WTC: Solution Providers, Vendors Offer Free Data Recovery Services

Many of them are turning to solution providers for help in providing such services.

A consortium of storage vendors have put together a program called RecoverNYdata Service aimed at helping companies in the Manhattan area that have lost or had damaged tape backup equipment or software.

The consortium is offering a single point-of-contact for such companies, including helping companies decide if they are experiencing hardware, software, or media problems, and helping contact the appropriate vendor and local solution providers, said Roberta Halliburton, director of marketing programs for Overland Data, which is coordinating the effort.

Vendors are also providing loaner equipment free-of-charge for up to three months as needed, said Halliburton. Other services including repair of tape library robotics and restoration of data, she said.

Companies already taking advantage of the services include Chase Manhattan and Dain Rauscher, Halliburton said.

Tape library vendors working through the consortium include Exabyte, Overland Data, Qualstar, Quantum/ATL, StorageTek and Spectra Logic. Tape drive vendors include Quantum, StorageTek, and Seagate. Also helping out are Fuji, Imation and Maxell on the media side, and Veritas and BakBone on the software side.

HorizonTek, a Huntington, N.Y.-based solution provider, is providing space to Overland Data to serve as a warehouse for loaner equipment, said Don McNaughton, sales manager for HorizonTek. Overland Data, which does not have an east coast office, is rushing equipment to the solution provider, and using courier services to send equipment to companies in need, he said.

"Overland Data is helping out big time," McNaughton said. "We will assist them. But they are the real tech arm."

The consortium is in contact with a number of solution providers looking to help with the service, said Halliburton. "It's amazing how many solution providers are willing to offer their services," she said.

Halliburton can be contacted at 858-495-4114.

DriveSavers, a Novato, Calif.-based data recovery specialist, is offering to help individuals and businesses affected by the World Trade Center attack recover data from hard drives or other data storage media which was hurt via fire, water, electrical surges, or impact, said John Christopher, data recovery engineer.

Such individuals or businesses can send the affected storage devices or media to DriveSavers, who will attempt to recover data from the media and return it on a CD or DVD disk via Federal Express, said Christopher. Such a service normally costs an average of $700, depending on media, size of files, operating system, and how fast it is needed, he said.

DriveSavers has about 2,000 solution providers across the country, and is encouraging those whose clients were affected by the attack to help those clients with the free services. Since the service is free, however, no commissions will be paid. "If they want to help their clients, great!" he said.

SwapDrive, a Washington, DC-based developer of software and services for backup, access, and delivery of data over the Internet, is offering free secure data backup services to the FBI and to businesses displaced by the terrorist attack.

Company officials say SwapDrive noticed a spike in demand of 300 percent for its off-site backup services since the attack.