Capacity crunch and greater density in data centers and storage arrays demand smarter tools for more strategic backup across cloud, virtual and physical systems
Veritas Technologies, a leader in information management, today announced Backup Exec 16, a significant update to its unified backup 
and recovery solution for mid-market organizations. Data in this market segment is expected to rise by 33 percent in the next three years, according to a recent survey. With budgets remaining flat and business expectations increasing for rapid deployment and return on IT services, mid-market companies are seeking more powerful, flexible, and trusted data protection solutions.
Efficient use of available resources will be crucial to avoid business disruption. Backup Exec 16 helps businesses address critical data protection challenges, covering all critical data across cloud, virtual and physical systems – regardless of where it resides. Organizations can also leverage the most current and scalable Microsoft infrastructure with Microsoft Azure, Windows Server 2016, and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016.
With the new release, administrators will benefit from expanded cloud support as well as simplified licensing and purchasing models for easier consumption. Features of Backup Exec 16 now include:
Expanded cloud support: Backup Exec 16 streamlines the migration to cloud by offering a single, unified platform that protects critical data across cloud, virtual and physical infrastructures. Server and service configurations lend Backup Exec the flexibility to protect data in, from, and to the cloud.
Microsoft Cloud infrastructure support: Organizations can leverage the most current and scalable Microsoft infrastructure with Azure, Windows Server 2016, and Hyper-V Server 2016. Azure components can be protected to provide low-impact, one-pass backup and granular file, folder, and object recovery. Backup Exec flexible options support an organization’s chosen data protection policy, without dictating terms. Robust end-to-end encryption protocols help ensure data security and increase the business’ willingness to commit sensitive data to cost-effective public cloud services.
Rapid performance: Backup Exec allows users to protect their VMware virtual machines rapidly, with low impact to production performance, while ensuring that individual files can be restored quickly. This patented feature, called “Instant Granular Recovery Technology” (Instant GRT), allows organizations to meet applications and data recovery goals. Customers can immediately activate VMware virtual machines after recovery, significantly reducing the amount of time and effort needed to activate copies of protected servers for test, development, troubleshooting, and data recovery purposes. This feature can figure prominently in an organization’s ability to recover quickly from a ransomware attack.
Simplified licensing and purchasing model allows easier consumption: Built for price-sensitive, mid-sized companies that do not have complicated infrastructures or dedicated backup administrators, Backup Exec offers the advantage of Veritas’ physical and virtual experience with the ability to protect data through virtual and cloud environments, so that organizations can effectively protect their entire data sets.
“Most organizations operate on a hybrid-cloud model, meaning they need access to data across both heterogeneous clouds and on-premises architectures,” said Andy Spencer, Backup Exec global product marketing at Veritas. “Veritas provides infrastructure-agnostic protection of all data—reducing the complexity and risk of using multiple solutions and providing greater visibility and control of information. Backup Exec 16 helps businesses address these critical retention challenges in a simple and straightforward manner, protecting the organization’s entire critical data set across cloud, virtual and physical.”
Explosion in virtual servers and systems is exacerbating storage demand in the same data center space. A global survey commissioned by Veritas revealed that, over the next three years, mid-market customers will store 39 percent of their data on virtual infrastructures, compared with physical (33 percent) and cloud (27 percent) infrastructures. To address the complexity of having data across multiple systems, many organizations implement system-specific backup tools. As a result, mid-market companies have an average of four data protection tools in their environments—each with their own licensing, maintenance, training, operational, and infrastructure costs. Backup Exec 16 offers a single pane of glass to help mid-market businesses save valuable resources and assets, critical to company growth.
Mid-market customers have trusted Backup Exec for more than 10 years to protect their Microsoft and VMware environments. Utilizing standard APIs, Backup Exec offers flexible options for protecting virtual machines so that organizations can rely on accurate and efficient data recovery to meet business objectives. Backup Exec has 2.2 million customers and has supported over 800 million backups and seven million restores worldwide.
“We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Veritas by helping them to bring powerful and flexible cloud solutions to the mid-market,” said Tad Brockway, general manager, Microsoft Azure Storage for Microsoft Corp. “As a leader in the backup and information management space, Veritas with Azure gives customers a trusted and efficient solution to manage backup across hybrid environments.”
