Online Backup Knowledge Base » Industry News

Online Backup Software Company Announces New Maintenance Release

rob — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:39:22 +0000

Remote Backup Systems, leading supplier of software for operating Online Backup Services, has released a Maintenance Release to their industry-defining RBackup Online Backup software platform. Service Providers can download the upgrade from the RBS website at http://remote-backup.com.

Version 11.2.5 is the latest in the 24 year history of Remote Backup Systems.

This release contains a few minor new features. However, its main purpose is to strengthen support for open files that are handled by Microsoft’s VSS service, and particularly for Exchange backups.

Service Providers are advised to upgrade as soon as possible to the latest version.

For more information, contact Remote Backup Systems at (901) 405-1234, sales@remote-backup.com, or the web site at http://remote-backup.com.

Remote Backup Systems Releases RBackup Version 11.2.4

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:25:49 +0000

(Memphis, TN February 9, 2011) Remote Backup Systems [www.remote-backup.com], founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced the release of its latest software upgrade, RBackup Version 11.2.4, now available as a self-hosted commercial online backup solution for MSPs, VARs and other service providers.

On its website, www.remote-backup.com, Remote Backup Systems notes that RBackup v11.2.4 is an important maintenance release that also contains new features.

The biggest enhancement is the new VSS-based (Volume Shadow Copy) Open files solution. This replaces the OFA (Open Files Agent) driver functionality in previous versions.

Other notable enhancements included in this release improve BitBackup (their sub-file level backup technology), the Remote Management module, and the Client Installer. Support for the Italian language has also been added.

Software updates and upgrades issued by Remote Backup Systems are available to registered RBS Service Providers with active support subscriptions and can be downloaded from www.remote-backup.com/download.htm.

To promote the new release, Remote Backup Systems is also offering six months of free support with paid support renewals and extensions through February 18th. Orders can be placed on the company’s website, www.remote-backup.com, or over the phone with a sales representative by calling (800) 519-7643.

“We are excited about the new release. It comes just a few days after a major upgrade of our Web Manager and E-Commerce solutions for Online Backup,” said Rob Cosgrove, founder and CEO, “And we will have more big announcements in coming weeks.”

For more information on Remote Backup Systems and its product offerings, visit the company’s website www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems

Remote Backup Systems is the global leader in turnkey Online Backup solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-three year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Rob Cosgrove’s latest book, The Online Backup Guide for Service Providers is available at Amazon.com and bookstores.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Schultenover at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Remote Backup Systems Releases Software Upgrades

Rob Cosgrove — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:33:10 +0000

(Memphis, TN February 7, 2011) Remote Backup Systems [www.remote-backup.com], founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced the release of a new version of both its Web Manager and E-Commerce plugins which include enhanced features.

Released last year, the Web Manager for RBackup v11 places virtually all of RBackup’s server controls into an easy to use web console that can be operated from any computer. Tiered logins for Admin, Group Managers, and Users allow maximum flexibility in self-service, convenience and integration. The Web Manager PlugIn also comes with a client-facing website that can be customized and branded.

The E-Commerce PlugIn for RBackup v11 integrates with the Web Manager for a complete end-to-end web based solution for user registration, billing, credit card processing, software deployment, and tiered management. Accept credit card payments through Authorize.net, Payflo Pro, PayPal, and manual processing.

“RBackup version 11 with its Web Manager and E-Commerce PlugIns now provides a complete turnkey solution for starting a fully web-based Online Backup Service at an affordable price in record time,” said Cosgrove, “a couple of hours, usually.”

A Live Demonstration Server that includes RBackup Version 11, the feature-filled Web Manager PlugIn, and the E-Commerce PlugIn is available to test drive online at www.rbs-software.com and on the company’s website, www.remote-backup.com.

During the month of February, RBS is offering a 10% discount on all RBS products with a monthly coupon code. Coupon codes can be obtained at http://www.remote-backup.com/sendcoupon.htm. Other additional offers are available to Service Providers who are ready to upgrade to RBS from certain other online backup solutions.

This software upgrade is available at no cost to RBS Service Providers who have purchased the plugin and have a current support subscription. These plugins can be purchased from Remote Backup Systems’ website as add-ons for RBackup Version 11.

For more information on Remote Backup Systems and its product offerings, visit the company’s website www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems

Remote Backup Systems is the global leader in turnkey Online Backup solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-three year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Rob Cosgrove’s latest book, The Online Backup Guide for Service Providers is available at Amazon.com and bookstores.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Schultenover at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Free Upgrade Sale – Now Through Monday

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:55:16 +0000

Get FREE Credit-Count Upgrades When You Order 100 Credits or More

Purchase any Service Provider Edition of 100-Credits or more and get double the credits at no additional charge. Your upgrade will be applied automatically.

Buy 100, get 200 - Save up to $1,000

Buy 200, get 400 - Save up to $1,530

Buy 400, get 800 - Save up to $2,120

Buy 800, get 2,000 - Save up to $4,200 (BEST VALUE)

Just order online or on the phone. Your order will automatically be upgraded to the next level.

www.remote-backup.com

(901) 405-1234 | (800) 519-7643

ORDER NOW

Mozy Halts Unlimited Backup

Rob Cosgrove — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:06:01 +0000

In a January 31 announcement on its website, Mozy’s President, Harel Kodesh, finally admitted defeat by halting Mozy’s unsustainable Unlimited backup plan. But he didn’t go down without taking an uncharacteristic desperate swing at competitors, alive and dead. After I read the article my first thought was, “Something is wrong over at Mozy.”

Rob Cosgrove, CEO Remote Backup Systems

Mozy showed up late and inexperienced to the Online Backup game in 2006 with a ridiculous offer of unlimited backup space for $4.99 per month. Shortly thereafter they suspiciously sold themselves to EMC, and then later split and became something called Decho.

Others of us in the industry saw Mozy’s Unlimited backup plan and ridiculous price as dumping artificially cheap services in our market in an attempt to seize market share before their funding ran out.

They sold a lot of accounts and muddied the water for the rest of us who priced our services reasonably enough to offer a high service level while insuring a reasonable profit.

Didn’t I predict this? Let’s check the Official RBS I-Told-You-So Meter:

Not only did Mozy drop its Unlimited service, it increased its prices. You can see the official announcement here: http://mozy.com/home/newplans/

Online Backup service providers using RBS software have not typically concentrated on the home market. It is far less profitable, and more troublesome than the business market. However, Mozy’s millions of dollars spent on advertising its “unlimited” service sometimes made our customers question our higher pricing plans and limited storage quotas.

We have always met that objection by offering higher security, Service Level Agreements, our proximity to our customers, more robust software, on-site support, and willingness to customize a backup plan for individual customers.

Now we have an additional argument: “Unlimited backup for $4.99 was an unsustainable business model and they don’t offer it anymore.”

In his announcement Mr. Kodesh took a jab at other companies still offering “unlimited” backup plans, claiming that they restrict bandwidth as data grows, “effectively choking them off,” while “Others exclude files over a certain size or exclude certain file types.”

In poor form, I thought, he also took a jab at the defunct Xdrive, HP Upline, and Mediamax, implying that they closed up shop because of the trend of consumers storing high resolution videos and pictures online.

The problem with his reasoning is that all of these companies closed long before such high resolution files were widely used. So, that isn’t the reason they closed.

This announcement sounds bitter, like an admission that Mozy’s core business model didn’t work – the model that they spent millions of dollars promoting, and on which they based their entire company. It’s just a very strange announcement.

Strange nonetheless, I am very happy to see it, and it is very good news for the rest of us. It means those of us offering Online Backup services with a high service level for a sustainable price will now have an easier time in the market.

But perhaps most importantly, the myth of unlimited backup for $4.99/month is now shattered. Hopefully other companies will follow, and the Online Backup market will stabilize at higher, more reasonable prices that allow us more profit to offer better services.

Rob Cosgrove is the President of Remote Backup Systems, founder of the Online Backup Industry, and a vocal advocate for maintaining the highest standards in Online Backup software. His latest book, the Online Backup Guide for Service Providers: How to Start and Operate an Online Backup Service, is available online now, on Amazon.com, and at bookstores.

Remote Backup Systems provides brandable, scalable software and solutions to MSPs and VARs enabling them to offer Online Backup Services.

Remote Backup Systems Releases RBackup V11.02.000

Rob Cosgrove — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:09:58 +0000

(Memphis, TN December 17, 2010) Remote Backup Systems [www.remote-backup.com], founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced the release of its latest software upgrade, RBackup Version 11.2, now available as a self-hosted commercial online backup solution for MSPs, VARs and other service providers.

Included in this maintenance release are Windows event logging, a Send Diagnostics button for the Client side eliminating the need to manually send logs and other reports to RBS for tech support, and added Support for Hungarian and French Canadian languages, as well as other various updates.

Also now available for purchase is a brandable Online Backup Estimator. The Online Backup Estimator will estimate the size of a full backup and subsequent daily backups and the time required to send them to your Server, based on the current upload speed of the Internet connection. It scans the file system using Best Practices for Include and Exclude settings and can be posted on a website to be used as a valuable professional business tool. This tool is available for purchase online at www.remote-backup.com.

In addition, Remote Backup Systems has pre-announced its development schedule for the public release of even more upgrades and products. Due out in the very near future is the highly anticipated RBSBMR, a stand-alone Bare Metal Backup/Restore utility, which will enable Service Providers to offer an onsite quick full-system DR solution as an add-on service.

Also due for release are updates for the popular Web Manager PlugIn, which places all server controls into an easy to use web console, as well as updates for the E-commerce PlugIn, both of which are already available for purchase.

“We have always prided ourselves on our aggressive commitment to ongoing development,” states RBS founder and CEO, Rob Cosgrove. “We are backup nerds with a sincere commitment to creating the most robust solution that addresses the needs and budgets of small to medium sized Service Providers.”

For more information on Remote Backup Systems and its product offerings, visit the company’s website www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Schultenover at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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November 2010 Online Backup Service Provider Survey Results

Rob Cosgrove — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:09:52 +0000

Here are the results of our Online Backup Service Provider survey that concluded on November 22, 2010. Some of the survey respondents were interviewed to provide more depth to our report.

The survey shows that most small Online Backup Service Providers service only Business computers (not Personal computers,) and store between five and fifty gigabytes of compressed data per computer. Because of compression the amount of data stored on the Service Provider’s drives is roughly equivalent to one third to one half the size of the data on the customer’s computer.

Service Providers usually charge for the native size of the data, the size of the files as they exist on the customers’ computers, pre-compression.

The per-customer data size stored with the Service Provider starts growing with new customers, then usually levels off as individual data retention policies start to decommission old files as newer versions are added to the data store.

Twenty percent of Service Providers have more than fifty paying clients. The top five percent have more than 1000 clients each. The biggest has more than 21,000 clients. Most Service Providers (53%) have between five and fifty paying clients.

The number of clients depends on how the Service Provider markets his service. Many prefer to maintain only a small number of customers, servicing a limited group that might be clients for other services such as general MSP services. These Service Providers usually charge the most, and offer the highest degree of service, which is usually personal on-site service.

Other Service Providers market their services on a wide scale through partners or direct to consumers, and have thousands of customers. These Service Providers usually charge less and offer only telephone, email, or online support.

How long have you been offering online backup services?

Forty five percent of Service Providers have been in business more than two years, with 20% of them in business from five years to more than 10.

Less than 1 year	29%
2 – 5 years	27%
1 – 2 years	20%
5 – 10 years	18%
More than 10 years	3%

How many paying clients do you have?

5 – 20	29%
Fewer than 5	27%
20 – 50	24%
50 – 100	15%
More than 1000	5%

How many Free or Trial customers do you have?

Trial accounts do not convert to live accounts at a rate that most new Service Providers expect, so most experienced Service Providers do not offer trial accounts. Trial accounts are not often used for Business customers, and almost always used with Personal customers. This is consistent with other statistics which show most Service Providers avoiding Personal accounts.

Fewer than 5	86%
20 – 50	8%
5 – 20	5%

How many of the computers you back up are Business computers, and how many are Personal?

The vast majority of Service Providers service only Business computers. They are easier to service, generate much more profit, and stay with their Online Backup Service longer (an average of 3.5 years.) Some Providers service Personal computers as a convenience. Only a few Service Providers (5%) service Personal computers in large numbers.

All are Business Computers	60%
More than 90% are Business	20%
Fewer than 10% are Business	10%
More than 50% are Business	8%

What is the average amount of storage (compressed size) used by your Personal clients?

Of the Service Providers who service Personal computers, most store between two and ten GB of data per customer.

I don’t service Personal	50%
2 – 5 GB per computer	12%
5 – 10 GB per computer	8%
10 – 20 GB per computer	6%
More than 30 GB	6%
20 – 30 GB per computer	5%

What is your average monthly billing for a Personal computer? Add base monthly fee + excess storage fees.

Unless you have thousands of customers, the market for Personal online backups is not as lucrative as the Business market. Here are the raw results from the survey.

I don’t service Personal computers	50%
$10 – $20	15%
$30 – $50	12%
$5 – $10	8%
Less than $5	6%
$20 – $30	5%
More than $50	1%

We adjusted the results for this question to remove Service Providers who do not offer service to Personal Computers. This resulted in the following numbers.

$10 – $20	31%
$30 – $50	24%
$5 – $10	17%
Less than $5	13%
$20 – $30	10%

What is the average amount of storage (compressed size) used by your Business clients?

This is a great question. This info can be used for planning expansion of your storage capacity. These gigabytes are compressed size, exactly as data files are stored on your RBS Server, which is typically 50% or less the size of the customer’s data as stored on his computer.

20 – 30 GB per computer	24%
5 – 10 GB per computer	20%
30 – 50 GB per computer	15%
More than 50 GB	13%
10 – 20 GB per computer	10%
Fewer than 2 GB	8%
2 – 5 GB per computer	5%

What is your average monthly billing for a Business computer, including Servers and Workstations? Add base monthly fee + excess storage fees.

Most Service Providers charge between $50 and $100 per month for each Business computer they service. If a customer has more than one business computer, these charges are per computer. Most Service Providers offer discounts on multiple computers.

$50 – $100	41%
$25 – $50	27%
Less than $25	12%
$100 – $200	10%
$200 – $350	6%

Remote Backup Systems provides brandable, scalable software and solutions to MSPs and VARs enabling them to offer Online Backup Services.

New from Remote Backup Systems: Leased Amazon Cloud Servers

Liz — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:25:22 +0000

Now available from RBS, dedicated leased servers hosted in the Amazon Cloud, offering another alternative to Service Providers looking to start an Online Backup service.

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems, developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup software has announced the immediate availability of fully configured Cloud Servers ready to operate commercial Online Backup services.RBS’ dedicated cloud servers can be leased for as little as $250 per month. They are hosted in Amazon’s EC2 service, and are available for 50 to more than 10,000 users. RBS technicians can install and set up a fully configured Cloud Server capable of selling Online Backup Services from a customized and branded website within one business day.

“Our customers needed a quick, complete solution with predictable pricing,” said RBS founder and CEO, Rob Cosgrove. “Our AMI (Amazon Machine Image) lets us provision a complete Online Backup Service in the cloud very quickly. Amazon’s pricing structure is a little unpredictable, but we were able to simplify it. We already have a number of Service Providers running our software successfully in Amazon EC2.”

Leased servers are complete, ready-to-run, turnkey Online Backup businesses. They include the following features:

RBackup Service Provider Edition software
Metered Credits, which enable you to pay only for what you use
A customized website
Basic Customization and Branding
The Web Manager PlugIn
The E-Commerce PlugIn
SQL for RBS Server PlugIn
Remote Helpdesk PlugIn
Installation in the Amazon Cloud
Dedicated IP Address
Basic Support

More information regarding included features and pricing can be found on the company’s website, www.remote-backup.com.

This is a subscription based service, with plans starting as low as $250/month. This service is a viable alternative for Service Providers who want to operate a fully automated Online Backup service, but do not want to purchase or maintain the hardware to do so.

For more information on Remote Backup Systems and its product offerings, visit the company’s website www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems

Remote Backup Systems offers turnkey Online Backup solutions starting at $500, capable of serving hundreds of thousands of end users. RBS is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Schultenover at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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SALE | Get 40 EXTRA Credits

Liz — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:48:01 +0000

From Now Until July 30th

Get 40 EXTRA Credits with your RBackup software purchase.

When you purchase an RBackup Service Provider Edition Pro Pack or Above (now with the Web Manager INCLUDED) from now until July 30th, we will add an additional 40 credits to your account.
Orders placed online at http://remote-backup.com will be upgraded automatically. You can also call and speak with our Sales Department at (901) 405-1234 or (800) 519-7643 to place your order over the phone.

[INSERT YOUR COMPANY NAME HERE]

Liz — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:21:20 +0000

Our readers ask us the same types of questions over and over again – certain questions that might best be answered by those who live and breathe the B2C end of the Remote Backup business model every day. So, we want to hear from you!

As a reward for your time, we will post your story on our blog for our thousands of readers to see. But wait, there’s more….

The very best stories could be chosen to be published in our next revision of the very popular RBS Book with your name and company name. (Can you say FREE advertising?)

Since 1987 the RBS Book has helped thousands of successful service providers start their businesses. As an industry defining handbook for Service Providers, it has been read by some very influential people in Online Backup today.

Send us your choice words ready for publication. Our readers would love to hear about your personal perspectives, funny anecdotes, and tales of overcoming all obstacles to reach ultimate success and we’d love to give you the opportunity to get your name out there.

The possibilities are endless, but here are some ideas to get your thoughts flowing:

What is your typical business day like? Typical month?
What were unique strategies that you implemented in your business model that set you apart from the competition?
What positive outcomes or changes for your business came from this most recent recession?
Describe a challenge you faced and the unique way that you were able to overcome it.
Why would your customers say about you or your business?
What are your plans for continual growth in the future?
If you could go back in time to when you started your business, what advice would you give yourself?

Email your stories to me at liz@remote-backup.com.

Establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Be an inspiration for others just starting out in the market. Remember that we will post your stories on our blog and the best ones could even make it into our upcoming RBS Book!

Now get to writing!

Remote Backup Systems Releases RBackup V11

Liz — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:10:05 +0000

(Memphis, TN July 8, 2010) Remote Backup Systems [www.remote-backup.com], founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced the release of a major upgrade, RBackup Version 11, now available as a self-hosted commercial online backup solution for MSPs, VARs and other service providers.

“We are extremely excited about the release of Version 11. It really is the best and most inclusive product of its kind we’ve seen on the market,” said Remote Backup Systems CEO, Rob Cosgrove. “We are particularly proud of the number of enhancements we were able to include in this release. Service Providers in the Online Backup industry will find this to be a very powerful and valuable solution. It was developed out of their own suggestions.”

One of the most notable improvements in RBackup Version 11 is the new licensing system, which deploys licenses as “credits,” and will allow Service Providers to distribute fully branded Client software at a fraction of the previous cost. RBackup v11 introduces two new client editions in addition to its industry-defining Windows Server edition. The new Windows desktop edition and the Personal edition use fewer credits than the Server edition. All three editions are standard in all RBackup purchases.

In addition to the new version of RBackup, the company announced a feature-filled Web Manager PlugIn providing full Server and user control on the web, and an integrated web based registration, recurring billing, credit card processing, and software deployment system.

Also introduced in RBackup Version 11 are per-user bandwidth throttling and free trial accounts. Free trial accounts do not deplete paid credits. Cosgrove hopes this will prove to be a valuable marketing tool for Service Providers.

For more information on Remote Backup Systems and its product offerings, visit the company’s website www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Free Webinars Scheduled to Demonstrate Latest Version of Online Backup Software

Liz — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:50:30 +0000

(Memphis, TN June 10, 2010) Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced the schedule of live, free webinar sessions to be hosted, demonstrating its latest software release, RBackup v11.

Remote Backup Systems will present live webinar sessions in the month of June, beginning June 11th. Webinars are free to attend but there are a limited number of spaces available.

The webinars will give participants a sneak peek at the latest major release from Remote Backup Systems, RBackup v11. The webinars will also cover two new and unique PlugIns that are supported by RBackup v11, the Web Manager and E-Commerce PlugIns.

The Web Manager for RBackup v11 places virtually all of RBackup’s server controls into an easy to use web console that can be operated from any computer. Tiered logins for Admin and Group Managers allow maximum flexibility in self-service, convenience and integration.

Webinars are presented by Rob Cosgrove, President of Remote Backup Systems. The webinars will be interactive and questions will be taken. Audio will be provided through participant’s computer’s speakers.

For more information about Remote Backup Systems, visit www.remote-backup.com. To read more about the webinars and signup for one, visit http://www.remote-backup.com/webinar-invitation.htm.

About Remote Backup Systems

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Schultenover at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Live Demonstrations Scheduled of New RBackup v11 Online Backup PlugIns

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:59:19 +0000

Sign up now for free interactive live demonstrations of the v11 online backup Web Manager and E-Commerce PlugIns. Live demonstrations will be held online Friday June 11 through Thursday June 17, and will last 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the time needed to cover your questions adequately.

The Web Manager for RBackup v11 places virtually all of RBackup’s server controls into an easy to use web console that can be operated from any computer. Tiered logins for Admin, Group Managers, and Users allow maximum flexibility in self-service, convenience and integration.

Click here to reserve your place.

RBackup v11 Coming Soon…

Liz — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:23:26 +0000

Most of you don’t have direct access to our hardworking developers. They prefer to work more behind the scenes, so we just keep them locked up most of the time. The reality is that our developers are some of the most hardworking dudes we know. They love the industry and take a lot of pride in our product.

For the past six months our guys have been hard at work developing our latest major release, RBackup version 11. It’s the most significant update we’ve released to the public in a long time and we are all pretty excited about it. Not that we’re over here patting ourselves on the back for a job well done or anything, we’re simply too busy for that.

Version 11 (or Version Eleven, which looks way cooler in graphics) offers a whole heck of a lot more features and upgrades than v10 could even touch. For starters, we will no longer be using our original “client” based licensing model. With the new release we will offer a new “credit system.”

Existing Service Providers please put down your weapons! This is a seamless upgrade for you! I repeat, SEAMLESS! RBS Servers will automatically be converted to the new Credits system upon installation of Version 11, and will receive 4 credits for every User license. For example, a 100-User system will become a 400-Credit system.

The licensing works by installing the Client software which uses Credits on the server, depending on the edition of the Client software installed. We will now offer three types of Client software – for Windows servers, for desktops and for personal machines. The RBS Server manages recycling Credits the same way it does Clients – deleting an account returns credits to the available pool. This allows Service Providers to distribute Client software at a fraction of the cost it is now.

Another big “TA-DAH” feature in Version 11 is the addition of free trial accounts. Free trial accounts can be very useful in marketing your service. These trial accounts will not deplete your server of paid credits, are automatically suspended after a configurable 1 to 30 days, and are limited to a maximum of 10GB.

With all new software purchases of Pro Pack Editions and higher, you will also receive our brand new Web Manager. The feature-filled Web Manager provides full Server and user control on the web. We’re also releasing a new E-Commerce PlugIn, which integrates web based registration, billing, credit card processing, and software deployment. Existing Service Providers will be able to purchase these PlugIns to integrate into their systems.

Finally, RBS will soon offer Cloud-Drive.com Cloud Mirroring. This will give you the option to mirror your RBS Server’s user data and configuration files to RBS’ Cloud-Drive service in Amazon.com’s global data centers for a small monthly fee. Your RBS Server will be mirrored over SSL to Cloud-Drive during off-peak hours, usually during the daytime. Your RBS Server can be restored from Cloud-Drive over the Internet. Cool, huh??

Our developers are anticipating a release of Version 11 later this month as beta testing has been going very well. The upgrade will be available to Service Providers with current support subscriptions and all new software purchases will be distributed with this version.

This is all great, right? OK, here’s the down side. When we release version 11, we have to raise prices. BUT, to soften the blow, we are running a 20% sale during June, and everyone who purchases during June will get the version 11 upgrade with the Web Manager at no additional charge. SO, buy your software before June 20 for a 20% discount plus the Web Manager when it is released.

Email me if you want more information. liz@remote-backup.com.

Online Backup Software Company Activates Emergency Hot Site for Service Providers

Liz — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:48:58 +0000

(Memphis, TN June 1, 2010) The 2010 summer hurricane and storm season officially begins today and with the early occurrences of tornados, floods, and windstorms this year, one Online Backup software provider hopes to continue its tradition of encouraging its Service Providers to develop a preemptive disaster recovery plan for bad-weather emergencies year round.

Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today publically announced the activation of its Emergency Backup Hot Site for use by its Service Providers in the path of hurricane activity this season.

Remote Backup Systems has offered this business-saving service to their clients dating back to hurricane Hugo in 1989. This resource is available to select online backup service providers affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes, winter storms, widespread power outages, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, and floods affecting their data center.

If an RBS Server goes offline because of a natural disaster, RBS can temporarily take backups from provider’s clients at the Hot Site near Memphis, Tennessee, so the Service Provider doesn’t suffer further. When the disaster is over and the providers’ servers go back online, they can download the backups and resume normal business.

Meteorologists are calling for a much more active 2010 hurricane season compared to last year, with above-normal threats on the U.S. coastline. Remote Backup Systems encourages all of its Online Backup Service Providers in threatened areas to visit the company’s website at www.remote-backup.com for more information on the Hot Site service, including guidelines and instructions for activation.

But Remote Backup Systems wants to remind Service Providers that a natural disaster can occur any time, year round.

“This year Tennessee was hit hard with record flooding. Being in the business of Disaster Recovery, we are always prepared,” said Rob Cosgrove, CEO and founder of Remote Backup Systems, “We open our Hot Site at no charge to help our Service Providers who need us.”

Built into Remote Backup Systems multi-award winning flagship product, RBackup, is a special feature called the Server Locator. It enables a service provider to maintain normal business in the event of a disaster by immediately transferring end users to the RBS Hot Site. It also enables them to move their RBS Servers safely to any Internet connection with a dynamic IP address anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice. No other RBS company offers this cutting-edge service.

In an outage of Internet service, Providers can simply move their equipment to an alternate location with Internet service, and the Server Locator will seamlessly redirect their clients within seconds to the new location.

For more information on Remote Backup Systems, visit the company’s website www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

Remote Backup Systems, Inc. is the global leader in turnkey Online Backup solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Rob Cosgrove’s latest book, The Online Backup Guide for Service Providers is available at Amazon.com and bookstores.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Online Backup Sale Extended – 15 Free Clients

Rob Cosgrove — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:28:36 +0000

The “15 Free Clients” sale has been extended through Wednesday, March 3 because of the winter storm in the Northeast United States.

Online Backup Hot Site Activated

Rob Cosgrove — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:24:45 +0000

Remote Backup Systems has activated its Emergency Hot Site for Service Providers in areas effected by the winter storm in the Northeast United States. RBS Emergency Hot Site Servers are available for RBS Service Providers whenever a natural disaster affects their data centers.

If your RBS Server goes offline because of a natural disaster, we can temporarily take backups from your customers at our own Hot Site near Memphis, Tennessee so your business doesn’t suffer further. When the disaster is over and your RBS Server is back online you can download your backups.

Click Here for more information or to declare an emergency.

Remote Backup Systems Develops an Online Backup Estimator for Free Download

Liz — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:31:18 +0000

(Memphis, TN USA 2/22/2010) Remote Backup Systems (RBS), the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms have released a free online tool developed for Service Providers to use to estimate the storage space needed by their clients, and the time required to do a backup.

Addressing a major concern plaguing Service Providers for years, RBS Online Backup Estimator is a free download that calculates the size of a full backup and subsequent daily backups and the time required to send them to an Online Backup Server, based on the current upload speed of the Internet connection.

The Online Backup Estimator works by scanning the file system using the Best Practices for Include and Exclude settings as defined in Rob Cosgrove’s Online Backup Guide for Service Providers, published by Remote Backup Systems. Once the scan is complete, simply view the files selected. Use the Online Backup Estimator to fine tune Include/Exclude settings. The changes you make to the Include/Exclude settings can be written to a file to be used in your online backup software.

“Service Providers have told us about the different ways they have gone about dealing with this issue in the past,” explained Remote Backup Systems CEO, Rob Cosgrove. “Some chose to give away 30 day accounts, then quoting a price at the end of 30 days, after they have seen how much data their user’s store. Another method that wasn’t always convenient was to quote tiered storage plans that include storage space quotas, and per-gigabyte charges for going above the quotas. Our Online Backup Estimator tool was designed to simplify the equation and take the guesswork out of the quoting dilemma.”

Although written specifically to assist licensed RBS Service Providers, the Online Backup Estimator is a free tool that anyone can download from the RBS website and works with all Online Backup software. The Online Backup Estimator is compatible with Windows and Mac.

For more information about this tool and other Remote Backup Systems products, please visit www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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What is the Difference Between your Products?

Rob Cosgrove — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:13:28 +0000

Remote Backup Systems offers several similar products and services. This document will help you choose the one that is right for you.

The Products

RBackup is our powerful enterprise-level business software designed to back up Windows Servers and Workstations. It backs up MS Exchange at the brick level, SQL Server, System State, Active Directory, Sharepoint, and all locked files including Outlook .PST files.

All versions of RBackup include full support for all Microsoft servers, including unlimited Exchange mailboxes and locked file support. There is no additional charge, and there are no mandatory ongoing fees for using the software. Pricing is simple, one-time, and all-inclusive.

Mercury backs up Windows and Mac Workstations and Laptops. It includes the Remote Security Suite. It will not back up Windows servers. Mercury is designed to compete with the cheap $5/month services like Mozy® and Carbonite®, and has a similar feature set. Mercury is used for backing up personal computers and laptops, and not business computers.

If you need to back up Windows Servers, choose RBackup. If you want to offer personal backups for laptops and Macs, choose Mercury. Many Service Providers use both.

RBackup

Most Online Backup Service Providers buy RBackup. It can be self-hosted much less expensively than Mercury. The most common way we sell RBackup is as an outright software purchase on a perpetual license – the way most software is sold. So, you would purchase the software from RBS, install the Server module on your own computer, then distribute the Client module to your customers.

The Client module automatically compresses and encrypts your customers’ data and transmits it to your Server module, where it is stored in its encrypted state. A complete list of features for all editions is here.

RBackup is our most popular product. It is used by thousands of Service Providers in more than 64 countries, and millions of end users to service Windows computers in business and personal environments. Here is a complete price list.

All versions of RBackup come with at least one year of Basic Support. The higher client-count versions include more Support, extra PlugIns, and services like free installation. You can renew your Support after the first year. Support prices and options are here.

RBackup can be enhanced with a variety of PlugIns and services. It can be fully integrated with your web site for automated credit card billing and order processing. All versions of RBackup can be fully branded and customized using a built-in branding utility that comes with the software.

Mercury

Most Service Providers offer Mercury Online Backup Services using our Virtual Hosting service because it is much cheaper than buying a Mercury Server. Mercury Servers can be purchased on a perpetual software license, leased, or “rented” on a per-client basis. Prices for purchasing a Mercury Server start at about $50,000. Here is technical information on Mercury.

Virtual Hosting

RBS offers Virtual Hosting for both RBackup and Mercury. Under our VH plans, RBS hosts the Server in our data center in Memphis. You can access and manage your client accounts through a web-based administrative portal. The Administrative Portal gives you a limited set of features compared to the self-hosted model, where you have access to the complete feature set.

With all Virtual Hosting accounts, your Client software can be customized and branded with your company and product names, and your icons and graphics. Branding service is included in the startup fee.

Virtual Hosting costs $500 to start up an account, then $1.50 per month for each client, and a per-gigabyte fee that ranges from $1.50 per gig down to $0.40 per gig (for RBackup accounts) and $0.40 per gig down to $0.24 per gig (for Mercury accounts).

With Virtual Hosting accounts, you can charge your clients whatever prices you like, and pay RBS via pre-authorized credit card charge in arrears on the 15^th of each month.

All Virtual Hosting accounts come with customizable web sites. Here is a price list. Here is more information on Virtual Hosting.

Mercury Affiliate Accounts

The Mercury Online Backup Service can also be sold through the Mercury Affiliate Program. This is a very low-cost program designed for professional Internet affiliates and for Service Providers who need a quick and cheap Mac solution or who want to offer the Remote Security Suite.

Affiliate Accounts are priced at one-time fees of $49 to $349 depending on features. Affiliate account Client software cannot be branded, although the Client portal can, to a small extent. All Affiliate Accounts come with customizable websites.

With Mercury Affiliate Accounts all customers are charged directly by RBS. On the 1^st and 15^th of every month we pay you a percentage of what we collect from your clients. With the higher-priced Affiliate Accounts you can control what price is charged to your customers, within a specified range.

The Mercury Affiliate Program is a single-level program that pays you a percentage of the gross billing of your affiliates in addition to your own earnings.

Here is complete information on Mercury Affiliate Accounts.

How does RBS compare with other companies?

RBS is the oldest and most mature company in the space. Our Service Providers are the most successful, and our pricing is the most affordable. Our CEO, Rob Cosgrove, founded the Online Backup industry in 1987 and actually wrote the book that defined it. If you are comparing RBS to other companies, please contact us and request a link to our Company and Product Comparison Page.

Remote Backup Specialist, Remote Backup Systems, Plans New Pricing Campaign

Liz — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:49:56 +0000

Remote Backup Systems (RBS) (www.remote-backup.com), the leader and founder of the online backup industry and developer of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms, today announced it has lowered prices on Service Provider software editions of its award-winning software, as well as the costs associated with its Virtual Hosting service.

Concurrent with its latest most stable and mature software release, Version 10.1.73, RBS announced it was lowering prices on its most popular offerings, as much as 61% on certain packages.

A popular alternative to purchasing hardware and software to operate an Online Backup service has become RBS’ Virtual Hosting Service. This new pricing campaign includes lower storage and client license prices.

In addition, Remote Backup Systems has also announced the implementation of its Lowest Price Guarantee. This pricing warranty will not only ensure clients will get the lowest prices for comparable features every day, but it will also include and extend to specials, sales, and deals offered by recognized RBS competitors.

For more information about RBS pricing, visit www.remote-backup.com.

“We have learned over our decades of experience that as our industry grows and expands we must maintain the most flexibility. Changing economic conditions and more competitors lead our customers look for meaningful value and the best chance for profitability,” said Remote Backup Systems CEO Rob Cosgrove. “There’s no rule book to follow here but customer service extends farther than just being there to answer the phone. When the economy began looking bleak we put in a plan of action to stay afloat in order to serve them. We were so successful in doing so, we can now reduce prices.”

Cosgrove goes on to say that his team is continually looking for ways to become more efficient by reducing costs and employing better technology in order to pass the savings on to customers.

RBS boasts all inclusive pricing, perpetual licensing, no mandatory recurring costs, and a simple to understand pricing structure. RBS has been in business longer than any of its competitors. Product features include unlimited Exchange mailboxes, mailbox-Level Restore, Locked Files, SQL Server, Sharepoint, Outlook, System State, Active Directory, and Full Client Remote Control.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.remote-backup.com, or contact the Sales Department at (901)405-1234.

About Remote Backup Systems

Remote Backup Systems Inc. is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to businesses and IT Service providers. RBS defines success as providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Remote Backup Systems Adds New Features to its Affiliate Program

Liz — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:28:28 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems (RBS) (www.remote-backup.com), Online Backup founders and innovators, have released a new feature to help affiliates increase end-user sales. The VARBackup Affiliate Program allows anyone to enter the booming Online Backup industry quickly, and at a low cost.

RBS’ web-based Affiliate program is the latest Online Backup technology from Remote Backup Systems and is available now with advanced features and profit margins over 50%.

VARBackup Affiliate program was designed to allow anyone to go into the Online Backup business for themselves within five minutes without having to purchase costly hardware to operate, and without having to absorb high operational costs. This is a complete turnkey service that can be run from home or anywhere, resulting in reliable residual income.

More information is available about VARBackup at www.varbackup.com/myownonlinebackupservice.

Each affiliate gets unlimited free trial accounts to offer to their customers, a complimentary 10GB Online Backup account to use themselves, a fully customized website, code snippets to embed in their existing website, and now , free monthly coupons to use for promotion. Affiliates may use their monthly generated coupon code in their advertising and marketing. Affiliate’s customers can use the coupons towards 10% off their Online Backup subscription.

Affiliates can optionally offer the Mercury-exclusive Remote Security Suite technology – a feature unavailable with any other Online Backup vendor. Affiliates can also elect to take advantage of the built-in second tier Affiliate System and earn recurring commissions on referrals.

Technical support, customer support, and billing are all handled for Affiliates by Remote Backup Systems. The technology powering the new service is the Mercury Advanced OEM Online Backup Platform, which was launched by Remote Backup Systems earlier this year. Mercury is a powerful white-labeled Online Backup software system with features and functionality designed to compete with the most well-known consumer grade online backup services being sold today. It is designed to offer retail Online Backup to home and personal Windows and Mac users.

“Our Mercury product was designed to bend and flex with our ongoing product development,” said Rob Cosgrove, RBS CEO. “The advanced Affiliate program that we have developed has certainly made the initial investment more attractive to prospective Service Providers. This is an opportunity to be in business offering a trusted and legitimate Online Backup service.”

For more information about Remote Backup Systems other products, visit www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems

Remote Backup Systems offers turnkey Online Backup solutions starting at $49, capable of serving hundreds of thousands of end users. RBS is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com.

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Remote Backup Systems Launches VARBackup; a Different Kind of Affiliate Program

Liz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:59:47 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Online Backup founders and innovators Remote Backup Systems (RBS) (www.remote-backup.com) has unveiled a revolutionary affiliate program which will allow anyone who wants to enter the booming Online Backup industry a lower cost opportunity to do so.

This is the only Online Backup sales program of its kind, designed for Value Added Resellers who would like to add Online Backup to their existing services, and to Internet Entrepreneurs who want a complete solution for offering online backup services. The VARBackup Affiliate program can be fully managed with a much lower startup cost and lower operational costs than traditional online backup operations.

Affiliates can choose one of four pricing packages to best suit their needs, starting at a one-time fee of just $49.00. Within five minutes of registering online, RBS will post a customized & branded website equipped to sell Online Backup. Affiliates are paid twice a month for their new sign-ups, and receive ongoing revenue for residual sales and affiliate commissions. All technical and billing concerns are handled by RBS, allowing affiliates to concentrate on getting signups.

Full plan details, package prices, and registration are available at www.varbackup.com/myownonlinebackupservice/.

Included in the low startup costs are a customized website, unlimited free trial accounts, free end-user tech support, billing support, and a powerful online management console that lets Affiliates review their business statistics in real time. Remote Backup Systems also provides customized code snippets that can be added to an existing web site to enable it to sell Online Backup seamlessly.

The technology powering the new service is the Mercury Advanced OEM Online Backup Platform, which was launched by Remote Backup Systems earlier this year. Mercury is a powerful white-labeled Online Backup software system designed for Windows and Mac.

Rob Cosgrove, founder and CEO of Remote Backup Systems explains that the idea for this unique affiliate program originated during an investigation into additional ways for people to share in the company’s experience and growth while generating new revenue for themselves.

“So many people are still in need of a secure Online Backup solution,” said Cosgrove. “This program is the perfect marriage between our award-winning software and an affiliate based revenue structure which comes with a much lower-risk investment. We’ve spent the past 20 years putting service providers in business with much success, and now we’ve made it even simpler to offer computer backup to consumers.”

Information about Remote Backup Systems can be found by visiting the company’s website, www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

Remote Backup Systems offers turnkey Online Backup solutions starting at $49, scaling to serve hundreds of thousands of end users. RBS is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies in use by 8,500 service providers, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 405-1234 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Online Backup Specialist Now to Offer Mercury Virtual Hosting

Liz — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:01:54 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms has announced that its new Mercury Online Backup platform will be available to sell as a pay-as-you-go hosted solution. With Mercury you can deploy a powerful, fully branded Online Backup service similar in features, functionality and price to Mozy® and Carbonite®.

Mercury runs on Windows and Mac, and is designed for inexpensive consumer backups. It is not designed for business use. Mercury is available in twenty languages, and is localizable. It runs on all versions of Mac OS-X and Windows 2000 and above.

Some of Mercury’s features include automatic updates, continuous backup, scheduled backup, web-based distribution, trial versions, web restore, fully integrated web payment and software deployment, and the amazing and exclusive Remote Security Suite.

The Remote Security Suite can remotely erase sensitive data from a stolen computer. It can also take pictures and record sound, send technical details and geolocation information that can help locate and recover a lost or stolen computer.

For more information on Mercury, visit www.mercurybackup.com.

“Many of our current Service Providers and investment prospects have been asking for this option for some time,” explained Rob Cosgrove, Remote Backup Systems CEO. “We are pleased to finally launch this service and are very excited about its future.”

Your Mercury Virtual Hosting account comes with a complete, customized and hosted website, a payment gateway, online credit card processing, a management console, a user console, and our new Remote HelpDesk.

You can start your Mercury Virtual Hosting account for $750, which includes customization and branding of your hosted website and the Mercury Online Backup Agent. You then pay RBS $2/client per month, and $0.50/GB per month, with a minimum of $100 per month.

For more additional information on Mercury, visit the Mercury Backup website at www.mercurybackup.com or phone RBS at (901) 388-5988.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Online Backup Specialist Enhances Support Package with Advanced Feature

Liz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:28:06 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems (RBS), the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced an added advanced feature to be included in all Priority Maintenance subscriptions, designed to give service providers a competitive edge.

The Remote HelpDesk lets you take over your clients’ computer just as if you were sitting in his office. Remote Access to a client’s computer allows service providers to offer the highest level of customer support, being able to offer support from any web-based computer without distributing any software, saving valuable time and money.

The Remote HelpDesk uses SSL encryption to ensure secure transmittal of private documents and information via the Internet. The Remote HelpDesk works without adjustments to firewalls or routers. You can support your clients from any Internet-connected computer.

For information about installing this service, visit www.remote-backup.com/remote-helpdesk.htm.

“Services like this have been available for some time now, either offering remote access to only a specific application, or charging up to $70/year per Client computer,” said Rob Cosgrove, CEO of Remote Backup Systems. “Our service comes at no extra charge, and works with one client or thousands.”

This service is offered at no additional cost to Service Providers with a Priority Level support package. Priority Support packages also offers other added feature that its Basic Maintenance package does not including live telephone technical support with a two hour response time, emergency hot site service, and consideration for the RBS referral network.

For more information about Remote Backup Systems and the other services offered, please visit the company’s home page, www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

Remote Backup Systems, Inc. offers turnkey Online Backup solutions starting at $500, capable of serving hundreds of thousands of end users. RBS is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Online Backup Specialist Activates Emergency Service for Service Providers; Warns of Threat Possibility

Liz — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:16:23 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced the formal activation of its Emergency Backup Hot Site for use by its Service Providers in the path of hurricane activity this season.

This emergency offering comes after a threatening storm made landfall just to the southeast of Fort Walton Beach, FL early Monday morning. The National Hurricane Center has since released a final advisory for what had now been downgraded as Tropical Depression Claudette. Still threatening areas off the Atlantic are Hurricane Bill, currently located about 1080 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, and Tropical Depression Ana, about 75 miles south of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tropical storm watches are in effect for much of the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Remote Backup Systems has offered Emergency Backup Hot Sites as a business-saving service to their licensees dating back to hurricane Hugo in 1989. This resource is available to online backup service providers in areas who are in danger of a natural disaster affecting their data center.

If an RBS Server goes offline due to natural disasters such as hurricanes, winter storms, widespread power outages, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, or floods, RBS can temporarily take backups from provider’s clients at the Hot Site near Memphis, Tennessee, so the Service Provider doesn’t suffer further. When the disaster is over and the providers’ servers go back online, they can download the backups and resume normal business.

This service is free to service providers with current Priority Maintenance subscriptions and is on a first come, first serve basis.

“We are in the business of backups. We have a plan of action in the event of everyday disasters, so catastrophic events are no different for us,” explained Rob Cosgrove, CEO and founder of Remote Backup Systems. “The hope is that being prepared ahead of time will eliminate added stress during the unfortunate event of an emergency, as well as make recovery for our Service Providers as quick of a process as possible.”

This year’s hurricane season forecast was projected to be an active one with anywhere from nine to fourteen named storms, of which four to seven could become hurricanes, including as many as three major hurricanes. Remote Backup Systems encourages all of its Online Backup Service Providers in threatened areas to visit the company’s website at www.remote-backup.com for more information on the Hot Site service, including guidelines and instructions for activation.

Built into Remote Backup Systems multi-award winning flagship product, RBackup, is an additional special feature that will enable a service provider to maintain normal business in the event of a disaster. The RBS Server Locator enables you to operate an RBS Server on an inexpensive non-dedicated Internet connection with a dynamic IP address anywhere in the world. No other RBS company offers this cutting-edge service.

Current service providers in susceptible areas should call Remote Backup Systems sales team to upgrade to Priority support to ensure access to this service if they haven’t already done so. For more information on Remote Backup Systems and the latest storm updates, visit the company’s storm page, www.remote-backup.com/storm.php.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Remote Backup Systems Launches New Program; Integrating Online Backup with Software Applications

Liz — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:07:54 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced a new integration program for its flagship product, RBackup. Software developers, systems integrators, and distributors can now embed RBS’ online backup solution directly into their applications.

The embedded solution is fully scalable and expandable, allowing providers to choose between hosting customer’s data over the internet or personally hosting and fully managing customers’ backups in their own data centers.

The market for offering data security for customers’ data is continually growing. With more and more data being stored each day, the Online Backup industry continues to expand. Remote Backup Systems Application Integration launch offers the ability for a software application to perform automatic backup and restore of customers’ data files over the internet with the ability to restore to any machine.

Designed to provide a competitive advantage in such an expanding market, this integration will also benefit partners by increasing customer trust and satisfaction in their product, reducing costs on security development, and maintaining software security standards.

“Because of RBackup’s flexible design, this service can be seamlessly integrated,” explained Rob Cosgrove, CEO of Remote Backup Systems. “It allows existing software publishers to offer a value-added extension of the products and services they already market. This solution solves a lot of problems that software developers are facing, while taking advantage of a growing market with a lot of current buzz.”

Remote Backup Systems offers many ways to integrate Online Backup with few or no modifications to existing software applications. Integration includes a fully branded, regulatory compliant software and service that is proven to increase provider’s profits. Offering such a feature is also proven to increase their customer’s satisfaction, and leverage competitive edge. RBackup technology is already in use by millions of end users and service providers, and has been a trusted solution for over 21 years.

For more information on this service, please visit www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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New Changes to the Software Upgrade and Support Renewal Policy

Rob Cosgrove — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:00:43 +0000

After July 15 RBS will no longer accept renewals for Support Subscriptions that have been expired for longer than twelve months. A new software purchase will be required to obtain the latest version. Also after July 15, RBS will begin charging a fee for renewing expired Support Subscriptions equal to the pro-rated price, calculated monthly since expiration.

Expiration notices are emailed thirty days in advance, and again fifteen days in advance. In addition, RBS mails expiration notices thirty days in advance. If your mailing address or email address has changed since your last purchase, please email your new information to sales@remote-backup.com.

End of Life Notice for RBackup Versions 9 and Older

Rob Cosgrove — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:57:50 +0000

After July 15 RBS will retire RBackup versions 9 and older, no longer offering support for them. The current version of RBackup is 10.1.65. Support for these older versions will be limited to self-service only through the Online Knowledge Base and the Service Provider’s Forum. RBS Tech Support will no longer offer support for versions 9 and older.

Support Subscriptions for older versions will be honored through the end of the current subscription, but will not be renewed.

RBS encourages all Service Providers to upgrade to the current version immediately.

Expiration notices are emailed thirty days in advance, and again fifteen days in advance. In addition, RBS mails expiration notices thirty days in advance by snail-mail. If your mailing address or email address has changed since your last purchase, please email your new information to sales@remote-backup.com.

Also see relates post: http://remote-backup.com/kb/changes-to-the-renewal-and-upgrade-policy/

Online Backup Company Announces Online Backup Search Engine

Liz — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:31:34 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced several updates made to their website, and the addition of an Online Backup Search Engine.

The Online Backup Search Engine was created to refer end users looking for an online backup service to members of RBS’ Referral Network. The member service providers use the latest technology and software, and can offer the highest level of protection for valuable computer data. When an end user visits Remote Backup Systems to learn more about online backup, he can also be put in contact with a provider that will best fit his needs.

“Connecting our most trusted service providers with qualified end users is one of the simplest ways we can help ensure their success,” said CEO and founder of Remote Backup Systems, Rob Cosgrove.

Additionally, a new Features Matrix clearly compares all of RBS software editions, including the newest five-client Personal Edition, 10-Client Business Edition, and the recently released Mercury Online Backup Platform. Potential buyers can now easily view a side-by-side comparison of each and decide which package best suits their needs. More than 100 of the most important features are highlighted and explained.

Also on the new web site, RBS introduced a new purchasing model which allows service providers to enter the online backup market with smaller start-up costs. This Pay-Per-Client (PPC) model is a new way to buy the software that can get service providers into the online backup business more quickly, and charge monthly fees based on the number of clients in use instead of the company’s traditional model of selling perpetual licenses. This model is designed to allow providers to pay for the initial start up as they grow their business.

Cosgrove notes that the changes being made to Remote Backup Systems’ website are all in hopes of giving a new generation of service providers more options in an unstable economic climate. “I understand how hard it is to be a start-up company; I did it 22 years ago on my own. My goal is to integrate all aspects of the Online Backup industry so that visitors emerge with an understanding of either the necessity of or the opportunities in data backup.”

For more information on Remote Backup Systems visit www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Online Backup Software Company Encourages Data Backup This Hurricane Season

Liz — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:40:08 +0000

(Memphis, TN) The 2009 Hurricane season has officially begun. Global weather patterns are imposing a greater uncertainty in this hurricane season outlook than in recent years. Forecasters predict a 70 percent chance of having anywhere from nine to fourteen named storms, of which four to seven could become hurricanes, including as many as three major hurricanes.

With an unpredictable storm season being forecast, backing up critical data has become increasingly urgent for both businesses and home computer users.

Traditionally, tape backups have always been an inexpensive and simple method, used most often by small and medium-sized businesses looking to save money. However, in recent times the cost of online backup has become an affordable option with benefits that far outweigh the limitations of tape backup.

“Tape involves many manual processes and is a comparatively fragile storage medium. Combine these two factors and you have a recipe for disappointment,” said Rob Cosgrove, founder and CEO of Remote Backup Systems. “Even with the best tape backup software, someone has to administer the processes, handle the tapes, and ensure that they are taken to a safe, offsite location each night. Many times, there is a breakdown in one or more of these components that renders the backups useless in the event that the facility is damaged.”

Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms urge businesses and home computer users in hurricane susceptible areas to properly insure their data with a reliable backup service.

“Our website is a great knowledge bank for information about online backup and the importance of performing consistent, secure backups. There you can also find a service provider through our Remote Backup Services Network, “said Cosgrove. “The Service Providers in our network use the latest technology and software, and can offer you the highest level of protection for your valuable computer data.”

Cosgrove points out how devastating the loss of computer data can be. “Thousands of businesses have permanently closed due to the loss of vital data. Nearly half of businesses that are hit by a natural disaster do not survive. Proper data backup practices that are automatic, secure and stored in an offsite location are essential, not only in the event of a natural disaster, but also in case of fire, computer failure, hackers, and about a dozen other reasons.”

For more information, visit Remote Backup Systems website: www.remote-backup.com.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Online Backup Specialist, Remote Backup Systems, Set to Host a Live Informational Seminar

Liz — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:48:05 +0000

(Memphis, TN) Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms announced today they are set to host an informative live seminar at the RBS main office next month.

This comprehensive two-day event aims to reveal key strategies, techniques, and skills needed to build a profitable Online Backup business powered by industry defining RBackup software. The seminar is designed to benefit both inexperienced as well as veteran service providers. Attendees will receive personalized, hands-on instruction with the latest version of RBS software, v10.1.65, presented by RBS staff members.

Remote Backup Systems software has been powering successful Online Backup <https://www.backupmax.com> services for More Than 21 Years. Version 10.1.65 was released for download on June 1st this year and includes several upgrades, a new server license, and stand alone restore agents. Many of the features added were suggestions from current service providers.

The seminar will be headed by Rob Cosgrove, President of RBS and founder of the Online Backup industry, and presented by the technical and customer support staff of RBS, including Gautam Tiruvanallur, Prem Balasubramanian, William Smith, and Carrie Schmitz. Guest speakers will include some of RBS most successful service providers.

The majority of the agenda will cover technical issues in depth with a brief focus on sales and marketing. Those attending the seminar will hear discussion on topics including customization and branding, server operation, designing file sets and service plans, pricing, competition, go-to-market strategies, support policy, costs and ROI analysis, and more. A time for questions and answers will be allotted each day.

“The seminars that RBS provides are a wealth of information,” said Donald Purdie, CEO of Data Ensure and one of RBS’ most successful service providers. “I have been twice, once 8 years ago and just recently because the software had improved so much so fast, I needed a refresher course. The seminars are very informative; the pace is such that you will have a complete understanding of the software and how it works when you are finished. The RBS staff are great people to work with. They will resolve any issues that may come up quickly and at any time will help you with understanding how to utilize a particular piece of the software.”

The RBS Seminar is scheduled for July 11th and 12th. Please phone RBS for pricing and more information at (901) 388-5988, or visit their website http://www.remote-backup.com/. Seating is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

Remote Backup Systems, Inc. offers turnkey Online Backup solutions starting at $500, capable of serving hundreds of thousands of end users. RBS is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to MSPs, VARs, ISPs and Managed Hosting Providers, providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

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Remote Backup Systems Releases Latest Upgrade to Award-Winning RBackup® Online Backup Software Solution

Rob Cosgrove — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:08:58 +0000

Remote Backup Systems Releases Latest Upgrade to Award-Winning RBackup® Online Backup Software Solution

Remote Backup Systems Inc. (RBS) announced a major upgrade available for download for the RBackup® remote backup software solution.

(Memphis TN) Remote Backup Systems, the founders of the online backup industry and developers of the RBackup® and Mercury OEM Online Backup platforms today announced the availability of the latest upgrade of their industry-defining RBackup® Online Backup software, version 10.1.65.

VARs and MSPs use RBackup® to offer Online Backup Services to their customers, hosting the online backup Server in their own offices or data centers.

“Version 10 was designed with the future in mind,” explained Rob Cosgrove, CEO, “This new release is full of new features and options, many of which come as a direct result of what our current service providers have asked for in order to compete and succeed in the Online Backup industry.”

The addition of Stand-Alone Restore Agents is one of the more stand out features included in this upgrade. The Web Restore Agent allows users to restore files from a web site to any computer, without the Client software. The Disk Restore Agent allows users to restore files from the raw Server archives copied to disk and returned to the end user along with the Disk Restore Agent.

A newly redesigned Simple Interface includes a Fast Pick selection method that is designed to speed up the file selection process and Backup Exclusions which gives more control over backup selections.

Other upgrades to the software include new documentation, more features for providers to offer to their clients, and a new license server that supports the new “Pay Per Client “and “Pay Per Feature” pricing models.

The “Pay Per Client” (PPC) model is an economical way to buy the software that can get service providers into the online backup business more quickly. Providers are charged monthly based on the number of clients in use. This model is designed to allow providers to pay for the initial start up as they grow their business.

This download is for registered users with active Maintenance Subscriptions. In order to use these downloads you must have purchased the software, and your Maintenance Subscription must be current.www.remote-backup.com.

More information about this upgrade is available at

About Remote Backup Systems Inc.

If you would like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com.

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End of Life Notice for RBackup Versions Older than v10

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:12:01 +0000

End of Life Notice for RBackup Versions Older than v10

After August 1, 2009 RBS will no longer offer official support for versions of RBackup older than version 10.

New Remote Backup Maintenance Subscription Policy to go into Effect on June 1

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:11:02 +0000

New Maintenance Subscription Policy to go into Effect on June 1

On July 1, RBS will begin charging Maintenance Renewal fees retroactively for Maintenance Subscriptions that have expired. So, if your Maintenance Subscription expired six months before your renewal, expect to pay for six months in addition to the renewal fee. This policy is in line with commonly accepted industry practice.

Mercury Commercial Online Backup Software Now in 20 Languages

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:09:12 +0000

RBS has recently added twenty new languages to our Mercury Online Backup Platform. The new languages work in the Mercury Agent software and the Online User’s Portal. Mercury is now available in English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, French, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Bulgarian, Hindi, Portuguese, Japanese, Sinhalese, Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Hungarian, Russian, Turkish, and Norwegian. The RBackup Simple Interface will be available soon in these same languages.

For more information, contact Remote Backup Systems at sales@remote-backup.com or http://remote-backup.com

Live Online Backup Seminar May 30-31 in Memphis

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:07:48 +0000

There are still three seats left for this live seminar at the RBS offices in Memphis. A live seminar is the best way to kick off your Online Backup service. You will get personalized hands-on training with the latest versions of RBS software, presented by RBS staff members.

Seminars are hosted by Rob Cosgrove, President of RBS and founder of the Online Backup industry, and presented by the technical and customer support staff of RBS, including Gautam Tiruvanallur, Prem Balasubramanian, and Carrie Schmitz. Guest speakers include some of our most successful Service Providers.

The price is $1300 per person, with a 30% discount for two or more attendees from the same company. For more information, please phone or email RBS. sales@remote-backup.com or 901-388-5988

Online Backup Company’s “Data Mining Division” Abandons User Trust

Rob Cosgrove — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:07:13 +0000

Call me old fashioned or out of touch, but shouldn’t customers of online backup services expect that when they send data to their service provider, it will not be used by anyone, including the online backup provider? So, I’m disturbed that Spare Backup has announced an “Advertising/Data Mining Division” whose job it is to “search for patterns of usage and general data” to build a commercial “intelligent user profile” for each customer.

I want to make it clear in the beginning that the company’s press release from yesterday also included the phrase, “…while protecting privacy and never opening a user’s encrypted personal files.” It also mentioned that this would “significantly enhance the overall user experience.” But, that doesn’t change the outrage.

In fact, I thought this release was so outrageous that I waited a day after the press release was circulated to post this blog entry. I was hoping that it was a joke, and I wanted to see the release on Spare’s own website before I said anything about it. But this morning, it’s there.

Here’s the release in a nutshell. Spare is going to search for patterns of usage “and general data” among its subscriber base, and develop a profile for each user. Spare and its partners will then use that profile to target individual users with specific marketing and advertising. Spare expects to profit from this new venture, and so does the market. Their stock price jumped a fraction on opening this morning.

This is just the kind of thing the online backup industry does NOT NEED right now, in its infancy. Spare should know that one of our major hurdles is convincing customers that we will maintain their privacy. End users want to know that their private data are kept private – not just the contents of the files themselves, but yes, also their “patterns of usage and general data.”

I don’t suppose Spare ran their choice of naming their new division past a focus group. The very LAST thing online backup customers want to know is that their service provider has a “Data Mining Division.” Look, even if this new division is completely innocent, and the data collection is covered under their Terms of Service, and users’ privacy will not be violated (completely), it casts an ominous shadow on Spare and the rest of us, too.

Our business is based on trust. If we don’t have that, we aint’ got nothin’. Spare has caused a problem for the rest of us that we are going to now have to clean up.

Rob Cosgrove
CEO, Remote Backup Sytems, Inc.
http://remote-backup.com

Remote Backup Systems Announces Its New Mercury Online Backup Platform

Rob Cosgrove — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:32:39 +0000

MEMPHIS, TN–(Marketwire – February 23, 2009) – Remote Backup Systems, the founder of the Online Backup industry, today announced the availability of its new Mercury Online Backup platform for Windows and Mac.

Mercury is a powerful, white-labeled Online Backup software system with features and functionality designed to compete with the most well-known consumer grade online backup services being sold today. It is being offered as a turnkey solution to companies that want to enter the booming Online Backup market.

“We have been quietly perfecting Mercury for about 18 months,” explained Rob Cosgrove, president and founder of Remote Backup Systems. “It is a completely new product, designed for a different type of user (home and personal users) than our industry-defining RBackup Remote Backup software.”

Completely brandable and localizable, Mercury is multi-lingual, extremely configurable, and designed specifically for use by MSPs as the foundation software for their Online Backup businesses.

“We timed this announcement to coincide with a roll-out by one of our customers,” said Cosgrove. “BackUPMAX.com went online today, with their Personal Edition powered by Mercury, and their Business Edition powered by RBackup. We wish them great success.”

Mercury starts at about US$50,000 plus customization, installation, and other fees. It runs on Windows 2003 Server and uses Oracle 11g as a back-end.

For more information, see http://mercurybackup.com

About Remote Backup Systems, Inc.

Remote Backup Systems, Inc. is the global leader in providing turnkey online backup software solutions to businesses and IT Service providers. RBS defines success as providing leading edge functionality, best-in-class customer support, and an unwavering commitment to product quality and customer satisfaction. With a twenty-one year history in Remote Backup technologies, RBS is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.

If you would like more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Rob Cosgrove, please phone Elizabeth Greenup at (901) 388-5988 or email liz@remote-backup.com

Brand Leaders’ Advertising Efforts Help Everyone

Rob Cosgrove — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:33:15 +0000

A Rising Tide Lifts All the Boats – JFK, 1960

Coca Cola™ is the world’s most recognized and valuable brand. You’ve seen their commercials on TV and their ads on radio and in print. The 123 year old company makes $5 billion per year in profits. This is up significantly from their first year, which showed a $20 loss on $50 annual sales from an average of 9 servings a day at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, GA in 1886.

Within the next few years there were hundreds of competitors, including Pepsi Cola™, which started out as “Brad’s Drink” in 1893 at Caleb Bradham’s soda fountain in New Bern, NC. Today there are hundreds of thousands of competitors.

Various studies have shown that when high-profile brands like Coca Cola and Pepsi launch big advertising campaigns, sales of competitive products in the same sector also increase as a result.

And this brings me around (finally) to my point. Like the soft drink business, the Online Backup business has a lot of players. Only two of them are spending a substantial amount of money on advertising.

Carbonite™ spends a million dollars a month. Nobody outside EMC knows how much Mozy™ spends, but I assume it’s at least half as much as Carbonite. So, here we have $1.5M a month being spent to raise public awareness about Remote Backup, by companies whose solutions are capable of addressing only a percentage, maybe 30%, of the market.

This leaves the other 70% still looking for a solution for their servers, Exchange, SQL Server, in-person consulting, versioning, high security, and all the other things that high-end service providers can offer with Remote Backup Systems‘ products, and Mozy and Carbonite cannot.

It’s probably too simple to say that they are spending 70% of their ad budget ($1.05M a month) advertising for you, but it fits nicely in this spot. I will leave it here.

The online backup industry is one of the very few who are thriving during the recession, and perhaps in part, because of it. As IT budgets are cut, companies are looking for cheaper alternatives to buying large drive arrays, building out data centers, and doing backups themselves. In many cases, it is cheaper to simply outsource their backups.

Add this to all the media buzz about “cloud” storage, the millions being spent on advertising by two vendors, and the underlying upswing in the business simply because “our time has come,” and you get a rising tide that lifts all of us.

Here at Remote Backup Systems we are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of sales for additional client seats. This indicates that our service providers are attracting more business.

Carbonite is hiring. They’ve been advertising for employees for the past six months. They’ve been able to raise $47M in venture capital in the past 3 years from smart people who are willing to bet a fortune on online backup.

A spokesperson for EMC (Mozy’s parent company) said that while EMC plans to cut 2,400 jobs in 2009, the Mozy division is adding employees.

I’ve spoken to dozens of RBS service providers who see the same signs as I do, and are gearing up for more business – buying more bandwidth and hardware, adding employees, and buying more client seats.

It’s a good time to be in the online backup business, and it will only get better.

The Autopsy of Journalspace.com

Rob Cosgrove — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:41:46 +0000

The Autopsy of Journalspace.com
Or: Mirroring is not Backup.
Or: Lock his accounts, fire him, and escort him out.

This is a sad story about how a six year old company was done in by bad backup strategy, poor HR practices, and bad network administration. Some of the facts aren’t exactly clear, but here’s what I’ve been able to piece together so far.

Journalspace.com was a free blog web site that hosted its servers with an outside hosting company. Sometime in the past (it’s not clear when) an employee of the hosting company was caught stealing and was fired.

On his way out, the bad guy sabotaged some servers. There is speculation that Journalspace’s server was among them. It could have been done by someone else, or by an application failure, or an accident; but whatever the cause, Journalspace’s main database was over-written, erasing all the data in it.

Journalspace’s backup plan was simple – Just RAID the drives! What could be better than mirroring plus automatic failover? It’s WAY faster than traditional backups, it’s more automatic, and it’s built right into the operating system. It’s faster, better and cheaper than backups!

RAID works constantly and automatically. Sometimes you get an automated email that says, basically, “Hey, it’s all OK now, but sector 1012 had an issue last night and I copied from the Mirror, marked the sector, and there was not a microsecond of downtime. – your little RAID buddy, lookin’ out for you.”

Unfortunately for Journalspace, their backup plan did exactly what it was supposed to do – mirror changes from one drive to the other, in real time. So, when the database containing all the company’s (and their customers’) data was erased, RAID mirrored the erasure to the other drive, in real time.

“Hey, everything’s OK. I heard you erased your main database, so I went ahead and also erased it for you on the Mirror – your little RAID buddy, lookin’ out for you.”

Journalspace sent their drives to DriveSavers, who specializes in recovering data from hard drives, but were unsuccessful. With all data and credibility gone, the company publically admitted its mistakes, apologized, put their domain name on EBay, and closed up. As of December 8, the bidding is at $2600.

So, what killed Journalspace? Erasure of the main database. They should have had a backup of the main database offsite where the bad guy couldn’t erase it. They shouldn’t have confused “Mirroring” with “Backup.” A proper backup could have easily saved the company.

But there were contributing factors. The hosting company, upon finding out about the bad guy stealing from the company, should have (in rapid succession) disabled his access to the network, fired him, and escorted him out of the building immediately, without allowing him to touch a keyboard. That sounds cruel and embarrassing, but it is the proper way to terminate a formerly trusted employee, especially in high-tech.

Many people with their egos on the line and not much time to think can, in anger, temporarily justify almost any behavior. Jails are full of them. This bad guy probably really thought it was a good idea to sabotage computers belonging to his company. He probably thinks differently now.

This is probably best summed up by another blogger on this subject who paraphrased Strother Martin (Cool Hand Luke, 1967), “What we’ve got here is a failure to administrate.”

Failure to properly administrate the network, the company’s security practices, its vendor, and the vendor’s HR practices all contributed to Journalspace’s downfall.

Having a proper backup instead of simple Mirroring could have saved the company.