Mobile Devices + = Disaster Plans Sales Opps
The role of mobile devices in planning disaster is not something distribution partners have generally emphasized their SMB customers. But do not do it, they miss good opportunities.
Mobile devices can play an important role in disaster recovery (aka business continuity and / or organizational resilience, depending on who you talk to), said Mark Bowker, senior research analyst market global IT Enterprise Strategy Group Inc. "Smartphones and tablets can potentially be used to gain access to data and applications where you can not get to your workplace, or have the local destruction of your primary devices "says Bowker.
at the same time, mobile devices have given certain types of business insurance against events that may stop business operations." mobile devices offer 'location of insensitivity "that meaning that operations can be carried out regardless of where the business is, and in many companies, regardless of where the customers are, "says Philip January Rothstein, President of Brookfield, Connecticut . based Rothstein Associates Inc., a planning service provider of business continuity and disaster recovery
Formulation of a PLaN
insensitive Locationally companies -. in which operations, customer service, and perhaps even data and applications are distributed among a number of remote mobile devices - can enjoy a certain degree of immunity against it Rothstein calls a typical recovery scenario disaster "where you have a piece of equipment breaks down, or you need to leave the office for a few days. "
with the more centralized organizations, these organizations may want to make plans for the day of their server goes down or a hurricane, and consider the role mobile devices can play in keeping things going .
This is where competent VARs and other channel partners can be helpful, and create a new business for themselves in the process, according to Bowker. "being able to explain the role of the devices mobile in disaster recovery provides great opportunities for channel partners who are able to teach their customers about, and arm them, the technology that responds to what can be a real business problem, "he said .
According to Bowker, you need to talk with customers about how their employees will have access to applications and data in case of disaster, and perhaps more importantly, how they will stay in touch with customers and each other using mobile devices should be a snowstorm, the flu epidemic, or other event.
Setting up an emergency plan that integrates mobile devices begins with a simple inventory of employees' iPhones, iPads and Android-based phones and tablets, according to Bowker. This is followed by evaluation of technologies that enable employees to access data and / or a complete desktop with applications in situations where a vital piece of equipment is down, or the necessary access to a physical office are not available.
The training of employees, according to Bowker, "can be as simple as providing them with documentation that tells them that in the event of any kind of stop," These are the options available for you to reach applications, data and desktops. "
Channel pros who help customers navigate this process are themselves installed strategically to win more related business, Bowker note. "Helping a client as will naturally open some new doors where they will turn to you for further advice as they implement the plan," he said. "The technologies involved can sometimes be very complex," Bowker adds, "that will offer even more opportunities to guide them."
and, as in other situations, how you sell your expertise matters a lot. "do as I do, not just what I say, 'is the most powerful marketing message, "says Rothstein." Think about what you do in terms of disaster recovery, and this for example to your customers. "
In June 2013, Williams was looking a new backup vendor. "the vendor we used was expensive and many of my clients do not want to use the backup product," Williams said. Williams then launched into an exhaustive exercise of due diligence, which involves the assessment of approximately 70 different backup products and trace the different functions of a spreadsheet. In October, Williams decided to go with GFI MAX backup, hybrid cloud solution based on cloud disk to disk technology. "The product was in my price range and had all the abilities I was looking for except one," Williams said. 
Another advantage for GFI MAX backup :. Its ability to block level or industry level backups. "This is a high priority because many of my clients have slow Internet connections," says Williams. While many backup companies make a full and regular backup incremental backups and for changes, GFI takes a little longer away with "only save the data bits that have changed, so I do not have to back up an entire file," Williams said Furthermore, GFI MAX Backup allows Syfer time restores to its customers. - another way for Williams . to provide customers with personalized service 
Datto, we are very proud to say, just got our first assessment billion in December and we did exclusively with the channel. So listen to your customers, like us, is essential for you to continue to build momentum and help your customers find more in the stack. 
