This research details five disk-based data protection solutions from emerging data protection vendors. IT directors and storage administrators responsible for backup/recovery and/or disaster recovery will want to consider these vendors for applicability in their environments.

In recent years, some of the most interesting innovations in backup/recovery have come from smaller vendors at the periphery, and not from larger vendors at the core. The giant vendors may consume the new vendors, but it is also possible that, during the next three to five years, some emerging vendors may survive and thrive in their own right, and make a minor, but meaningful, impact on the storage landscape. Risk-averse organizations may want to selectively consider a trial with one of the emerging vendors to better access technical innovation and vendor support, while keeping much of the data on established vendor solutions. As the technology and vendor prove themselves over time, future purchases could be directed toward the emerging vendor, as warranted.