Silicon Shecky

I tend to read a number of blogs, especially tech ones, and some I love to read. The SBS Diva is one of my favorites. This MVP has some great insights on the Microsoft Small Business platform, and usually is fun to read. Of course there are moments which make me go Hmmmm… when reading her posts.

She made a very elequent post about change as it relates to SBS 2008 compared to SBS 2003, and how we have to sometimes bite the bullet. Yes, a lot of the changes in SBS 2008 we asked for. The Vista interface, Needing to run everything in elevated mode, and some other items like that we did not ask for.

Yes change happens, but do we not still have a right to complain about what we don’t like? I would say we do, cause without those gripes, how would the next version become any better?

Also, if you read the post, make note of her thoughts on Microsoft’s backup system. Personally, I will not use it outside of maybe a test environment, mostly because I’ve found in the past that it never quite works as easy as it should. For me it is more along the lines of having been burned by Microsoft Backup one too many times.

Anywho, I do recommend checking her blog out, as she updates it frequently, and it has a lot of good information. Plus, if you can get into commenting on it, it can create some really good discussions.

In a previous post I talked about Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR for those playing scrabble at home) and my thoughts on it. Just so you know, my thoughts have not changed. I still feel a good BDR Plan helps a business become more profitable in the long run, mostly because of the continuity it can offer.

The big question I have is, what about costs? I have people look at me and blink at the monthly charge sometimes, and basically call me crazy. I know its a good service, I know what the value is on it, but what is the best way to convey that to clients?

Yes it seems a bit pricey, but when you think of Tape Backups, you should be getting new tapes every year, so there is cost there. If its SSD Removeable “tapes” then you are running into where to they get stored off site? Plus the amount of time it takes to do a restore from them, especially if it is a full system restore….

Wait maybe that is it. BDR plans should be thought of more as insurance policies rather than technology.  What are your thoughts?

So after all is said and done there is still more to do.

You all should find some sort of Backup and Disaster Recovery plan for your clients. I’ve started to look at the one we offer at work and realize that it can be a life saver for any business.

Think about it, a good one will make sure that you are protected and can be back up and running in an emergency within 48 hours. Have only up to 48 hours of downtime is short as it is. Less business lost, less downtime, quicker recovery for the business. It should be a no brainer, which is why I’m surprised at how many businesses decide its not worth the money.

I guess we can’t win them all, even when we try to be proactive.