Applications

Remote Storage A Clear Option

SwapDrive, a provider of storage services, is seeking xSP partners through its XSP@SwapDrive program. The company's services include data backup, networked storage, and the e-mailing of large files through its WhaleMail application.

by ISP-Planet Staff [February 27, 2003]

Founded in 1999, Washington, D.C.-based SwapDrive opened its virtual doors when many companies were offering free or cheap storage space on the Web. "We always charged for our service," says SwapDrive CEO David Steinberg. "We focused on the B2B market."

The company soon learned that its customers were using its product for data backup. Steinberg notes that many companies back up to tape, but rarely test their backups and some even fail to move their tapes off site. He says that some companies also fail to adhere to their own data backup schedules.

"We automate the backup process," says Steinberg. "Automation makes the backup transparent, and assures that the data backup is on schedule."

Steinberg says SwapDrive has always pursued ISPs and MSPs as channel partners. The company maintains an xSP program, XSP@SwapDrive. The xSP purchases storage at a discount of 35 percent or more (volume discounts are available), and resells it as it sees fit.

"Security is the question potential users raise," noted Steinberg. "Everything's redundant. There's a primary write to storage in Sterling, Va., and then another write to mirror in Sunnyvale, Calif. Data at rest is protected by AES encryption, and data is also encrypted in transit."

SwapDrive offers some unusual services. SwapDrive WhaleMail allows a user to e-mail a links to a large file, allowing the e-mail's recipient to download the file using their browser. SwapDrive FileShare creates a "network-like environment" on a remote drive that many users can share. SwapDrive Backup is SwapDrive's most popular product with business customers, and has already been described.

For backup, SwapDrive's sales pitch is simple. "Do you need backup? Yes," said Steinberg. "Are you doing it well? No."

No ISP would want to offer a service it has not tested itself. SwapDrive offers prospective ISPs a 30 day free trials and some take the opportunity to offer a free trial to select customers. "Some ISPs," notes Steinberg, "do nothing for their users for free."

The company writes most of its applications itself, but does use a third party ActiveX control that allows the drag and drop of storage. The company uses storage supplied by Scale Eight. "We run the servers, and we link to them across a fiber link at our data center," explains Steinberg. "They run the storage."

If your business serves small business customers, you may be interested in this product.

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