Microsoft SQL Server Backup Market Is Calling MSPs

When it comes to data protection, most MSPs offer file-level backup of PCs and servers. But that focus means you're leaving money on the table — a lot of money. Businesses large and small continue to store their most important information in databases — including Microsoft SQL Server. Consider the following market trends, and you'll see clear reasons why SQL Server data protection can be a money maker for your business.

First, let's look at Microsoft (MSFT) itself. In its most recent quarter, Microsoft's SQL Server revenues grew 16 percent. That's impressive growth for any technology — especially a technology that's been in the market for more than 20 years. The latest release, SQL Server 2012, arrived about a year ago and Service Pack 1 arrived in November 2012.

Where MSPs Fit In

With those market realities in mind, your customers need guidance. They want to know how to protect their existing SQL Server deployments while also safeguarding new SQL Server 2012 deployments.

That's where CloudBerry's Managed Backup Service enters the picture. The service is hosted on CloudBerry's server (as part of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, EC2). The MSP connects the customer to a Managed Backup Service endpoint rather than to Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) directly. The system then coordinates data protection between on-premises SQL Server deployments and the Amazon cloud. Plus, the MSP can manage and promote the service under their own brand.

 The Managed Backup Service offers five key benefits to MSPs and their customers:

1. Universal accessibility: Data transmitted to the cloud can be retrieved from any Internet-connected computer( provided valid access credentials are granted).
2. Cost efficiency: Cloud storage is becoming more affordable. The absence of traffic charges in conjunction with storage prices hitting as low as 0.01 US Dollar per gigabyte make cloud storage a viable alternative to traditional on-site solutions. Those falling cloud costs allow MSPs to shift more profit margin to their own businesses.
3. Simplicity of deployment and use: Obtaining a cloud account, purchasing or modifying the allocated storage volume is a simple and straightforward process for MSPs. Moving objects to the cloud and fetching them back from it is done effortlessly.
4. High endurance:Cloud data resides at several diverse facilities, ensuring data redundancy and high availability.
5. Storage diversification, expansion of available capacity: Parallel to performing a local backup, MSPs can duplicate custom data to the cloud. That augmented capacity brings additional flexibility to your backup operations.

Care to learn more? Check out this CloudBerry Lab white paper and video series. But keep in mind: SQL Server is only one type of data set you can potentially protect and monetize. On-premises, there's a massive installed base of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server deployments that also need protection. And in the cloud, there are multiple back-ends (Amazon, Windows Azure, Rackspace, Google, etc.) from which to choose.

Start simple. Protect your customers' SQL Server data now, then start to sort out the additional data sets you'd like to protect.

Alexander Negrash is director of marketing at CloudBerry Lab, a leading cloud storage service provider that works closely with MSPs. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor's annual platinum sponsorship.