What is Data Management as a Service (DMaaS)?
No matter what business you’re in, you use, collect, and store data. And protecting that data is integral to your success. In 2022, the average cost of recovering from a data breach was almost $10 million. Protecting your company from this kind of financial fallout begins with how and where you store your data. Chances are, you have multiple data sources and types of data you need to manage and secure, and those disparate data sources and needs will change over time. Depending on the type of business you’re in, you may also have strict data governance and compliance rules about how and where that data lives—and who can have access to it. Whatever your data needs are, there’s a better way than tacking on “data management” to someone’s job description, letting them juggle Excel spreadsheets, and hoping for the best. Let’s explore a few data management options and whether Data Management as a Service might be right for your organization.
What is Data Management?
Data management is the comprehensive approach to storing, organizing, securing, and maintaining all the data that an organization possesses. It involves a range of data management capabilities and tasks that ensure the data's integrity, security, and usability. Here are the key components:
Data Integration
Data integration involves combining different data sources into a unified, accessible system. This is one of the essential data management tasks that make it easier for organizations to access and use their data efficiently. Whether it's integrating big data from various departments or syncing up smaller datasets, a well-integrated data system is crucial for effective data management.Data Quality
Ensuring data quality is about making sure all data is continuously accurate, clean, and usable. This is a core data management capability that uses machine learning algorithms and other advanced techniques to identify errors, inconsistencies, and redundancies in the data. High-quality data is essential for accurate analytics and decision-making.Data Governance
Data governance involves establishing policies, procedures, and standards for managing data. This includes both what is required by a company’s internal policies and what may be mandated by law. Governance is a critical aspect of data management tasks, especially when it comes to compliance and ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to certain types of data.Data Storage
Creating the infrastructure to store data reliably is another key component. Storage options can range from onsite servers to cloud-based systems. The choice between these storage options will depend on various factors like the volume of data, security requirements, and budget constraints. Effective data storage is a foundational data management capability.Data Security
Protecting data from unauthorized access and cyber-attacks is paramount. Data security is a critical data management task that employs various technologies and protocols, such as encryption and multi-factor authentication, to safeguard data. In today's world of increasing cyber threats, robust data security is non-negotiable.Data Backup and Recovery
Data backup and recovery are about ensuring that data is consistently backed up and recoverable in the event of a critical incident like a data breach or system failure. This involves automated data backup systems and disaster recovery plans, which are essential data management capabilities for any organization.Data Analysis
Data analysis involves extracting insights and information from stored data to make informed decisions. With the advent of big data and machine learning algorithms, data analysis has become more sophisticated, allowing organizations to gain deeper insights and predictive analytics.
By understanding and implementing these key components, organizations can build a robust data management strategy that not only protects them from risks but also enables them to leverage their data for growth and innovation.
Types of data management services
In-house data management: Some organizations feel comfortable building the infrastructure to manage their own data, as well as hiring a team to oversee all their data needs. This can require significant investment in hardware, software, storage, and staffing. While some companies choose to house all their data onsite on physical servers, many opt for the use of cloud-based storage or a hybrid of the two.
Data Management as a Service: If your company doesn’t have the infrastructure, resources, or expertise to manage and secure its data, DMaaS, or Data Management as a Service, is an option. DMaaS providers handle all your data needs—big or small, leaving you free to focus your resources on your core business while sleeping soundly at night knowing that your data is secure. Unlike managing your data in-house, working with a DMaaS vendor means you don’t have to purchase any hardware, nor do you have to hire additional staff—the vendor does it all for you as a pay-as-you-go service with fees based on how much data you need to be stored and what additional needs you may have for security, backup and recovery, data discovery and analysis.
Benefits of DMaaS
By utilizing Data Management as a Service (DMaaS), businesses can make a strategic financial decision that moves away from investing significant capital into developing and maintaining their own on-premises data center and infrastructure. This shift to a pay-as-you-go model means that companies only have to account for the services they truly need and the volume of data they are actually storing and managing.
This not only drives significant cost savings but also affords businesses the flexibility to adjust their data management expenses in line with their growth, demands, and budget. The economic benefits of DMaaS extend to companies of all sizes, from small startups to large corporations, as well as businesses whose data needs see considerable fluctuation.
Enhance scalability. DMaaS providers are also well-equipped to scale their services in response to the evolving needs of businesses. Whether a company is scaling up due to growth or scaling down due to consolidation, DMaaS can readily adapt to these changes. Scalability in data management also offers immense benefits for organizations with cyclical data demands, or those experiencing rapid change in their own unified data management needs.
Ensure disaster recovery. Another crucial advantage of DMaaS is its in-built disaster recovery capabilities. Disasters, be it natural calamities or cyberattacks, can cause severe damage to a company's data infrastructure, especially when stored on premises. With DMaaS, businesses have the benefit of having their data stored securely off-site, often across multiple geo-distributed locations. This approach inherently mitigates the risk of data loss and provides a robust framework for disaster recovery. In case of an emergency, businesses can quickly recover their data assets and ensure business continuity without enduring the significant downtime and financial losses that come with data disasters.
Trust the experts for seamless IT environment to simplify data management. With Data Management as a Service (DMaaS), businesses can confidently lean on a team of data specialists. Data is not just a part of their service offering—it's their core business! This means companies can save on the resources typically spent on hiring and training their own team of experts, or avoid relying on a team member who doesn’t specialize in data to handle their intricate IT environment.
By opting for a DMaaS provider, businesses are choosing to trust their complex IT landscapes in the hands of professionals. These service providers are well-versed in managing the multifaceted challenges associated with data, which includes everything from everyday operations and data warehouses to unique, sector-specific data requirements.
Stay secure in the face of evolving threats. DMaaS cloud providers also offer robust security measures designed to safeguard their clients' data. In a world where data breaches are a real threat to business continuity, this provides companies with much-needed assurance. DMaaS providers continually update their security practices and protocols to stay ahead of potential risks, ensuring that your data is protected against current and emerging threats. Businesses can rest easy knowing their sensitive data is secure, allowing them to focus on delivering value to their customers.
Focus on your core business without interruption. By outsourcing data management to a DMaaS provider, businesses gain the freedom to devote their time, resources, and attention to what truly matters: their core business operations. Data management, especially in a complex IT environment, can demand significant resources and expertise. However, with DMaaS, businesses entrust these tasks to their service provider, ensuring a smooth, uninterrupted focus on their essential operations.
Rubrik and DMaaS
Ready to get started with DMaaS? Rubrik’s DMaaS solutions offer a single software platform that securely delivers backup, recovery, analytics, data governance, and compliance across data centers and clouds. Any organization can use Rubrik’s user-friendly Data Security Cloud anywhere to store and secure its most sensitive information. Their zero-trust data security policies and comprehensive backup and recovery solutions ensure that you have the best protection from cyber attackers and the least downtime in the event of a critical data incident. Contact Rubrik today to talk to an expert about your data protection needs!