Backup-as-a-Service solutions eliminate the need to buy and manage backup hardware while ensuring that backups are completed on schedule, every time.
Data backup has always been a challenging process, but it has become more difficult than ever over the past two years. The transition to remote and hybrid working models has resulted in wildly decentralized environments, with critical data scattered across multiple data centers, cloud platforms, edge servers and endpoint devices.
Analysts say as much as half of all data is now created outside the data center. Over the next two years, it is expected to increase to more than 70 percent — driven by continued reliance on remote workers as well as the growth of machine-to-machine technologies that are expected to generate huge amounts of data.
That has all made backup an increasingly complex process requiring the coordination of multiple data sources, growing data volumes and numerous backup products. According to various estimates, as many as 60 percent of backups fail when needed most. A 2025 report found that nearly 35 percent of companies lose data permanently without being able to recover it.
What Is BaaS?
As organizations seek ways to close the gaps in their data protection strategies, cloud-based backup-as-a-service (BaaS) solutions are emerging as an increasingly popular option. A recent analyst report predicts the BaaS market will experience annual growth rates of more than 30 percent through 2030.
On-premises backup environments require investments in hardware and software that can quickly become outdated or inadequate. In many organizations, the backup process requires coordinating up to a dozen different backup, storage and disaster recovery devices — each with separate processes and management systems.
BaaS is a cloud-based solution in which a third-party provider handles an organization’s data backup and recovery processes, including hardware, software and maintenance. It offloads the burden of data protection from in-house teams, offering automated backups, cloud storage, scalability, and security.
In a typical BaaS environment, customers can manage backups with just a few mouse clicks from a central console. In minutes, administrators can send backup jobs across a secure connection to the service provider’s cloud.
Getting Out of the Backup Business
BaaS eliminates the need for businesses to invest in and maintain their own backup hardware and software. In addition to shifting backup to a more budget-friendly opex model, BaaS relieves IT staff of the backup management burden. Organizations can conserve staff and budget resources that could otherwise be focused on more strategic projects.
More importantly, BaaS solutions help eliminate human error and backup failures. BaaS is a completely automated solution. A full backup will be completed initially, then new data and any data changes will be backed up automatically. Many solutions also provide automated data reduction, capacity management and data orchestration services.
Built-in redundancy features improve data protection. Backups are often automated, removing the need for manual intervention and scheduling. Organizations are assured of fast and reliable restoration capabilities in case of data loss. Additionally, providers typically operate out of two or more independent data center locations for redundancy.
Security and Scalability
Enhanced security is another benefit. Data is typically protected with encryption and access controls and stored in secure, off-site locations. As a result, BaaS solutions provide protection from ransomware attacks and enable “sandbox” testing environments where customers can complete application updates and test new software in a non-production environment.
Most reputable providers have data centers that are fully compliant with key security and regulatory standards such as SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley and Gramm-Leach-Bliley. Most also offer end-to-end encryption of data at rest and in transit.
Businesses can easily adjust their storage needs as they grow without significant infrastructure changes. A service-level agreement (SLA) guarantees uptime and availability, and the provider handles the ongoing management and maintenance of the backup system.
Identifying Potential Issues
Although BaaS solutions offer important operational, security and budget benefits, some issues can potentially affect performance. Bandwidth limitations, for example, can negatively impact backup processes. A qualified managed services provider can evaluate the current backup environment to determine if any upgrades or corrections are necessary to support a cloud backup solution.
It’s also important to recognize that BaaS is not the same as Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service. While both are cloud-based, BaaS focuses specifically on backing up and restoring data. DRaaS goes further by enabling the instant running of business applications in the cloud during a disaster. BaaS protects data, while DRaaS protects services.
Data backup is one of the most critical IT operations, but it can also be one of the most problematic. BaaS solutions alleviate the headaches associated with backup and ensure that organizations can recover their data quickly when needed.
