Compaq has unveiled a data backup service for consumer and small
business users of its Presario PCs.
In a deal with Connected, a provider of networked data storage,
Compaq will bundle the subscription service with its new line of
Presario PCs. The service aims to protect users from losing
critical information if a computer is damaged or a system crashes.
Through the offering, users can programme the service to back up
data through the Internet as frequently as they please. Using a
small client-side application and a regular Internet connection,
the service will synchronise the data on a user's PC with remote
servers managed in Connected's data centre. If any data is lost,
the user can recover it from those remote servers.
Compaq will offer a variety of service packages. One of those will
include the option of receiving a notebook computer on loan if a PC
is destroyed or fatally crashes, Connected said.
Compaq employees have been using the Connected data backup service,
codenamed Connected TLM, to protect critical data stored on their
company PCs since 1999, said a Connected spokesman. Other major
customers include Hewlett-Packard and the US Post Office.
Connected has reseller partnerships with various IT consultants,
and software and hardware vendors. The company's deal with Compaq
is its first with a major PC manufacturer, Connected said.
The service is only available for Compaq's Presario PCs running
Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. A link to the Connected
service will be featured on the startup screen.