Tips for evaluating backup companies

Computerworld - Information is the heartbeat of most organizations today. Loss or inaccessibility of that data could have negative impacts on a business, ranging from minor inconvenience to financial devastation. As a result, more companies are choosing to outsource their data-backup functions to companies that provide those services.
Most companies today have Web sites, and it's possible for even the smallest and newest companies to have a very slick Web presence. But if you are evaluating backup companies, make sure your research goes well beyond surfing the Web for information on potential outsourcing partners.
The following are some tips and questions to ask as you start your investigative process.
How long have you been in business?
Bigger isn't necessarily better, and while I am all for giving the new guy a chance, data backup is no place to experiment by giving this responsibility to a start-up. Experience matters here. Make sure that your supplier has a minimum of three to five years of experience. The barriers to entry aren't that great, so make sure you have a company that will be in business well into the future.
If possible, visit the data center
My son, a highly competent techie, could, with some software, a server and some bandwidth, be your backup vendor. Although he is a great kid, he isn't eminently qualified to be the keeper of your valuable data. The point here is that anyone operating from his kitchen table could advertise his company as a backup vendor.
Visit the data center and make sure you see equipment such as a backup generator, an uninterruptible power supply, Border Gateway Protocol-routed Digital Signal Level 3 pipes or larger (for highly redundant bandwidth), highly secure firewalls, backup systems, and world-class servers and storage systems from companies such as EMC Corp, Dell Inc. and IBM. Don't take it for granted that every supplier has the appropriate software, hardware and infrastructure, because they don't.
Do they have a lot of customers like you?
Don't be first, and don't experiment. The stakes are too high. Make sure that the vendor has lots of customers with needs like yours. At a minimum, I think you want at least 100 customers, and ask for references from companies similar to yours. If your company is a law firm, ask to speak with three other law firms about your size. Call the references and ask them if someone answers the phone if you call on a Sunday afternoon during the Patriots game.
Do they have a proven round-the-clock customer service team?