Iaso embarks on online backup channel odyssey

Rob Verbeek: Resellers can rebrand products to make them look like their own

Online backup software and remote services vendor Iaso has launched a UK reseller programme allowing VARs to offer their customers a storage-as-a-service option.

Iaso, based in the Netherlands and named after the Greek goddess of recovery, unveiled its programme and revealed it aims to recruit 400 resellers by the end of 2009 at Channel Expo last week.

Iaso’s IP Backup Solution includes a series of backup appliances and its Backup Manager technology.

The Backup Manager is designed to eliminate manual interventions, reduce cost of ownership and prevent errors that can occur with tape-based products.

Rob Verbeek, chief executive of Iaso, said: “Resellers are carpenters that tailor their offering to each customer and Iaso’s products are like the hammer we hand to them to
tailor their service.

“Not only does somebody have to physically change a tape, but there is the risk of misplacing it or even erasing it. With online backup, the end user does not have to remember to change the tapes and it is more reliable,” he said.

Verbeek explained that resellers can rebrand the vendor’s products, to make them look like their own.
“Partners are already tailoring the software. They use the same applications, but each can have a different look and feel,” he said.

Matt Jackson, director of Iaso distributor Red Cell, said: “Some users have their backup located next to the kitchen in their office.

“Online backup is useful in case the kitchen burns down because it is safely stored in an offsite location.”