Bundled offering twins broadband and storage
UK businesses can get broadband Internet access and secure data backup in a single product, costing just £38 per month.
Global Data Vault UK announced the launch of its datastream 500+ package on Wednesday. It consists of a 512Kbps self-installation ADSL service, including features such as virus protection and spam filtering, and storage space for up to 1.5GB of data.
High-speed Internet access and data storage are both important technical issues for businesses, and datastream 500+ may well appeal to a company that realises the importance of keeping secure back-ups but doesn't want the hassle of trying to handle the task in-house.
"Small businesses are notoriously bad at backing up their data, so for a company that is planning to move to broadband we can solve two problems with one product," Kurt Schmidt, director of European operations at Global Data Vault, told ZDNet UK.
Schmidt added that for a small company, outsourcing their data back-up made more sense than running tape back-ups themselves, especially if they don't have any full-time IT support staff.
Customers who sign up for datastream 500+ will need to equip themselves with an ADSL modem, and must also pay a £70 installation fee to cover the cost of upgrading their telephone line to broadband.
Datastream 500+ is US-based Global Data Vault's first move into the broadband market. It has offered storage solutions in the US for several years where, Schmidt explained, a typical customer would be a medium-sized financial, legal or medical firm that backed up around 6GB of data.
Schmidt added that BT's dominance of the UK's wholesale DSL market, compared to the more fragmented US market, makes it much easier for Global Data Vault to offer a nationwide broadband service.
The company is planning to launch more combined broadband and storage services within weeks. This could include a package that bundles together a 2Mbps ADSL connection and storage space for 6GB of data, at a provisional price of £139.99 per month.
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