According to a survey by the Info-Tech Research Group, approximately 60% of businesses in North America do not have a disaster recovery plan. And of those who lose their data, 50% go out of business.

Those are some pretty threatening figures, which is why no business owner can risk his/her data to go unprotected.

Backup and recovery systems are essential to the lifespan of every company and are key storage management elements. They act as good security blankets in the event of an emergency. These, along with good antivirus software, dramatically increase the chances of saving and quickly accessing archived data.

Backup technology has improved immensely in recent years making emergency recovery faster and easier. In the past, data was stored on direct hard disks, but today the use of storage area networks (SAN) and network attached storage (NAS) have simplified the process. Both utilize secondary servers to ensure control and security of data. Offsite data storage systems act as safety nets if protected well and backed up daily or as often as possible.

It’s recommended that companies test their data protection plan more than once a year to locate any glitches or update any software if necessary. Applications may be outdated and could no longer meet the demands of your growing business and increasing data.

What business owners have to remember is that the chances of a successful recovery are only as strong as the existing backup plan. Find one that fits your business needs to protect, organize, and archive data.