vGrid
Trusted MSP sets a new standard for reliable, cyber-resilient data protection with Scality ARTESCA
The IT services landscape in New Zealand is undergoing rapid change. Large public cloud providers are entering the market, creating an influx of cloud storage options for the region’s small and mid-sized enterprises.
While these providers may offer perceived scale, they lack the personalized, regional care that some businesses need to grow with confidence.
Local IT service provider vGRID Limited developed an agile storage architecture to swiftly defend its business and provide its customers with the data protection solutions they need to compete in a modern digital era.
Implementing an affordable, cyber-resilient object storage foundation that powers scalable growth, vGRID is now set to offer backup-as-a-service and DR-as-a-service solutions its customers need to protect the data that runs their businesses with the personalized attention they trust.
Vision and Strategy
Ensure the resilience NZ-based businesses need via personalized IT-managed services
As large public cloud operators enter New Zealand, vGRID is rising to meet the challenge by doing what they do best — offering personalized customer attention and dedicated expertise. Even with the larger public cloud operators’ size and scope, vGRID delivers greater value with local services and deeper expertise, minus the high entry and egress costs that are often a barrier for small business adoption.
Working to raise the data protection bar and defend its market share, vGRID established a new strategy to modernize its already high-performing data infrastructure.
Built on the three pillars of reliability, performance, and control, the vGRID infrastructure was augmented to employ economical, cyber-resilient, S3-compatible object storage that can start small and scale dynamically to meet the changing needs of the businesses they serve. When matched with the personalized service of a local, dedicated team of experts available 24×7, along with empowering self-service controls, vGRID is able to differentiate itself from emerging public cloud competition.
“At vGRID, we meet our customers where they are with a platform that assures reliability, performs well, and delivers as promised. When you offer a service that is inherently reliable that customers don’t have to be concerned about, you can elevate the customer conversation.We aim to not only meet customer requirements, but to do so without it being a restrictive platform with constraints that limit the business. Larger cloud providers can’t say the same.”
Solution
Scality + HPE + Veeam = cost-effective, sovereign and secure at scale
Using Scality ARTESCA S3 object storage with HPE Apollo 4200 Storage Servers running Veeam backup software enables vGRID to deliver backup-as-a-service and DR-as-a-service solutions to customers at a dramatically cost-efficient price point. In the resulting vGRID SecureStore solution, data is retained in an agile environment, which grows as customers do — without added costs for recovery or data movement often incurred when using public cloud providers.
Data sovereignty is also a significant value proposition for vGRID’s managed services. While New Zealand doesn’t currently have mandated data sovereignty regulations, there is a strong cultural desire to keep data in-country. For many of vGRID’s customers, this has become an important selection criterion that cannot always be assured by public cloud options.
Using the vGRID SecureStore solution and service model, customers can remain confident that their data is securely retained with data sovereignty and not replicated to data centers outside the country.
SecureStore
vGRID’s new SecureStore data protection service infrastructure leverages S3-compatible object storage as the target for backup data that’s not only immutable but also protected by CORE5, Scality’s unique end-to-end cyber-resilience capabilities, along with ransomware protection from Veeam, provide an unmatched level of security.
Cost-efficiency is also critical for as-a-service solutions, especially when up against major cloud providers who may, at an initial glance, appear to be lower in cost. Scality ARTESCA delivers dynamic scalability at an affordable price, enabling vGRID to enhance services for its customers while reducing up-front storage sizing and scoping. Storage can now be added easily upon customer demand, without new hardware uplifts or heavy management expenses.
“Scality ARTESCA cyber-resilient object storage gives us much more flexibility to support business growth while still keeping data close to home.”
Results
A strong partnership built on trust ensures confidence
When it comes to supporting its customers, vGRID is clear that trust means everything. They aim to work hand-in-hand to meet customer needs and deliver the recovery point objectives and recovery time objectives that truly bring value to the businesses they serve. To deliver this confidence with consistency means they also need to have trust in the technology partnerships they rely on.
They have found that this is where technology partners, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Scality, and Veeam have performed without fail. Acquisition of the three‑partner solution was made simple with all three being offered through HPE.
Strong technology partnerships also support the needs of vGRID’s customers. With strong technology partner relationships, the service provider is able to achieve more for its customers faster. This is a key advantage, particularly when working to stay one step ahead of its public cloud competition.
“We’ve worked with many vendors in the past where things can fall short. But with HPE, Scality, and Veeam, it comes down to relationships. I know that the people we work with truly have our back. They support our solutions with expertise and passion, and we always know we can get the support we need, when and where we need it.”