Christchurch · Dunedin · Nationwide
Backup as a Service for NZ Businesses
Exodesk manages backups for agreed business systems, including monitoring, failed-job follow-up, restore testing and recovery assistance. We agree what is covered, how long copies are kept, the recovery targets and the work included in your service arrangement.
Backup as a service is available on its own or as part of a managed IT arrangement, for servers and virtual machines, Microsoft 365 and staff laptops and workstations.
Supporting New Zealand businesses since 1989
The short answer
What is backup as a service?
Backup as a service is a subscription arrangement in which a provider manages agreed backup activities. Coverage, storage, testing, recovery assistance and charges depend on the service agreement.
The difference from buying backup software is the operational work. Software provides backup functions; a managed service adds someone checking jobs, handling failures, testing restores and helping with recovery, with those duties written into the agreement.
Exodesk offers backup as a service as a standalone service or within our managed IT services. Exodesk has supported New Zealand businesses since 1989. Today, our Christchurch and Dunedin teams support businesses nationwide.
What we cover
Systems our backup as a service covers
The agreement lists each system in scope, its backup schedule and how long copies are kept. If a system is not listed, treat it as not covered.
Servers
Servers and virtual machines
On-premises and hosted servers, with the applications and data on them backed up to the agreed schedule and retention.
Cloud
Microsoft 365
Mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint and supported Teams data, with the content and recovery options agreed in scope. Our Microsoft 365 backup guide explains the workload and retention choices.
Devices
Laptops and workstations
Staff devices that hold business files, with the folders and users in scope agreed so local work is not left out.
Scope is reviewed as the business changes. A new server, a system moved to the cloud or a new branch needs to be added deliberately, so we agree how changes are reported and when coverage is reviewed.
Monitoring
Monitoring and failed jobs
A backup that fails without anyone noticing offers no protection. We monitor the agreed backup jobs, follow up failed or missed jobs and record what was done.
Failed jobs are investigated and rerun or corrected under the support hours in your agreement. Where a failure needs a change on your side, such as a password reset or a device that has been offline, we tell the right person and track it until the backup completes.
You receive reporting in plain language showing which jobs completed, which needed attention and which restore tests were run, so the business can see the protection is working rather than assume it.
Testing and recovery
Restore testing and recovery
Scheduled test restores are part of the service. The agreement states their frequency and what each test covers.
A file restore test checks whether the selected file can be recovered, opened and accessed by the intended user. It does not prove that a server, its applications and user access can be brought back, so system recovery is planned and tested separately for the systems that need it.
Agree the amount of recent work the business could tolerate losing and how long each critical system could be unavailable. These inform the recovery point objective and recovery time objective. The agreement should also state support hours, response arrangements, recovery dependencies, charges and how targets are checked. Larger recovery work, such as rebuilding a server, is set out in the proposal.
Protected copies
Keeping backup copies protected
Recovery copies need protection against the risks that affect live systems. Copies are kept off-site with restricted access, and backup administration is separated from everyday accounts.
The storage location, retention and whether immutable or offline copies are used are confirmed in your proposal for each workload. The NCSC recommends protected backups and restore testing across different scenarios, including single files, applications and full systems.
Using the same IT provider for backups and day-to-day support does not by itself leave backups unprotected. What matters is the separation of access and copies, and that those controls are written down.
Responsibilities
What we manage and what your business decides
A managed service moves agreed tasks to Exodesk. It does not remove every recovery risk, so the agreement records who does what.
- Exodesk manages. Backup configuration, monitoring, failed-job follow-up, scheduled restore tests, reporting and recovery assistance for the systems in scope.
- Your business decides. Which systems and data are critical, recovery priorities, who authorises restores and when systems change.
- Checked together. After a restore, someone who knows the system confirms the recovered files or applications are usable.
- Internal IT. Where you have an internal IT person, a co-managed arrangement can split the tasks, with your team supplying system knowledge and approving changes.
Own Your Online advises that a business still needs to understand what is backed up, the backup frequency, how long copies are kept and where they are stored, even when a provider runs the backups.
How it starts
Onboarding and scope changes
Moving to a managed backup service starts with what you protect today and what the business needs to recover first.
Review systems and recovery needs
Identify the systems and data, how they are backed up now, the gaps and the recovery priorities.
Configure the new protection
Set up backups for the agreed systems while your existing backups keep running.
Verify before switching over
Confirm successful backups and relevant restore checks before the old protection is retired.
Monitor, test and review
Ongoing monitoring, scheduled tests and reporting, with scope updated as systems change.
Cost
What affects backup as a service cost?
Cost depends on the systems and data covered, storage and retention, monitoring, restore testing and recovery work. The proposal separates recurring fees from setup, growth, additional tests and recovery charges where they apply.
- Recurring fee. The systems in scope, data volume, retention and the management work agreed.
- Setup. Onboarding, configuration and the first verification checks.
- Growth. How charges change as data or the number of systems grows.
- Recovery work. What is included and how larger recovery work is charged.
To compare with doing it in-house, include the staff time, licences, storage and testing needed to run backups to the same standard. Planning guidance sits in our data backup strategy, backup and recovery plan and disaster recovery plan guides.
Questions
Backup as a service questions
What is backup as a service?
It is a subscription service for managing agreed backup activities. The scope defines the systems covered, schedules, retention, monitoring, restore testing and recovery assistance. It does not mean every system or recovery scenario is automatically covered.
How is backup as a service different from backup software?
Software provides backup functions. A managed service adds agreed operational work, such as checking jobs, handling failures and testing restores. The agreement states which tasks the provider manages and which remain with your team.
Can we get backup as a service without managed IT?
Yes. Exodesk offers backup as a service on its own or as part of a managed IT arrangement. The systems covered, monitoring, testing and recovery work are agreed in the proposal either way.
Who is responsible if a restore fails?
The agreement defines the duties of the provider, escalation and recovery assistance. Your business still needs to identify critical data, approve priorities and report system changes. A managed service does not eliminate every recovery risk.
What should the service agreement include?
It should list the systems in scope, backup schedules, retention, support hours, response arrangements, testing and recovery assistance. It should also explain recovery objectives, dependencies, exclusions, charges and what happens when requirements change.
How much does backup as a service cost?
The cost depends on the systems and data protected, retention, storage, management and recovery needs. Compare the recurring fee and setup cost, plus any additional testing, growth or restore charges. Exodesk agrees the scope and costs in the proposal.
Should backups be separate from our main systems?
Recovery copies should have protection against the risks affecting live systems, including restricted access and suitable separation. The design may use offline or immutable copies where supported. Using the same IT provider does not by itself mean the backups are unprotected.
How do we compare backup providers?
Ask what systems are covered, who handles failed jobs, what restore tests are performed and who helps during recovery. Check retention, protected copies, support hours, dependencies and costs. The answers should match the written service scope.
Can this work alongside an internal IT person?
Yes, where responsibilities are agreed. A provider can manage selected backup tasks while your internal team supplies system knowledge, approves changes and checks recovered applications. The handover should make clear who acts on failures and authorises restores.
How do we switch from managing backups ourselves?
Identify the data and systems, agree recovery needs and configure the new protection. Keep existing coverage until successful backups and relevant restore checks are confirmed. Agree ongoing monitoring, support and how future system changes enter scope.
Next step
Discuss your business backups
Tell us which systems hold your critical information, how backups are managed today and what the business needs to recover first. Exodesk can then discuss the backup management and recovery work required for your service arrangement.
Get in touch
Talk to us about your backups
Tell us about your systems and how they are backed up today, and we will be in touch to arrange a time that suits.
Prefer to talk?
Christchurch
Level 1, 85 Riccarton Road
Christchurch 8011
03 343 3124
Dunedin
Level 3, Bartons Building
2 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016
03 479 2941