Every vendor demo looks impressive. The right platform for you depends on your workloads, recovery targets, skills and budget — not on whose slide deck is most convincing.
Start with requirements, not features
- Workloads: VMs, databases, SaaS, Kubernetes, file and object
- Recovery targets: RTO/RPO by service tier
- Security: immutability, isolation, access control, anomaly detection
- Operations: skills, automation, reporting
- Commercials: licensing model and total cost over 3–5 years
Test what matters
Run a proof of concept with your own data and recovery scenarios, including a simulated ransomware recovery. Measure restore speed and effort, not just backup speed.
Avoid common traps
Watch for licensing that scales unexpectedly, features that need extra modules, and migration effort from your current platform.
A simple scoring approach
Weight your requirements before you see any demos — for example, recoverability 35%, security 25%, operations 20% and commercials 20%. Score each platform against the same scenarios and evidence, and keep notes on how each score was reached.
Involve the people who will run the platform day to day, not just architects and buyers. Their view of usability, reporting and support quality often decides whether a platform succeeds after purchase.
Key takeaways
- Define requirements before evaluating vendors.
- Prove recovery with your own data.
- Model total cost of ownership, including migration.
Choosing a platform?
As an independent advisor we help you compare options objectively — with no products to sell.
