CMS takes Central approach to backup

Vendor signs distribution agreement which it claims marks its formal expansion into the UK

James Sherwood, CRN, 21 Apr 2006

Online backup vendor Central Databank has signed a distribution agreement with CMS Peripherals, in its first move into the UK market.

Under the terms of the agreement, CMS will distribute the vendor’s online backup and 24-hour data access service on a white-label basis to its network of channel partners.

Astley Gayle, product marketing manager for the UK and Ireland at CMS Peripherals, told CRN that before sales can go mainstream, many SMEs will have to overcome a psychological barrier to employing a third party to handle their storage off site.

“This is an emerging area of data backup,” he said. “ It is coming to the forefront of requirements, particularly in the SME sector. We now have to identify the resellers that can generate a bit of demand creation.”

Gayle added that the service would also open up new storage opportunities for its resellers.

“For VARs that are hungry for services-led opportunities, this is ideal. It may also open up more possibilities for resellers outside of the storage arena,” he said.

Central Databank’s service is aimed at the SME sector. The vendor has claimed that many small busi-nesses do not have a suitable backup regime in place.

The service, which is hosted at a data centre in Dublin and charges on a per-gigabyte basis, also provides the end-user with continuous access to their data.

Dermot Mooney, chief executive of Central Databank, told CRN that it opted for CMS because the distributor shares its mindset. He added that it is already getting sales through the partnership.

“It’s a white-label service that we sell to CMS, which it then sells on to its resellers as a white-label product. It’s an agent-less software that only requires a download key,” he said.

“We are very excited to be growing Central Databank’s partner base into the UK, and look forward to developing the company further through this expansion.”

Online storage is a subject that is rising to the top of the business agenda (CRN, 10 April).

E-tailer Amazon has already launched into the market with its S3 service. This allows end-users to backup data over a secure connection without the equipment, worry or expense necessary to conduct the backup themselves.

Christopher Evans, managing director of VAR Oak Systems, speaking about online storage, said: “It will suit some resellers, but end-users will have to weigh up the pros and cons of both online and offline storage.”