Aberdeen Releases New Research on How Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Are Gaining Disaster Recovery Advantages Using Cloud Storage

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - January 11, 2011) - Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), has found that companies that utilize public Cloud storage recover almost four-times faster from an IT-related downtime event than organizations that only store their business critical data onsite. Small and mid-sized organizations are gaining the most disaster recovery advantages as they are utilizing public Cloud storage more often than larger companies. Aberdeen's recent research report, Small and Mid-Sized Organizations Gain Disaster Recovery Advantages Using Cloud Storage shows companies utilizing public Cloud storage are, on average, meeting all of their Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) while organizations not using the Cloud are regularly missing their RTO goals. 

The report "Small and Mid-Sized Organizations Gain Disaster Recovery Advantages Using Cloud Storage," announced today by Aberdeen Group features research based on a survey of the storage and DR practices of over 100 worldwide companies. Aberdeen's research found:

• Companies that utilize public Cloud storage are far more likely to have a superior disaster recovery program. Forty-six percent (46%) of public Cloud storage users were found to have the highest performing disaster recovery programs.
• Cloud and non-Cloud storage users both have similar RTOs of about 12 hours. Users of Cloud storage, on average meet this RTO goal 100% of the time while non-adopters of Cloud storage report they meet only 80% of this objective.
• Companies that store copies of their business critical data in the public Cloud report they have, on average reduced the number of IT-related downtime events by 9% over the last 12 months versus a reduction of only 4.7% for organizations that keep their data onsite.

"Public Cloud-based storage offers small and mid-sized organizations a disaster recovery advantage that formerly was available only to larger companies -- the ability to store copies of business critical data at a remote location," says Dick Csaplar, Senior Research Analyst and author of the study. "Users of public Cloud storage are more likely to be among the leaders of reducing or eliminating IT-related downtime than organizations that keep their data onsite."

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Vision Solutions, i365, a Division of Seagate, Cirtas, and Zetta. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=6827&camp=2. 

Visit Aberdeen.com for additional access to complimentary IT Infrastructure Research.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen or call (617) 854-5200, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.

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