Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) is a cloud-based service model that allows an organisation to back up its data and applications offsite in a way that enables the fast restoration of business operations in the event of local technology failure. DRaaS may be provided by a technology vendor, an IT managed service provider (MSP), or a combination.

Why is DRaaS important for businesses?

Disaster recovery as a Service (DRaaS) is particularly appealing to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) that may not have the IT resources available in house. It also reduces business risk by preventing data loss and ensuring business operations can be restored rapidly following an outage.

Historically, effective IT disaster recovery required an investment in technology infrastructure and sophisticated in-house IT personnel that was outside of a typical SMB’s budget. DRaaS allows SMBs to outsource disaster recovery entirely, eliminating the need for a large, up-front technology investment. MSPs that provide Disaster recovery as a service deliver technology expertise, as well as ongoing monitoring and management of backup and recovery operations.

Today, DRaaS is typically based on a combination of image based backup technology and virtualisation. MSPs use modern backup and recovery tools to take frequent backup “snapshots” or “images” of business systems. Images are stored locally and automatically copied offsite (usually to the cloud) and can be mounted as virtual machines in the event of a disaster.

Business operations can be restarted quickly on the virtual machine, while the primary system is being restored. When the restore is complete, operations are then failed back to the primary system.

Where does Datto fit into DRaaS?

Datto provides IT managed service providers (MSPs) with the tools they need to deliver disaster recovery. Our Unified Continuity Suite is designed specifically for MSPs to deliver efficient and profitable service.

That means: reliable, automated image based backups locally and in the Datto Cloud; Instant Virtualisation of protected machines; automatic backup verification; remote, multi-tenant management of client systems; integration with other tools MSPs rely on to deliver services (such as remote monitoring and management and professional services automation tools); and 27/7/365 technical support.

Benefits of DRaaS for MSPs and their clients

Delivering DRaaS can be a profitable venture for MSPs. It is an excellent source of recurring revenue and the technologies used to deliver it are mature and reliable.

There are many options available to MSPs looking to deliver DRaaS. However, the solutions designed specifically for MSPs are much less common. When evaluating backup and recovery solutions, look for a solution that facilitates DRaaS delivery.

Benefits of disaster recovery as a service for MSPs include:

• Recurring revenue: Monthly billing ensures predictable revenue for MSPs.
• New business generation: Many MSPs take on new customers and over time take on other IT responsibilities or project work.
• Relationship building: It builds positive relationships with clients. In many cases, MSPs that provide Disaster Recovery become trusted technology advisors to their clients.

Benefits of DRaaS for SMBs include:

• Risk reduction: Business downtime can be costly. In fact, many small businesses simply cannot survive prolonged downtime. It dramatically reduces business downtime.
• Cost reduction: Outsourcing disaster recovery to an MSP is far less expensive than managing it in-house. It eliminates the need for technology investment and increased IT headcount.
• Predictable operational expense (OPEX) cost: Its providers charge a monthly fee for their services. This makes budgeting straightforward.

How to get started with DRaaS?

Getting started with Datto Unified Continuity is easy with flexible deployment options and solutions that meet the needs of a wide variety of clients. If you are interested in delivering DRaaS and want to evaluate Datto Unified Continuity solutions, should schedule a demo today.

Which systems does Datto protect?

Datto delivers continuity solutions for servers, desktops, and SaaS applications.

Datto SIRIS delivers fast virtualisation boot time and performance, resilient backups, and reliable continuity for MSPs servicing clients of any size. SIRIS can be deployed as a physical or virtual appliance, or as software only.

Datto Cloud Continuity for PCs provides image based backup and restore capabilities to laptops and desktops running Windows OS, ensuring clients stay productive no matter what.

Finally, Datto SaaS Protection ensures Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 continuity. It eliminates data loss associated with user error, malware attacks, and SaaS provider outages.

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