General Questions

What is Agency Backup?

Agency Backup is designed to protect your critical business data and systems.  It takes advantage of secure connections over the Internet to storage data off-site into a secure, climate control data center.  The service gives you confidence that your data is safe, current, and always available.  It also eliminates the need to manage backups yourself, allowing you to focus on your business.

You create important and unique data no matter how much or how little you use your computer.  Your data is constantly at risk due to hardware failure, human error, software corruption, PC viruses, theft, and physical disaster.  Agency Backup utilizes industry-standard technologies for security and data protection.  All data is maintained in secure, offsite climate control facilities.

Why do I need Agency Backup?

In today’s business world, the most important fundamental rule in using computers is to have a plan that routinely backs up your important data files.  Most users do not backup their files as often as they should and, even if they do, they do not store their data safely off-site.  Agency Backup eliminates the hassle of backing up your data because there are no additional hardware components such as disks or tapes needed to backup your data.  And you have the additional safety of having your files backed up off-site to our secure data storage center.  You can sleep better at night knowing all your data files are backed up properly and stored away from your place of business.

I already backup my files on tape, so why do I need Agency Backup Service?

Tape systems can be reliable, but require a high level of ongoing maintenance to guarantee reliability and retrievability. In addition, most users store their backup tapes onsite with their computer, so you're not protected in the case of theft, fire, or other natural disaster.  The lack of redundancy is another key disadvantage to tape / CD only backups.  Tapes can also break and are susceptible to corruption and damage.  And finally, if your data is security sensitive, your tape backups which do not implement data encryption methods are vulnerable to un-authorized access.

Can I still use my tape system?

Yes.  Always consider that redundancy is important to data security.  Use your tape system as your primary backup system and Agency Backup Service as your secondary backup.

Do I need to understand computers and the Internet to use this service?

Agency Backup Service was designed from day one to provide unmatched ease-of-use.  If needed, Customer Service will help with the installation and setup, and is available for restores or questions.

How are my files transferred? 

Your files are transferred electronically using the Internet.  Before your files are sent, they are compressed and encrypted for security purposes.  The encryption process ensures that no one but you (not even our staff) has access to your data.

Where will my files be stored? 

Your files will be transferred to our secure servers, which are protected by onsite security and restricted access 24/7/365.  Our servers are fully redundant and fault-tolerant.

How is Agency Backup different from other backup services I've heard about?

The Remote Backup software is completely client controlled.  All backup schedules, backup files selected, are in your control.  Your data is encrypted before it leaves your computer.  Only the computer that originated the backup or a different computer activated with your encrypted key code can access your data.   

If you ever have a question or need assistance customer support is available via phone during normal business offices and email support is regularly checked during non-business hours.

Do I have to sign up for a service plan to try Agency Backup?

No, If you are interested in a FREE two week trial, please give us a call.  While you do need to provide your credit card information when registering, your credit card will not be charged until your FREE trial is over.  You may cancel at any time.

Do I have to sign a contract?

No.  All service plans are month to month.

How do I get started?

You may sign up online or call us at 800-828-3768 to begin service.  It only takes a few minutes to establish an account.

What happens to my data if I cancel my service?

We will continue storing your data for a period up to two-weeks or 14 days.  If you need access during this time, please contact us.

Does it work if our company has a firewall?

Yes. The software works on a specific port, which can be opened by your firewall allowing the software to run.

How much compression can I expect from my data?

That really all depends on the type of data files being compressed.  MS Word files might get an 85% compression rate while JPEG files would hardly get any compression at all. Other file types fall somewhere in between. A conservative estimate would assume an 50% compression rate of your native backup set size.

How much data can I protect?

In most cases, you can protect all your mission critical data.  For maximum efficiency, it is important to identify those files that are critical to the operation of your business. It is equally important to assure that you have sufficient upload bandwidth.  The software’s default settings are setup to automatically backup commonly know file types.

I have a big hard drive.  Won't I need a lot of storage space?

No. Users generally need to only backup their data files, not program or executable files. The software also compresses the data before transferring to our servers, which can reduce the size of the backup by more than 50% and sometimes up to 75%

What happens if I exceed my quota?

The remote backup software will automatically allow you to exceed your paid storage quota on the backup server.  You will be notified when you exceed your data quota limit.  Your next monthly bill will reflect the additional storage space.  Storage space is priced in 1 GB increments or portion there of. Currently the price for each additional GB of compressed storage is $14.95 per month.

Can I backup multiple computers?

You can backup mapped network drives.  But, to backup additional unconnected computers will require a separate account.

How many computers can an account have?

Each computer requires its own assigned account user name, so the answer is one.