consider the benefits, as well as the challenges, associated with selecting a foreign cloud backup vendor.
1. Distance Affects Transfer Speed and Quality
Long distance data transfer can take longer, and may result in a loss of data quality. However, the farther away your backup vendor is from your facilities, the safer it is from any disaster that takes out your primary systems. It’s a worthwhile trade-off.
Realistically, the current technology allows for data to be transferred only so much distance before it begins to lose quality. Additionally, backing up to a site that’s a considerable distance away will cause latency, meaning it takes longer to back up and longer to restore, when that function is needed.
2. Be Aware of Linguistic Challenges
Before hiring a vendor, make sure that their customer service and technical support staff is able to speak fluently in your language. When dealing with certain high-tech situations, the terminology can be hard to understand, even among native speakers. Be sure that you and the vendor’s staff can communicate readily.
3. Ask to See and Try the Interface
This issue isn’t limited to foreign vendors; any vendor can offer a system that isn’t intuitive or easy to use. Try out the interface for yourself. Make sure you and your staff can learn it quickly and that it makes backing up easier, not more difficult.
4. Make Sure the Storage is Scalable
Data volumes within almost all organizations are increasing rapidly. The storage capacity you need today likely won’t be sufficient in five years, or even two years. This is even more true if your business is dealing with big data or the IoT. Make sure the vendor you choose will be able to accommodate your growing backup storage needs.
5. Find Out What Kind of Customer & Tech Support is Offered
Be sure to ask what level of customer service and tech support comes with the package you are looking at. Also, find out what costs extra, above your monthly service charge.
Again, this issue isn’t reserved for foreign backup vendors. Ask what level of customer support and/or technical support is available with the package you’re considering. Also, find out what services would rack up additional charges if needed.
6. Learn About Their Hiring Practices & Security Measures
Securing your backups is as important as onsite security. Make sure your backup vendor has a rigorous HR process, conducts due diligence in screening potential employees, and uses the latest technologies to keep data secure. Ask about their cyber security (such as encryption and monitoring solutions), as well as the physical security of their facilities. Since it’s unlikely you will be able to inspect the foreign vendor’s facilities for yourself, asking pointed questions now will prevent a threat later.
7. Ask if They Support Your Applications
Your database isn’t the only thing that needs backing up. You also need a solution that will allow you to back up your applications and associated data. Make sure any vendor you select is able to handle those.
8. Check Your Country’s Compliance Regulations
In some countries, such as the UK, it is illegal to transport, transfer, or store consumer data outside the country’s jurisdiction. Be sure that choosing a foreign cloud backup provider does not put you at odds with any legal or industry regulations.
9. There is Safety in Distance
Whether your vendor of choice is inside or outside your native country, there is most definitely a measure of safety in choosing one that’s geographically removed from your facilities. Any disaster that hits your facilities hard enough to damage or destroy your systems probably won’t affect a cloud vendor in another region or another country. Ask about the particular whereabouts of their data center, and make sure it isn’t in a region known for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, or tsunamis. If it is, ask about what measures are in place to safeguard the data center in the event of a natural or other disaster.
Backbox offers cloud backup solutions all over the world — from the U.S. to the Middle East and Asia to Europe. Contact us to learn more today.