Some plain talk about big buzz, hyped claims, and data protection

We live in interesting times, don’t we? Data has reshaped business, how organizations operate, and what customers expect. It’s a hybrid cloud world, where companies have more data in more places, on more apps and different platforms than ever before. And AI is on the verge of changing everything in profound ways. 

All of which makes data the most critical asset you own, the heartbeat of your organization. In short, there’s nothing more important than ensuring its security and protection. 

Too bad the space is full of hype and me-too claims that all sound alike. To make smart decisions requires clarity. But some vendors seem more dedicated to throwing shade than grasping the dimensions of the problem. Trying to convince you that the only answer is a volume play—multiple solutions, more tools, more backup or a new partnership marketed heavily as solving a customer problem, but in reality, is only solving a gap in vendor capability or a workload coverage issue.

But are these claims really true? Or are they just relying on a lot of flashy buzzwords to make up for the shortcomings in their own offerings? It’s kind of insulting if you think about it—as a smart tech buyer, aren’t you going to see through this stuff?

Questions well worth asking. I did when I first joined Commvault. My take on marketing technology is simple: you find out what your product does better than your competitors and find a smart, compelling way to talk about it. You don’t lie. You don’t exaggerate. You explain.

Let’s start by explaining that Commvault protects the broadest range of workloads of any vendor. As the ultimate data protection for today’s hybrid cloud world, we cover on-premise, private and public cloud, SaaS, and almost anywhere your data lives.

So, when some new competitor starts labeling us as “legacy data protection”, you’re smart enough to know that really means they’re trying desperately to keep up with our multi-cloud SaaS Data Protection, cloud air-gap, and integrated threat deception technology. 

When they call our protection of a broad range of workloads  “complex”, you’re not about to confuse flexibility with complexity. Flexibility, good. Complexity, bad. Ironically, the same vendors doing this are also forcing customers to adopt and manage separate point solutions. And what does that bring with it (in addition to cost and risk)? Say it with me: complexity.

Now let’s talk about security. I’ve seen companies sell their products as the “only” or “best” Zero Trust security. Well, for one, Zero Trust is a comprehensive approach. Not some bolt on capability. In a hybrid world, data security only works, as it does in Commvault, when it’s built in, pervasive, has the capability to also defend beyond breaches, and guards backups, as well.

Which brings me to my last point. A lot of what some competitors label as “unique” to them—immutability, zero trust, backup monitoring—are actually just table stakes in a robust data protection solution, like Commvault.

Don’t just take our word for it. Listen to what our customers have to say:

We were looking for an offering that could protect the many key platforms deployed across our environment, and Cohesity couldn’t check either of those boxes.

– Jeffrey Day, IT Security Architect at Nevada Department of Transportation

We hear this a lot actually; “To scale you need more boxes, more, more”.  But in data protection, bigger doesn’t mean better, and it certainly doesn’t mean smarter.  It adds more of the things you don’t need: cost, complexity and risk via a bigger cyberattack surface. 

With something as critical to the success of your business, there really isn’t room for fuzzy claims and fudged execution. A hybrid cloud world demands comprehensive data protection that gives you options (not complexity), delivers proactive security, active data defense, and rapid recovery through a single, gap-free platform. Without add-ins, bolt-ons, and upsells. It’s time to cut through the noise and deliver effective solutions, so you can focus on what really matters—running your business.

Visit www.commvault.com/questionit

Sources:

1. ESG research (From Data Backup to Data Intelligence, January 2022)