Backup Technology’s ethos is that all staff, both Sales and Technical, are fully trained and certified by Asigra. This has led to Backup Technology boasting a team of over 30 Asigra experts, something which is unrivalled in the industry. As part of this I recently travelled to Asigra’s headquarters in Toronto, Canada, for the official Asigra training course along with my colleagues Damien and Trevor.
Prior to going, my colleagues and I had been trained internally with Asigra’s online backup software for between 4 and 12 months and so we were quite comfortable with its everyday use. The aim of this trip was to get to grips with Asigra’s advanced configurations, as well as providing an excellent opportunity to meet some of the Asigra team-members that we work with closely on a regular basis, such as support and development. We were given a very warm welcome by David Farajun, Asigra’s CEO, who seems to really appreciate the time and financial commitment Backup Technology make to staff training.
The training consisted of 2 levels; foundation and advanced. Both levels focus on the configuration and implementation of software at the vendor’s data centre and the end customer’s backup device. The foundation level focuses on basic configurations, e.g. initial set up of the license and of individual customers, whereas the advanced training introduces advanced types of configuration, such as those that allow vendors to provide more efficient systems for large customers.
To receive both certifications by Asigra, trainees must pass the Asigra tests, which are designed to cover all aspects of the training courses. After gaining a certificate for both levels, trainees leave Asigra HQ with a good foundation of knowledge on how to properly configure Asigra within their own infrastructure and adjust the setup of each individual customer according to their requirements.
The latter includes putting in place retention rules that suit the customer. For example, a company may be required by law to keep certain data for up to a number of years. On the other hand, customers who are not bound by any legislation may want to delete everything but the most recent few copies of data from the backup provider’s data centre. Both examples are easy to set up and can be adjusted at any time.
It was great to see Asigra’s offices and the resources they devote to the development of new products. Separate work teams are dedicated to individual Asigra products, such as their core product, DS-client, as well as their mobile versions of the software, designed to backup laptops, tablets and smart phones. We saw their 24/7 support team, who are available to answer any call from anywhere in the world, any time of year. We also saw some of the early pieces of hardware used by Asigra when they were just in their infancy, all of 26 years ago.
The benefit of working with Asigra comes from this rich history as one of the world’s first cloud backup providers, and their ascension to the top of the list of providers comes from working closely with their customers. They focus on training partners properly to ensure that their products are used effectively, as well as taking their feedback as inspiration for updates and future versions.
Overall, it was great to learn about all of Asigra’s potential, as well as experience the city of Toronto.
