Data protection is a challenge for many IT teams to handle these days because companies have more devices, operating systems and plans than they can keep up with. The majority of IT gurus specialize in handling PCs and servers, but new technologies like tablets, smartphones and even smartwatches require a new set of IT skills to ensure enterprise data is secure and understandable.

Cyber attacks, data theft, data loss and security breaches are just a few of the worries that financial firms have to face when it comes to producing and storing their digital data. "The result of any of these could end up costing millions, or even billions of dollars," writes Marc J. Firenze, CTO at Eagle Investment Systems. However, the promise of aggregating this information and using it to improve company systems can be looked at as an opportunity that outweighs the risk.

Everybody knows: it’s better to hear it once from the real customer than thousand times from a vendor. Nobody can tell you better than the actual user how the solution works, how the deployment process went, and what support they are getting. Especially so in DR space: customers don’t like talking about it, as if being (even potentially) associated with a disaster makes them look bad. Only those who really trust their solution, have tested it and know it works, are capable to freely share this information. Some even see it as a competitive advantage – like in case, the statement “Your Money is Safe with Us” goes beyond and above of what it usually implies when coming from a bank with strong, proven DR solution in place. Your data is safe, your applications will be accessible, and our service will be available. In the end of the day, it’s all about peace of mind – for the management, internal users, and their customers.

Congratulations, you got a new computer. Whether it’s a graduation present or the perk of a new job, the device gives you a clean slate. But what about all the documents, settings and applications stuck on your old machine?