Have you backed up your data today?

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SMART ANSWERS

By Karen E. Klein

Have You Backed Up Your Data Today?

Data loss can damage -- or kill -- your business. But new technologies offer ways to make sure every bit and byte is protected

During the summer of 2004, Sun Capital Partners' headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla., lost electrical power twice because of hurricanes Francis and Jean. The first storm sidelined the private-equity company's 65 local employees for more than three days, and the second shut down the office for a day and a half. Because the entire firm stored all its electronic data in the Boca Raton office, the outages also affected its New York City, Los Angeles, and London offices. Advertisement

"Companies like ours thrive on e-mail, so not having that and not being able to pull up spreadsheets off the network drive was a big loss," says Jimmy Phillips, Sun Capital's IT director. "I couldn't put a dollar figure on it, but it was definitely detrimental to the company. We knew that it couldn't happen again."

When hurricane season ended, Phillips went looking for a better way to protect his company's computerized communications and data systems. And he's not alone: An increasing number of outfits are recognizing that their decade-old manual tape backup systems provide no real-time duplication or swift data recovery after a power outage, fire, or theft, according to a March study by Gartner Inc., an IT research firm. Gartner also found that 50% of small and midsize businesses that experience major data failure -- lasting more than 24 hours -- will go under.

DANGEROUS OVERSIGHTS. All too often, it takes a serious scare to raise awareness of the issue. Anna Yen, general manager of San Francisco-based Lasso Logic, left her laptop computer locked in the bottom drawer of her desk over a weekend in late February, only to return on Monday to find that burglars had struck. "They'd found the key, which I had left in the top drawer, and taken my laptop and some CDs," she says. "When I took a look around, I noticed they had also taken our backup device, a little box that sits on our network. Then I started to panic."

The man-made disaster was especially distressing -- and embarrassing -- for Yen. Lasso Logic had been preparing to introduce its own integrated hardware and software product, devised especially for small businesses, that offers continuous data backup protection. While Yen had been using a competitor's product, thankfully her staff was tinkering with a beta version of the company's own offering, which backs up data to a remote site. Their files were recovered.

Despite the devastating effects of the loss of e-mail and files, even from just a short shutdown, most small businesses have inadequate computer backup in place, according to Ted Werth, CEO of PlumChoice, a Bedford (Mass.) technology company that provides online computer support for small businesses and home offices.

DATA TRIAGE. "A survey once showed that 85% of small companies don't have adequate backup for their data, and it struck me that that's about the same percentage of people who report that they don't regularly floss their teeth," he says. "It's the same idea: People know it's important, but it takes time and it doesn't add value, so they don't do it."

Unlike dental care, however, computer backup can be automated, a crucial asset for data-dependent small businesses. "Otherwise, it doesn't happen," Werth says.

Before buying a new system, small companies should determine how critical their data are and how frequently they change. Executives can then choose from a variety of backup methods. "Some companies could operate for a week without slowing down even if they had a loss of data," Werth says. "Others who are dependent on e-mail and computerized schedules would be out of business immediately."

POWER GLITCH. For companies that don't need files and e-mail on a daily basis, copying archived data to nonrewritable CDs and storing copies at a couple of secure locations remains an inexpensive and adequate solution. For others, daily tape backup of all data serves their purpose, as long as they store tapes off-site.

Companies in search of constant, secure backup might contract with outfits that provide Internet backup sites or replication of data to remote computer servers, hard drives, or disks, Werth says. Relatively new technology allows automatic backup that constantly makes changes to a company's files in near real time, so if even a momentary power glitch occurs, computer users can revert to data they may have entered just minutes earlier, even if they hadn't saved it before the electricity went out.

Jay Wessel, senior director of technology for the Boston Celtics, says the August, 2003, blackout that crippled much of the Northeast served as a wake-up call -- for any type of disruption. "The blackout did not affect us, but we realized we were in no position to withstand a significant outage," he says. "We have 50 administrative employees housed in a small building across from the FleetCenter, and we would lose everything if our building went up in smoke. Our database and statistics analysis program is extremely valuable. We incorporate stats from across the NBA every morning."

SLAM-DUNK PROTECTION. Recognizing the risk, Wessel eventually chose NSI Software's Double-Take, which he tried out on a recommendation from Microsoft (MSFT ). "We wanted real-time, online backup that would get us back up and running in a matter of minutes," he says. "We needed a solution that would be rock-solid and would integrate with our current Exchange and Windows environments."

The software automatically replicates all data on the Celtics' server and sends it to a duplicate that Wessel parked in a Manchester (N.H.) facility that offers a backup electrical generator and air-conditioning for the sensitive equipment. "We specifically wanted something far enough away from Boston to withstand a major disaster here, but not so far away that we couldn't get to it fairly quickly," he explains.

The two servers he purchased cost $5,000. Double-Take carries a license fee of $1,595 for Windows SSE and $2,495 for Windows-Server Edition 4.4. An annual maintenance fee runs from 15% to 20% of the initial cost of the software. The only other cost, rental charge at the facility, adds up to just $10 a month.

CHOOSE CAREFULLY. After cleaning up from the Lasso Logic break-in, Yen started using its new product, LassoCDP, which sits on a storage network and searches for any new files or for changes to any existing files. The system automatically replicates -- locally -- new files or changes and sends them to an off-site location. Paying customers are beta-testing LassoCDP, which should go on sale to the public in April. The cost will range between $1,000 and $2,000 initially, depending on the number of features needed, plus about $100 for a monthly maintenance fee. For the time being, Lasso's hosted off-site storage facility backs up data, but customers may be able to customize their own storage solutions in the future.

While the new technology sounds good, it carries the risks inherent in entrusting your crucial, confidential business files to another company, Werth points out. "You must be extremely sure that that company is trustworthy and security-conscious -- and that it won't go out of business overnight and lose your data."

In addition, if your documents are backed up constantly, the data are only as accurate and reliable as the information entered on any particular day. For instance, if your files are overwritten with data that include a virus, there may be no way to recover the old data. "Know who you're working with and ask questions about worst-case scenarios before you sign any contracts," Werth says. Good advice for any security-conscious company hoping to ride out a disaster.

Karen E. Klein is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues

Empty Words Filled with Delusion

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VIEWPOINT

By Christopher Kenton

Empty Words Filled with Delusion

Defining "brand" should be job No. 1 for marketers who want to get their ideas straight. Otherwise, they're just blowing hot air
It looks like I finally touched a nerve with marketers. The suggestion in my last column that the litmus test for judging good marketers is the clarity of their definition of "brand" sparked a flood of polarized e-mails I haven't seen on any other marketing topic (see BW Online, 3/15/05, "What, Exactly, Is a Brand?"). It appears that not only is the concept of brand so muddied that no two randomly selected marketers will define it the same way, but many don't agree that this is even a serious problem. Advertisement

Some marketers were merely dismissive of the notion that clarity is important, while others were mortally offended at the suggestion that their personal definition of brand may not be the right one. By far the most frequent criticism was that my separation of the concept of brand -- a name, a sign, or a symbol that distinguishes your products and services from competitors -- from derivative concepts like brand image and brand equity was merely semantic. "Semantic" apparently meaning "unworthy of consideration," rather than a useful consideration of the meaning of the words with which we define what we do.

Yes, this is a semantic argument. So is the bulk of the last 2,500 years of serious Western thought! We call ourselves knowledge workers living in the Information Society. Great. Well how do you think knowledge is transferred? Through language.

CRUCIAL TOOL. If I have one definition of brand and you have another, I might as well be speaking Spanish to an Italian. Sure you'll pick up the gist, but beyond the most basic discussions, we'll stumble over words and ideas we can't translate clearly. That is precisely the corrosive problem that is undermining the credibility of marketing today.

When marketers refuse to accept such a basic semantic necessity as clarifying words and definitions, we lose the power of shared language and universal meanings that allows us to communicate ideas effectively. Instead of building on a common foundation, we talk in circles about the most basic concepts of our craft. Brand is a relationship. No, it's a bond. No, it's an experience. No, it's an image. No, it's a promise. If we can't even say what we mean, how on earth do we expect to be taken seriously by anyone else?

The distinction between the definition of a word like "brand" and the derivative terms that extend the meaning and value of brand -- like brand image, brand experience, brand reputation -- is not ivory-tower bombast. It is a crucial tool for resuscitating the credibility of marketing.

A brand is something you create. Brand image is something you cultivate. They are measured differently, valued differently, managed differently. When marketers insist this is a meaningless distinction, they lose the clarity to discern what is tangible and what is not, what adds value and what does not, what is within the control of the company and what is not, what can be created directly and what can only be influenced, what can be measured and what cannot.

DISPOSABLE DEFINITIONS. These distinctions are important because, as I've discussed in recent columns, the valuation of business has shifted dramatically from tangible to intangible assets, and a determined drive is on to quantify and qualify the sources of value. A lot of money goes into marketing, and marketers have not been adept at demonstrating return on investment. If marketers are not even able to get their stories straight about what it is they do, much the less the very meanings of the bedrock concepts of their trade, we're doomed.

In finance, meanings are universal and incontrovertible. Net Present Value is a concept and a formula that has one meaning to everyone everywhere. There are no arguments in the trenches about what it really means -- it is clear, consistent, universal. Marketers, on the other hand, can't even agree on a definition of marketing, with the American Marketing Assn. trotting out new and revised definitions every decade or so -- definitions that are D.O.A. because they've been designed by committee.

Does anyone else realize how pathetic this is? Let's step back and consider the concept of brand again. What is one the most fundamental attributes of a strong brand? Consistency. A consistent presentation across time and medium. So why are we so incapable of applying the same concept to our own profession? Apparently we really have no clue about what it means to build brand equity. We can talk about it, but we can't apply it. It's just a bunch of hot air that makes us sound important to people who don't understand what we're saying.

IMAGE PROBLEM. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the impression we are carving into our gravestone. We may believe that our ideas have great import. But others look at us and see no foundation, that everything is relative, that the next New Thing always replaces the old, that there is no discernible direction where we are headed. If there is no reliable definition of something as basic as brand, it is whatever you decide to make it. It is, therefore, made up.

How can marketing be a serious profession if no one agrees on its most basic definitions, if no one can communicate ideas clearly, if customers see a different definition of what we do everywhere they look? The answer is, marketing can't. And time is running out to improve our image, because outside experts in finance, technology, and law are stepping in every day with new ways to find clarity in areas where marketers continue to babble.

So ask yourself, and ask your colleagues: What is a brand? If clarity can become a revolution, it may be the most important question of your career.

Kenton is president of Cymbic, a marketing agency in San Rafael, Calif. Visit his blog at www.marketonomy.com
Edited by Rod Kurtz

Wireless Speak from Microsoft

It's nice to see Microsoft finally take notice of the trend toward wireless devices.

We've already implemented two sites which are wireless friendly.

www.michaelhineslaw.com, a Web site for a Criminal Defense and Family Law attorney and www.androgenexcesssociety.org, a Web site for Mediacl professionals.

Here's where to find the article:

http://www.hostway.com/media/2005/ms_smb.pdf

Now if Microsoft's Internet Explorer were only to adopt Internet Standards and better support of CSS, developing sites for wireless devices would be much simpler.

Let's see if they'll back up the big talk.

JH

Search Engine tips

Content Is King

Content is king on the Internet… it always will be. This is because the Internet is the largest source of information known to man, and most people on the net are searching though this mass of information for a specific topic or product. Enter Search Engines, such as Yahoo and Google, who try to match searchers with good, relevant content.

The information on a website is its content. In most cases, the more interesting and entertaining the content of a website is, the more successful the site will be. When users find the content on a site useful, they will come back for more, especially when that information is frequently updated. Search engines, who ultimately serve internet surfers, assign the same level of importance to a site's content.

Here are some tips an insights to keep in mind when developing your site content:

Keep It READABLE - Don't sacrifice the quality and readability of your content to serve search engines. The ultimate goal of your search engine marketing is to drive web store sales, which won't happen if your content is clunky as a result of over-optimization. Your site shouldn’t have volumes of technical jargon, but rather text that expresses voice and personality. The content needs to be easy to read, easy to understand, and not so lengthy that it’s intimidating.

Keep It RICH - Consider adding content that your visitors might find helpful. A flower store, for example, might want to include content about how to keep flowers fresh, helps match flowers with occasions - red for love, white for sympathy, etc. This content appeals to shoppers, encourages repeat visits, and is attractive to search engines.

Keep It FRESH - Web site content needs to be updated regularly. Doing this helps attain high search engine rankings, and also makes sure that returning visitors don’t get bored with your site and go elsewhere.

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