Small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly adopting technologies like virtualisation, cloud computing and mobility for improved disaster preparedness, according to a new survey by Symantec.
The survey, which surveyed 2,053 organisations worldwide, found more than one-third of the respondents are now taking advantage of mobile devices for business use.
Symantec senior vice president of worldwide marketing for SMB and .Cloud Steve Cullen said SMBs cannot afford lengthy downtimes so the ability to quickly recover from a disaster is critical.
"Technologies such as virtualisation, cloud computing, and mobility, combined with a sound plan and comprehensive security and data protection solutions, enable SMBs to better prepare for and quickly recover from potential disasters such as floods or fires, as well as lost or stolen mobile devices and laptops," Cullen added.
Among the SMBs surveyed, 34% are either currently deploying or already benefitting from server virtualisation, while 40% are deploying public clouds and 43% are implementing private clouds.
The report found that disaster preparedness has influenced 37% of respondents for adopting private cloud computing, similar to the 34% who said it affected their commitment to public cloud adoption and server virtualisation.
A majority of the respondents (71%) reported that their disaster preparedness improved with virtualisation while private cloud (43%) and public cloud (41%) also scored highly.
Symantec has recommended SMBs develop a disaster preparedness plan; implement strategic technologies, such as cloud backup for offsite storage and disaster recovery; use comprehensive security and backup offerings to protect physical, virtual and mobile systems; and review disaster preparedness once a quarter.
