What to Consider Before Choosing a Data Storage Company for Your School
Tue 09 January, 2018
What to Consider Before Choosing a Data Storage Company for Your School
Long gone are the days where you store data manually, as hard drives and databases have been replaced by cloud storage facilities. While you no longer need to worry about physical theft or damage, you still want to ensure your school data backup is in safe and secure hands. Here are some key points to consider when choosing a data storage company for your school:
- Availability
Make sure to check that your service provider has a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with regards to availability. This determines how available your data storage service will be and protects how much critical data can be accessed at any given time. With most data storage companies this is 99% but it is vital to make sure.
- Security
Keeping school data backups safe is of paramount importance, so you want to make sure the provider you work with meets strict compliance standards and certifications. Beyond that, you want to ensure that they have a reliable record and high-quality encryption protocol to avoid any data breaches.
- Scalability
You want to choose a school data backup and storage provider that is scalable, meaning you are not restricted to any set amount of storage space when you initially join the service. This way you can regulate your capacity with potential school growth and changes in regulations and requirements.
- Automated backup
All school data backups on the cloud with your company should be automated so that no member of staff needs to be present when devices are backing up. This provides peace of mind as it ensures backups are regular, with the most recent data always available.
- Recovery time
Reliable recovery is the most vital component of a data storage company, or else all your school data backups are null. Talk with the provider about the different processes of recovery used - you want to be able to enact a single action data recovery with your provider in a straightforward and efficient manner.
- Compliance
Now that GDPR is in effect, it's important you choose a data storage company who is fully aware of the GDPR implications for schools.
The best data storage companies from your school should provide professional support and dedicated staff for a price that doesn’t break the bank. If you are currently having problems keeping up with your IT efficiency and compliance regulations, you should look into your current data storage. If you have any questions, drop us a line or give us a call.