Backing Up Mobile Devices

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While IT companies are in the habit of backing up their servers and workstations, the increasing use of mobile devices calls for a similar strategy to be developed. What makes it more challenging is that mobile devices are usually used to work remotely, and so backups are mostly left to the end-users only.

Developing a good backup strategy for mobile will help resolve this problem:

  • Don’t rely on online backup: Most mobile devices are automatically backed up to a cloud storage service, which for most part happens to be free. While it’s a wonderful solution to the problem of backups, note that its success depends on round-the-clock connectivity. If the device happens to be cut off from the Internet for some reason, the productivity will drop to zero.
  • Discourage automatic backups: Because a mobile device is not working all the time, it can lead to missing scheduled backups that fire up when the device starts the next time. Mostly this leads to users becoming irritated and canceling the backup process, which ends up defeating the whole idea. Instead, backups should be marked in a calendar and performed manually.
  • Use other devices for backup: You don’t always need a dedicated device for backup. Most mobile phones today have enough memory to take backup for at least a week’s work, and can double up as a backup disk.
  • Train users in backup process: Conduct trainings and awareness programs in your company, educating mobile-device users about the need for regular backups. Give a live demo to show how this is done, and encourage them to follow suit.

Mobile devices should play a prominent role in your backup management strategy, and should be part of the regular activities users perform.