Imation today announced two new cloud offerings for businesses struggling to securely backup their data.

The first, called Imation ONE Backup Service, is aimed at Windows desktop PCs and laptops (XP and newer) while Imation PRO Backup Service adds Windows servers into the mix. The goal, according to Imation’s Tom Gelson, director of Business Development, is to help organizations get over their fear of the cloud.

“Many businesses still don’t back up their data, despite the obvious risks of possible data loss. Cloud backup services provide one option, yet many businesses are reluctant to rely on cloud storage for sensitive data,” said Gelson in a company statement.

The company hopes to woo businesses with a combination of military-grade security, data compression and bandwidth optimization features. “Imation ONE and Imation PRO online backup and recovery services deliver a unique combination of affordable and scalable backup with comprehensive security features to support full integration into a company’s IT data protection strategy,” added Gelson.

Users download Imation software onto the systems that they wish to protect, create an encryption key and set a backup schedule. Both the ONE and PRO versions of the product support encryption and offer data integrity verification services.

Backup data resides in SAS 70 rated data centers. Imation PRO is optimized for Window Server ecosystem, including Exchange and SQL Server databases.

With this move, Imation joins an increasingly crowded field. For instance, Zetta.net upgraded its cloud backup platform in March by expanded support for more operating systems. Like Imation, the company also touts SAS 70 compliance for its data centers.

As a provider of on-premise storage systems, Imation may have a leg up on cloud storage pure plays.

Jason Buffington, senior data protection analyst at ESG, noted, “Two of the hottest trends in data protection are the better use of backup appliances and the inclusion of a cloud-based tier in one’s broader data protection strategy.”

“Between Imation’s pedigree in tape, its DataGuard disk-based appliances, and now a cloud-service, it is apparent that Imation wants to play at every tier of data protection,” concluded Buffington.

Imation ONE and Imation PRO online backup are available now in the U.S. and Canada. Prices for Imation ONE start at $10 per month for up to 100 gigabytes (GB). Imation PRO costs $.50 per GB per month with no data cap.

For more on cloud backup, including vendor comparisons, see our Cloud Backup Project Center.

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