Multi-SitePAC Software for REO Automates Manual Process of Consolidating and Managing Remote Backups
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Overland Storage, Inc. (Nasdaq: OVRL), a leading provider of backup and recovery solutions, today introduced Multi-SitePAC(TM) software for its REO(TM) SERIES of disk-to-disk backup and recovery appliances. Multi-SitePAC is a remote backup mirroring solution that automates the costly, cumbersome and unreliable manual process of backing up, centralizing and managing remote data -- without requiring changes to backup systems or software. As a result, customers can achieve near-instantaneous recovery, cost-effectively ensure business continuity, meet compliance requirements, and reduce overall storage management costs.
"Multi-SitePAC is designed to lower the costs and ease the burden associated with protecting and consolidating remote site backups, all without disrupting the customer's current storage environment," said Michael Kerman, vice president and chief strategy officer, Overland Storage. "Building on ProtectionPAC, the core REO application introduced last quarter, Multi-SitePAC underscores our commitment to deliver the benefits of disk without the risk."
Traditionally, protecting remote site data entails deploying servers, backup software and tape autoloaders at each site, where non-technical personnel are tasked with regularly changing tapes and sending them to a central location. In addition, IT staff must travel to remote sites for periodic system administration and maintenance. This expensive, error-prone manual process often results in failed backups and missed recovery time objectives, which not only puts regulatory and audit compliance at risk, but also jeopardizes business continuity.
Multi-SitePAC overcomes these issues by automatically mirroring backup data in virtual tape format from a remote REO appliance to a central REO, where it can be easily consolidated, managed and archived to tape, if necessary. The backed up data resides centrally and yet remains cached at the remote site, enabling near-instantaneous restores from either location while providing a low-cost way to ensure business continuity. In addition, because Multi-SitePAC is platform-independent and backup software-agnostic, it can integrate seamlessly into existing technology storage environments.
"With Multi-SitePAC, Overland Storage takes a unique approach to solving an age-old problem," said Randy Kerns, senior partner, Evaluator Group. "Unlike other solutions that require new servers, software and licenses, Multi-SitePAC consolidates remote backup data without forcing customers to overhaul their storage environments. In short, Multi-SitePAC is a cost-effective and efficient backup mirroring solution."
"With over 20 locations in Southern California, we are continually looking for better ways to consolidate and manage our remote data," said Sean Azhadi, vice president of technology, San Diego County Credit Union. "Overland's Multi-SitePAC seems to be a compelling solution, because it promises to eliminate our reliance on less-technical remote staff, yet does not require significant changes to our backup software and systems. We are eagerly looking forward to evaluating it."
About Multi-SitePAC
Unlike replication software, REO with Multi-SitePAC does not require customers to buy, install and maintain additional servers, software or licenses. In addition, centralized administration, throughput controls, automated storage provisioning and status management features simplify deployment and management, optimize the use of network bandwidth, and reduce the total cost of ownership for protecting remote backup data.
Key technology features of Multi-SitePAC include: * Virtual tape mirroring, for seamless integration with existing backup software and systems, protecting current technology investments. * Dynamic Virtual Tape(TM), which automatically allocates disk space to match the backup job, eliminating the need to manually configure backup jobs while maximizing disk space utilization. * Centralized management console, for easy, intuitive deployment from the central site, while removing non-IT staff from the backup process. * Compressed incremental backups using block protocol and throttle control, which enables customers to protect more remote data with less bandwidth. * iSCSI connectivity from REO to REO for backup data protection over unlimited distance. * Independent REO to backup server connectivity for added flexibility.
"Our customers are struggling to manage the backup and recovery process at their remote locations," said Howie Evans, vice president, Dallas Digital Services. "What they need is a smart, centralized way to manage the backup process, without relying on the non-technical staff at these remote sites. That's exactly what Overland's Multi-SitePAC software for the REO family offers. Not only is it a good fit for many of our customers, it's a product we're confident we can sell."
Pricing and Availability
Available in February from Overland partners worldwide, Multi-SitePAC is licensed on a per-system basis and is available for REO 1000, 4000 and 9000 configurations, starting at $1,395.
About Overland Storage
For almost 25 years, Overland Storage has delivered world-class data protection solutions designed to ensure business continuity. Focused on backup and recovery, Overland Storage offers award-winning data protection solutions including the REO(TM) SERIES of disk-based backup and recovery appliances and the NEO SERIES(R) of tape libraries. Overland Storage sells its products worldwide through leading OEMs, commercial distributors, storage integrators and value-added resellers. For more information, visit Overland's website at www.overlandstorage.com.
Except for the factual statements made herein, the information contained in this news release consists of forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Words and expressions reflecting optimism and satisfaction with current prospects, as well as words such as "believe," "intends," "expects," "plans," "anticipates" and variations thereof, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward looking. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and the company's actual results could differ materially from those contained in such statements. Factors that could affect expectations for our REO disk-based appliances include the general market acceptance of this new class of products, the timing and market acceptance of new REO software PACs by the company; the timing and market acceptance of new product introductions by competitors; worldwide information technology spending levels; unexpected shortages of critical components; rescheduling or cancellation of customer orders; competition and price pressures in the marketplace; and general economic conditions. Reference is also made to other factors set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis" and other sections of the company's Form 10-K for the most recently completed fiscal year. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release.
All trademarks, trade names, service marks, and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies.
Quotes from Analysts and VARs
"With Multi-SitePAC for its family of REO products, Overland Storage continues to drive the complexity and inefficiency out of backup and recovery processes," said Peter Gerr, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. "Multi-SitePAC integrates easily into existing environments, providing a greatly simplified yet reliable way to backup and recover data from distributed or branch office locations. The REO's inherent operational simplicity, combined with the Multi-SitePAC's attractive price point, offers customers an effective way to reduce data protection costs while improving data availability."
"Multi-SitePAC enables customers to automatically centralize and manage remote backups, without requiring changes to backup processes at the remote sites," said Dianne McAdam, senior analyst, Data Mobility Group. "It does not require the purchase of additional servers, software or licenses, and can eliminate the requirement for IT administration at remote sites."
"Backing up data to remote sites is no longer solely for the most critical applications at the largest companies. As part of efforts to boost general application availability and in response to emerging regulatory requirements, even IT managers at companies with just two or three sites need storage solutions that allow them to remotely replicate a diverse array of data types," said Richard Villars, vice president of storage systems research at IDC. "Solutions like Overland Storage's Multi-SitePAC will make it possible for IT managers at large and medium sized businesses to centrally and cost- effectively manage the replication of important business data between multiple locations without requiring major changing in existing storage environments."
"Ensuring the adequate protection of remote data plagues even the most sophisticated IT departments," said Bob King, vice president, AdviStor. "Overland's new Multi-SitePAC is an effective, affordable solution that will provide immediate benefits to storage and systems administrators. In fact, we're already engaged with a number of end-users who have expressed strong interest in evaluating Multi-SitePAC for remote backup consolidation."
"Overland Storage continues to deliver flexible solutions that end users need, and Multi-SitePAC is no exception," said Dave Holloway, executive vice president, West Coast Technology. "Unlike other solutions, Multi-SitePAC integrates into current backup environments, which takes the complexity and risk out of remote backup consolidation. In addition, Multi-SitePAC improves the success rates of backups at remote offices, while increasing recovery time for critical data."
SOURCE Overland Storage, Inc.
01/25/2005
CONTACT: Melinda Hutcheon, PR Manager of Overland Storage,
+1-858-495-4187, mhutcheon@overlandstorage.com; or Jamie Ernst of Brodeur,
+1-210-495-5757, jernst@brodeur.com, for Overland Storage
Web site: http://www.overlandstorage.com