When it comes to backup software, flexibility matters. Backup tools that take a one-size-fits-all approach by giving users minimal customization are poorly suited to meet the needs of the diverse MSP market. That is one of the takeaways from the story of RAB-ITT, an American MSP that provides managed services for small businesses. The company recently migrated from SolarWinds Backup to MSP360 Managed Backup, due in part to its need for a more flexible backup platform.
Lack of Flexibility/Customization for Backup Services
RAB-ITT offers managed IT services to small businesses across a variety of verticals, from retail and banking to law and insurance. In all, it manages backups for several dozen PCs and servers, and stores about five terabytes of backup data.
The company, which was founded in 2017 and is based in South Carolina, originally used SolarWinds as the foundation for its managed backup offering. Although that solution provided the core backup functionality that the MSP needed, it suffered from several drawbacks.
Chief among them was the fact that SolarWinds forces users to store backup data in its own proprietary cloud. That meant that the MSP was unable to shop around for more cost-effective storage services that are available from other cloud vendors. The inflexibility of SolarWinds' storage options cut into RAB-ITT's margins, making it harder to offer cost-efficient backup services to smaller clients.
More generally, RAB-ITT found SolarWinds to be inflexible in ways that made it difficult for a smaller MSP to use. The solution seemed to be "geared towards enterprise-level companies," said Rodger Bollinger, owner of RAB-ITT. "When you are trying to discuss something with them -- like platform or cost -- they say, 'This is the way it is.'" In other words, SolarWinds offered little ability for RAB-ITT to customize the way its backup software worked or was licensed.
Given the inflexibility of the backup software, Bollinger found SolarWinds to be overpriced for the services it offered and began searching for an alternative.
Bring-Your-Own-Storage Approach and Flexible Licensing Options with MSP360
He settled on MSP360 Managed Backup, for several reasons.
One is MSP360's storage-agnostic design. With the new platform, RAB-ITT can back up data to any major cloud of its choosing. It is now able to use Backblaze, Azure, and AWS for storage, striking the right balance between storage performance and pricing.
The company also benefits from the granular account-management features in MSP360, Bollinger said. The platform makes it easy to set up different storage accounts and set storage limits for different customers, which is a critical feature for MSPs who work with multiple clients.
MSP360's flexible licensing model, too, is an advantage for RAB-ITT. "MSP360 Managed Backup is easy to offer to clients since the licensing is clear and you know what you are paying for," Bollinger explained.
Growing with MSP360
As a young MSP, RAB-ITT continues to grow. The company enjoys the confidence that its MSP360-based backup offering brings them, Bollinger said.
Starting in 2021 the MSP plans to expand its marketing activities with a focus on its backup solution. Essential to that growth initiative is MSP360's ability to deliver a flexible backup solution that allows RAB-ITT to meet the backup needs of a diverse set of clients.
