[1]Toronto-based Asigra Inc. [1], a cloud backup and recovery software provider since 1986, has joined with Intel to offer hybrid cloud backup as part of the Intel® AppUp™ Small Business Service [2]. The new solution delivers the advantages of offsite backup with the security and performance of an onsite server for both local and remote recovery. Asigra Cloud Backup™ is one of a select group of applications pre-loaded for shipment with the new Intel solution.
A strong endorsement for cloud computing, the Intel AppUp Small Business Service is a subscription-based service for providing a locally-hosted server on a pay-as-you-go basis. The new hybrid cloud solution allows small businesses to rent the application server and software they need at very affordable rates. The Intel AppUp Small Business Service features a mix of local and cloud software with an Intel® Xeon-based server that comes pre-loaded with tools for remote management, firewall, VoIP/PBX and backup. Expanding this pre-loaded toolset is as simple as selecting from an ever-expanding list of applications, using Intel’s cloud-based service.
“We developed the Intel AppUp Small Business Service to create a foundation on which industry leaders like Asigra can add their own innovations,” said Bridget Karlin, General Manager, Intel Hybrid Cloud. “The goal is to give small business customers a better user experience. This solution offers an attractive new way to take business to the next level of IT, without buying their own server or hiring their own IT staff.”
Intel’s reference design includes a server, a business applications catalog and an Intel-software layer to securely manage usage of the on-demand applications selected by customers based on business need. Customers pay monthly for what they use, avoiding the capital expense of purchasing and maintaining traditional hardware and software solutions. Intel’s Xeon® processor capabilities, the Intel software layer and usage tracking service provides the foundation for Asigra to offer small businesses a powerful new option to protect business-critical data.
As part of the Intel AppUp Small Business Service, Asigra Cloud Backup provides the following small business advantages:
- Easy-to-use – Centralized control with a view of the entire backup and data protection environment from one interface.
- Automated – Consistent data protection without human intervention.
- Hassle-free protection of all popular computing and operating systems – A single solution for Windows, Mac and other popular operating systems as well as storage systems, servers, desktops and mobile devices like tablets and smartphones to eliminate the need for multiple backup technologies.
- Fast local and secure offsite disaster recovery when needed – All backup data is stored locally on the server for immediate recovery. An encrypted de-duplicated copy of the backup data is stored in the cloud for remote recovery in the event of a site disaster.
Intel’s AppUp Small Business Service allows managed service providers (MSPs) to utilize their existing infrastructure to provide data protection (offsite cloud backup, hybrid cloud or replication for disaster recovery) and other value added services available today or planned in the future (eg: line of business applications, security monitoring, etc.). The customer’s on-premise equipment (CPE) can be leveraged by MSPs for better site monitoring to strengthen service level agreements (SLAs) for improved small business solution delivery.
As a business-class cloud backup solution, Asigra Cloud Backup encompasses traditional and innovative technologies in a single software solution, protecting everything from mobile devices to servers. Combined with Intel’s solution, users benefit from a single turnkey solution that is easy to install, manage and upgrade, eliminating the need to manage multiple point solutions for simple protection and recovery. It even self-upgrades, so there is no time-consuming and resource-intensive pushing of agents or updates required for network computing systems.
“The Intel AppUp Small Business Service provides breakthrough access to an innovative and effective computing model, simplifying IT to empower small business,” said David Farajun, CEO, Asigra. “The powerful combination of Intel and Asigra enables MSPs to reach a broader market and provide small businesses with the most efficient IT model available today.”