Imation Introduces DataGuard Vault

Class-One Data Centers: Highly-secure, nationwide data centers that meet stringent criteria, including:

Telecommunications available from all major carriers to ensure there are no outages.

Operated and staffed on-site 24x7x365 by Network Operations Center (NOC) engineers and DataGuard Vault online backup and recovery service technical personnel.

24x7x365 proactive network monitoring, facility monitoring, facility access, video surveillance and security.

Replication in distant locations.

One-week back-up power supply capacity.

Temperature and humidity controlled; fire suppression system.

Agentless Architecture: One machine can run the backup/restore software for an entire network, eliminating the need to install and update the software on every computer.

Bare Metal Restore: In the event of a computer failure or theft, data can be completely restored to new hardware.

"Local Restore" Option: A snapshot of all data backed up to the vault can also be stored on the local network - great for customers who frequently need to restore certain types of data, such as financial data or email.

Disaster Recovery: Customers can retrieve their data from the distant data center in a variety of methods:

Imation can send the customer's data on media for restoring.

A customer can utilize a virtual private network (VPN) to access the vault and begin restoring.

The customer can physically come to the data center and use one of the disaster recovery suites.

Dependable Support: 24x7x365 support from a team with backup and recovery storage integration experience and a variety of technical qualifications and certifications. Additional utilities allow customers to perform "fire drills" to practice the backup and recovery processes so they are more comfortable should a real situation occur.

"Many small businesses today face similar large business challenges when it comes to backup, data retention and disaster recovery. Frequently without the expertise of an IT staff, small businesses need a backup and data protection plan that is easy to administer with products and services that are easy to use on an on-going basis," said Greg Schulz, founder and senior analyst, The StorageIO Group. "Distance is critical to protecting data in the event of a local or regional disaster. With remote online backup and recovery services, businesses insure that their critical information is safely stored and accessible at a protected off-site facility. When you combine a trusted name like Imation, which is synonymous with storing data, with secure class-one data centers, high-quality software and solid 24x7x365 support, customers should feel confident that their information is safe with the DataGuard Vault online backup and recovery service -- using it either as a standalone service or in conjunction with their entry-level tape or removable hard disk drive products."Imation Corp.