Zmanda Internet backup for SMBs

SUNNYVALE, USA: Zmanda, the leader in open source backup and recovery software, today announced the limited availability of Zmanda Internet Backup (ZIB), a cost effective and easy-to-use solution for small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) that need data backup and disaster recovery for Microsoft Exchange and SQL Servers. ZIB covers uniquely the entire Windows environment rather than simply backing up files. ZIB also provides data backup to a remote location over the Internet by leveraging the Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3).

ZIB is a simple GUI-based backup solution that is designed to allow Windows users to easily automate their backup and recovery process. The robust yet simple-to-use solution provides ongoing protection against disaster, user error and theft. Once ZIB is installed on the Windows machine and the backup process is set using its simple scheduler, ZIB automatically backs up files, applications, databases, networked devices and Windows system state, including Active Directory, to Amazon S3. ZIB can be used to protect a physical or a virtual Windows machine. The backups are stored in a native Windows format, giving users the option to access and reuse their files even without ZIB.

“Although they may have limited access to IT and budget resources, SMBs still need to implement a comprehensive data protection plan to ensure that valuable company data is both protected and recoverable,” said Eric Burgener, senior analyst with the Taneja Group. “In adding support for Amazon S3 as an optional primary or secondary backup target with ZIB, Zmanda gives SMBs a very cost-effective, easy to use, open source alternative to more expensive proprietary network backup products that may lock users in with proprietary formats and drivers, complicating backup and recovery operations. The low cost and ease of use of ZIB meet two critical SMB requirements in data protection.”

Amazon S3 gives users access to the same highly scalable, reliable, fast, inexpensive data storage infrastructure that Amazon uses to run its own global network of web sites. The service aims to maximize benefits of scale and to pass those benefits on to end users.

“ZIB is a natural extension of our product portfolio and leverages the industry shift toward open standards in cloud computing and our leadership in open standards for backup and recovery,” said Chander Kant, CEO and co-founder, Zmanda. “Now SMBs have a backup alternative that not only protects their entire Windows environment at an affordable, pay-as-you-go price but also utilizes an online storage service that’s backed by a 99.9 percent Service Level Agreement (SLA) by Amazon.”

Zmanda will work very closely with a limited set of initial customers before a general release of ZIB. The promotional price for ZIB consists of a one-time $50 charge for each Windows Server protected and a flexible pay-as-you-go cost of $0.20/GB/month for storage used and data transferred into Amazon S3.